20/06/2024
๐พ๐๐จ๐ ๐๐ฉ๐จ ๐ฉ๐ค ๐พ๐ง๐๐๐๐ฃ๐ฉ๐๐๐ก๐จ: ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ง๐ฉ๐ฌ๐๐ง๐ข๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐๐ก๐ ๐ค๐ ๐ ๐๐ช๐ง๐จ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐ง๐๐๐ช๐๐ฉ๐โ๐จ ๐๐ง๐๐ช๐ข๐ฅ๐
In the face of adversity, some stories emerge that not only inspire but also redefine the essence of determination and gratitude. Such is the story of Mike Raz Navarette, ๐ฎ ๐๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ต๐ฒ๐น๐ผ๐ฟ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐ฆ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ฒ๐ป๐ฐ๐ฒ ๐ถ๐ป ๐ก๐๐ฟ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ด๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ฑ๐๐ฎ๐๐ฒ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐๐ธ๐น๐ฎ๐ป ๐ฆ๐๐ฎ๐๐ฒ ๐จ๐ป๐ถ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐ถ๐๐-๐๐ผ๐น๐น๐ฒ๐ด๐ฒ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐ก๐๐ฟ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด, whose path to academic success has captivated the hearts of countless individuals.
Mike, the fifth of six children of Jimmy and Isabel Navarette, witnessed unwavering dedication in their humble home in Morales, Balete, Aklan, where love and ambition coexisted amidst financial constraints. As workers in various funeral parlors across Aklan, they faced the harsh reality that their earnings were insufficient to support their childrenโs education. Yet, undeterred by lifeโs trials, they embarked on a journey that would change their familyโs destiny.
In 2010, with hands skilled from years of labor, Mikeโs father began crafting coffins โa venture that would lay the cornerstone for their future prosperity. By 2013, their dedication bore fruit as they started their own funeral business. This venture was more than a financial pursuit; it was a testament to their perseverance and dedication.
โ๐๐ ๐ณ๐ถ๐ฟ๐๐, ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ถ๐บ๐ถ๐ฑ ๐ฎ๐ฏ๐ผ๐๐ ๐ถ๐. ๐๐๐ ๐โ๐๐ฒ ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐น๐ถ๐๐ฒ๐ฑ, ๐ต๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐บ ๐๐ต๐ผ ๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐ธ ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐น๐ฒ๐ป๐๐น๐ฒ๐๐๐น๐ ๐ฑ๐ฎ๐ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ป๐ถ๐ด๐ต๐ -๐๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ณ๐ถ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ถ๐ฟ ๐ผ๐๐ป ๐ต๐ฎ๐ฝ๐ฝ๐ถ๐ป๐ฒ๐๐ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐ถ๐บ๐ฒ ๐๐ผ ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ผ๐๐ถ๐ฑ๐ฒ ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐๐, ๐ถ๐ ๐ฎ ๐๐ผ๐ป๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ณ๐๐น ๐ด๐ถ๐ณ๐ ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐๐.โ โsays Mike in our interview, when asked what he felt about having parents starting a funeral business.
The coffins crafted by Mikeโs father became vessels of hope, not just for those in rest but for the Navarette children. They symbolized a brighter future โone where education was attainable and dreams within reach. Through this business, they celebrated the achievements of a Hospitality Management graduate and supported another child through senior high school.
โ๐๐ฎ๐ต๐ถ๐น ๐ฝ๐ผ ๐๐ฎ ๐บ๐ด๐ฎ ๐ธ๐ฎ๐ฏ๐ฎ๐ผ๐ป๐ด, ๐ป๐ฎ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐ด๐๐ฎ๐ฏ๐ฎ๐ ๐ฝ๐ผ ๐ธ๐ฎ๐บ๐ถ ๐ป๐ถ๐ป๐ฎ ๐ฃ๐ฎ๐ฝ๐ฎ ๐ฎ๐ ๐ ๐ฎ๐บ๐ฎ ๐ถ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐ด-๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐น...โ says Mike.
Mikeโs own academic journey was intertwined with the family business. The coffins that once signified endings became beacons of new beginnings for him. On May 21, 2024, he chose to honor this legacy through a touching graduation photoshoot that featured how the very coffins that provided for his family also laid the foundation for his future in nursing.
When asked about the reason why he chose the casket as a prop, he says โGusto ko po pasalamatan sina Mama at Papa.โ
โ...๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ผ๐๐ฑ ๐ฎ๐ธ๐ผ ๐ป๐ฎ ๐๐ถ๐น๐ฎ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ด ๐ฎ๐ธ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐บ๐ด๐ฎ ๐บ๐ฎ๐ด๐๐น๐ฎ๐ป๐ดโฆโ he adds.
When Mike shared his story online on June 7, it resonated with many who saw beyond the unconventional prop to the profound message it conveyed. His post was not merely about his accomplishment but a tribute to his parentsโ sacrifice and unwavering support.
โ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ฑ๐ถ ๐ธ๐ผ ๐ถ๐ธ๐ถ๐ป๐ฎ๐ธ๐ฎ๐ต๐ถ๐๐ฎ ๐ป๐ฎ ๐ป๐ฎ๐ฏ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐ธ๐ฎ๐บ๐ถ ๐ฑ๐ฎ๐ต๐ถ๐น ๐๐ฎ ๐บ๐ด๐ฎ ๐ธ๐ฎ๐ฏ๐ฎ๐ผ๐ป๐ดโฆ Pangit mang tingnan ng iba, pero para sa akin โsa aming magkakapatid, dyan kami nabuhay.โ
While some may have misunderstood or mocked Mikeโs choice of photoshoot prop, Mike remained steadfast in his pride and appreciation. He recognized that every sneer was outweighed by his parentsโ love and every challenge overcome by their collective strength as family.
On June 4, Mike celebrated another victory. During their Ring hop and Pinning Ceremony, he received recognition for their Nursing Research II. He was among the students who secured third place in their research study titled โNutri-Mission Program: Means to Enhance Health Literacy among Parentsโ, which aims to recognize the critical roles parents play in promoting health efficacy during child development and growth. Hence, Mikeโs pursuit transcended mere academics; it became a heartfelt hymn, resonating with the unwavering resilience of his family.
As Mike stands on the cusp of becoming a Registered Nurse (RN), his story serves as a powerful reminder that ๐๐๐ฐ๐ฐ๐ฒ๐๐ ๐ถ๐ ๐ป๐ผ๐ ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ณ๐ถ๐ป๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ฏ๐ ๐ผ๐ป๐ฒโ๐ ๐๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ฝ๐ผ๐ถ๐ป๐ ๐ฏ๐๐ ๐ฏ๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ถ๐ฟ ๐ท๐ผ๐๐ฟ๐ป๐ฒ๐ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐๐ฝ๐ฝ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ฒ๐บ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ฝ๐น๐ถ๐ณ๐๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐บ ๐ฎ๐น๐ผ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ฎ๐. The Navarrete familyโs story is one of unwavering resilience โa narrative that will continue to inspire long after Mike dons his RN title with honor, as he now diligently prepares for the Philippine Licensure Examination in November.
โ๐๐, ๐๐โฆ ๐ฆ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ง.โ (Ma, Paโฆ Thank you.)
Written by Chrisse Ann Soliven and Jason Oquendo
Layout by Jason Oquendo
