For 18 years, Edgar Retardo worked as a janitor while holding on to a college dream that poverty had forced him to postpone. In 2024, at age 40, he finally earned his degree, becoming the first college graduate in his family.
Retardo graduated with a degree in Broadcast Communication from the Polytechnic University of the Philippines Open University System, fulfilling an ambition he had carried since leaving his hometown nearly two decades earlier.
He grew up in Candoni, Negros Occidental, where his family depended on sugarcane farming. The fifth of seven children, Retardo came from a household where none of his siblings had attended college.
In 2006, he traveled to Manila hoping to pursue higher education. Financial hardship forced him to find work instead, beginning an 18-year career as a janitor.
His long-awaited opportunity came in 2020 while working at SM City Sta. Mesa. PUP students introduced him to the university’s Open University System, which offered flexible learning arrangements for working students.
Retardo enrolled and continued working throughout his studies. Online classes during the pandemic helped him manage his schedule, while his employers supported his education.
At Philtrust Bank in Sto. Domingo, Quezon City, where he was later assigned, he received permission to attend classes during work hours.
“Ang bait po nila. Pinayagan nila ako mag-aral kahit oras ng trabaho,” he recalled.
His dedication had also earned recognition from his janitorial agency, which awarded him for his work performance.
With his diploma finally earned, Retardo hoped to secure better-paying opportunities and provide greater financial support to his family.
“Gusto ko po makabawi naman sa mga magulang ko,” he said.
Eighteen years after leaving Negros Occidental hoping to attend college, Retardo finally fulfilled his dream and became his family’s first college graduate.
