The Philippine Star
August 26, 2025 | 12:00am
Goals in uniform
MANILA, Philippines — Ricardo Laingo Jr., a 35-year-old father from Dipolog Metropolis in Zamboanga del Norte, has fulfilled his dream of turning into a teller at Safety Financial institution’s Dipolog department—after 11 years working as a safety guard.
Raised in a fishing household, Laingo labored weekends to afford college. “I’m the youngest of 5 siblings. My father was a fisherman whereas my mom bought fish,” he mentioned.
In 2010, he started working as a safety guard. For years, he was stationed at Safety Financial institution Dipolog department, the place he dreamed of turning into a teller. “One of many causes I selected to turn out to be a safety guard whereas persevering with my research was as a result of it was my dream to be an worker of Safety Financial institution as a teller,” he added.
In 2018, he acquired a scholarship from Safety Financial institution Basis’s “Regalo Mo, Kinabukasan Ko” program, permitting him to pursue a level in pc science. Regardless of a demanding schedule, he graduated with honors in 2022.
In March 2025, after a brief stint at a bike dealership, Laingo was employed as a teller at Safety Financial institution. “A lot has modified…I used to be a safety guard for 11 years and now, I’m a financial institution teller.”
From safety guard to scholarship grantee to financial institution teller, Laingo’s journey displays how sustained help, private grit, and perception in a single’s potential can result in lasting change.
Safety Financial institution Basis continues to help people like Laingo by way of its scholarship packages — recognizing that schooling opens doorways to better alternatives.
