Many parents that Rose Nono Lin has interacted with have shared their struggles with everyday expenses. They value education highly, but it is still a challenge to help their children finish school.

The Lack of Budget

One of the most heartbreaking conversations Lin has with parents in District 5 is about budgeting. As much as they want to see their children finish school and know how much it would help them, the harsh impact of inflation often prevents them from doing so.

The Next Resort

In one of Lin’s interviews with a beneficiary of the Rose Lin Foundation, Princess shared how her parents often resort to asking money from their neighbors just to get by. “Utang” has become a cycle that many Filipinos find themselves trapped in, all because they are trying to survive one day at a time.

The Reason

A pattern that Rose Lin observes is the lack of education experienced by many parents in the previous generation. They know what it feels like to stop studying because there was no support, and they understand the impact that missed education has on work, confidence, and daily life. As parents, they now strive to give their children the opportunities and access they never had.

The Reward

And yet, despite the struggles and hard work these parents face every day, what keeps them going is seeing their children achieve the things they never had. The real reward is when their children come home from school with a perfect score on a quiz, or a medal earned at the end of the year.

Rose Lin’s Background

Hearing these stories, Rose Lin is reminded of her own education during her younger years. Even though she received a scholarship from the Augustinians, her parents still worked hard to provide the resources she needed to continue studying.

Rose Lin’s Conviction

Rose Lin is both a testament to a parent’s hard work and a product of a philanthropist’s goodwill. While she considers herself privileged to have received opportunities when she was young, she believes that this privilege must now be extended to those who are in need.

Rose Nono Lin’s Education for All

She carries her own story of scholarship and sacrifice into her work today, pushing for education to be within reach of every child, not just a few. Under “Education for All,” she treats each parent’s struggle as a reason to widen doors, not close them.