Redoble Family

We, the grandchildren of Benjamin Redoble, have huge shoes to fill. We are direct descendants of a generation that, against all odds, rose above poverty to become what they are now - living, breathing success stories.

Our parents, aunts, and uncles grew up in squalor. Left to fend for themselves, they were scattered across distant towns and cities, left in the care of more affluent relatives, never knowing where they will be stationed next.

My dad, in his youth, had been a “shoe shine” boy, offering to polish the footwear of moneyed passers-by. At one point, he sold sampaguita in the streets, saving every centavo for his public school tuition. He goferred throughout middle school, worked various odd jobs through high school, won a full college scholarship, and eventually became the first of his siblings to earn a degree. With his small wage as a young engineer, he gradually sent his brothers and sisters to school, until each one of them earned his/her own degree.

His siblings, too, have their own stories. They each, in their own way, suffered greatly for their poverty. And yet, they each, in their own way, found the will to keep on living. To keep on dreaming. To keep on believing in themselves.

Today, all of them are living their dream…

My Dad, the former “shoe shine” boy and erstwhile sampaguita vendor, topped the Civil Engineering Board exams and earned a post-grad degree in Hydraulics as a full scholar. He has since traveled extensively and pioneered groundbreaking developments around the world. Among his many achievements, he is known as the first Filipino to have designed an extensive subway system in Perth, Australia.

Uncle Luck, the only CPA of the family, is a successful entrepreneur with a rapidly expanding business that spans the entire Visayas and Mindanao.

Uncle Jok, a.k.a. Rev. Fr. Benjamin Redoble, was awarded suma cum laude in his philosophical studies in the Vatican (Italy). He has traveled across Europe, single-handedly built a church in Rwanda, Africa, and is now earning his post-graduate degree in Psychology.

Tatay Primo, occasional rants notwithstanding, is a high-ranking HR executive at Primary Structures and is an active leader in the local personnel management industry.

Tita Ria, a.k.a. Ta Yang, is a much-sought-after Business Analyst who has taken Silicon Valley by storm. She started working for a semiconductor firm as an undergrad student, been promoted for sheer merit and hard work, headhunted throughout Hong Kong and Singapore, and finally followed her heart’s desire by settling in San Jose, California.

Uncle Angi, in his mid-thirties, is a highly paid security systems consultant in Madrid, Spain. His next step, or so he claims, is world domination.

Even Uncle Toto, in spite of his penchant for wine and women , was, at one point, a multi-millionaire contractor.

And so on and so forth.

Success stories, indeed. Each one of them.

We, their children, the descendants of Greatness, must take the lessons of their generation to heart.

Whatever “difficulties” we imagine we face. Whatever obstacles that stand in our path. Whatever personal struggles that litter our lives. We must learn to rise above them and continue to aim for the stars.

In our darkest of moments, in the depths of despair, think only of 10 toddlers who had nothing to eat but rice soaked in lard. Think of 10 children sleeping in the cold. Think of 10 siblings who dared to dream. And finally, think of 10 adults who are living their dream.

As we reach for our goals, however, may we also learn to be discerning. There are undertones in this story here. Take my dad’s lessons of humility to heart and remember always:

“To become truly great, one has to stand with people, not above them.”
- Charles de Montesquieu

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