Robert C.
Robert grew up in a family of farmers in Mindanao. He and his 7 siblings helped their parents in the fields every day after school. During planting and harvest seasons, they have to skip classes due to massive workloads at the farm. When he graduated high school in the ‘90s, knowing that college education was far from realization, he learned how to drive a motorcycle. This paved the way for him to start driving habal-habal (motorcycle for hire) as a means to help his family financially. Despite the physical toll it took on him as a driver, he was determined to give it all for his family.
A turning point came when one of Robert’s frequent passengers encouraged him to get a passport and work abroad for a higher income. Hence, after more than 3 years of being a habal-habal driver and saving a small portion of his daily earnings, he met someone who was able to help him get a passport which he believed was his ticket to better opportunities and a brighter future. After months of waiting, he was recruited as a construction worker in Saudi Arabia where he stayed for years. In his first 3 years of working abroad, he was able to send more money to his parents and transform their nipa hut into a sturdier concrete house making his family safer during strong rain and typhoon months. Then he invested in a small farm lot which ended his parents’ farm lot renting for decades.
After making major contributions to his family, Robert started saving for himself before going back home to the Philippines in time for their high school get-together party in 2013. There he was reunited with old-time friends and once again saw her high school love interest, Maritess, who just like him, was still single. Despite their religious and cultural differences, Robert’s unshakable feelings for his one and only high school sweetheart made him ask her if she would agree to elope with him. Thus, with his remaining savings from working abroad, they did not allow anyone to interfere with their relationship and moved to Manila to start building their own family.
As soon as they arrived in Manila, Robert tried various jobs - as a waiter, a gasoline boy, and many more. With his determination to prove Maritess his worth as a husband, and inspired by their soon-to-be-born first child, he never stopped working hard while persistently looking for better work until he finally got an opportunity in 2015 as a bus conductor that secured him a fixed minimum income. It was at this moment that they rented a small room with shared common areas in Cubao, Quezon City for PhP 2,300.00 per month near his company’s bus terminal which he loyally serves until now.
Robert, a husband and father of 5 – youngest daughter Bree (10 months), Althea (2), Chloe (3), Aliyah (4), and eldest and only son Yarniel (7) knew that this amount of money was lost each month, but he never thought people like him could have their own home.
It was always in his mind that buying a house was only for the rich.
One day, Robert met a real estate agent working with Lhoopa. He discovered that he could apply for a loan, and began the process.
He wasn’t confident at the beginning, but finally, he purchased his own house and lot in August 2021 at an affordable monthly amortization of only Php 1,800.00 instead of using his hard-earned money on renting.
He was really surprised that renting cost him a lot more than buying a house, and regrets not allocating it in his own home. In addition, his new home is Php 500.00 cheaper than the small room that they were renting. He thought that Php 2,300.00 every month was not enough for the housing loan, but it was already more than enough.
In January 2022, Robert and his family are now enjoying a peaceful life at their very own house and lot in Ciudad Nuevo in Naic, Cavite. They are now enjoying a much more spacious space compared to their rented l room, as they can now freely move around their own kitchen, dining, and living areas, a bedroom, and a mini porch where the kids can safely play.
Maritess, a previously plain housewife, is now actively contributing to the family’s daily needs as she can cook well in her new kitchen. She currently prepares home-cooked meals and Pinoy snacks ordered by neighbors and groups of tailors within the community while taking care of their kids.
With the combined efforts and hard work of Robert, and the entrepreneurial mindset of Maritess, plus their love for their family, the Condinos surely have a bright future ahead.
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