A student sells turon in school and also does construction work to earn money on days he doesn’t have to go to school. His TikTok video gained more than a million views – and he received much-needed help from netizens because they admired his hard work and dedication to going to school.
Student Sells Turon in School to Help Parents
A 16-year-old student, Nico Vergara, in Victoria, Laguna, recently went viral for selling turon in school.
And while this isn’t something new, netizens were still impressed by this young man’s story and decided to help him out.
Photo credit: Nico Vergara / @icanthelpmyselftooman
Nico is a Grade 11 student in a private school, but the teachers clarified that many of the school’s students aren’t rich and are actually recipients of the 4Ps (Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program).
This young student’s mom has been working as a domestic helper in Saudi Arabia for 6 years while his father works in construction. During school breaks and weekends, Nico would become his father’s helper at the construction job to earn some extra cash.
Nico had been selling turon in the neighborhood, but when the face-to-face classes began, he thought of bringing the food to his school so he could still earn some money even if he was in class.
He admits to feeling embarrassed at first, especially since he didn’t know the teachers and many of his new classmates. Yet he swallowed his pride and offered them his turon.
“Papasok po ako sa room nila tapos tatanong ko po kung bibili po sila. Nakakahiya po nu’ng una kasi hindi ko rin po kilala ‘yung mga teachers dito tsaka po ‘yung mga estudyante,” he shared.
“Yung bakasyon po na-ekstra po kami ng Papa ko diyan sa labas. May tatawag po sa amin na magpapagawa ng kuryente. Naghe-helper po kay Papa. Nandun na po kasi ‘yung mapapagod talaga. Pero pinipilit ko pong magtrabaho. Mahirap naman po talaga. Sinusubukan kong tumulong.”
He posted a video of himself selling turon in school – and it quickly went viral, gaining over 1 million views!
@icanthelpmyselftooman Alot of things really change man
This led to his family getting much-needed help from netizens, a team from Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho, and the local government unit.
His father got a regular job, thanks to the help of a private organization.
Netizens who still want to help can also do so through his bank account:
ACCOUNT NAME: NICOLE KEITH L. VERGARA
ACCOUNT NUMBER: 2226 2579 37
LANDBANK OF THE PHILIPPINES: Sta. Cruz Capitol, Laguna Branch
It’s great to see that his friends in school even help him sell the turon after their class:
@icanthelpmyselftooman HAHAHAH
Are Students Allowed to Sell in School?
This actually depends on the school’s policy, but most schools let their students do business because it helps them earn some money for their school needs.
Plus, working or doing business helps these students learn practical skills.