From a family who once counted every grain of rice, he rose to electrify the top ranks of a national board exam. Mustufa R. Ali, once a monitored child under the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps), now holds the title of Top 2 in the April 2025 Electrical Engineers Licensure Examination.

At the crowded fish market in Sta. Cruz, Marinduque, the smell of saltwater and the chatter of vendors fill the air. It was there, among tubs of tilapia and bangus, that a young boy silently vowed to rewrite his story.

While his mother tirelessly sold fish to put food on their table, Mustufa R. Ali was dreaming—not just for himself, but for his whole family.

“I wasn’t born with much,” Mustufa shares. “But I was born with a purpose.”

That purpose was kindled early when his family became part of the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s  Pantawid Pamilya program.

For most, 4Ps meant monthly allowances. For Mustufa, it meant hope.

“Hindi lang cash ang binibigay ng 4Ps,” he says. “They also gave us knowledge—family planning, saving money, how to become better people. That gave my parents tools to grow. It gave me something even more powerful: motivation.”

He recalls walking to school with worn-out slippers, surviving on limited baon, and watching his mother scrape together earnings to stretch every peso. Still, he never let his situation defeat him. Instead, he turned it into fuel.

With 4Ps support, he completed his elementary and high school education—an achievement his younger self would have never imagined.

But the road to becoming an Electrical Engineer was paved with more than just financial hurdles.

When Mustufa tried enrolling in his dream college, he was rejected.

They told him, “Kung ang STEM nga bumabagsak, ikaw pa kaya na TVL?”

It was a stab to his spirit—but not the end of his journey.

“I told myself, if no one will accept me, I’ll find a place that will.”

And he did. Rizal Technological University opened its doors—and Mustufa made sure to prove he belonged.

Within its walls, he soared. Dean’s Lister. Quizzer. Most Outstanding Student. Cum Laude.

But even with those accolades, no one—including Mustufa—expected what would come next.

On a day like any other, Mustufa opened his phone to a message that would change everything.

“Nasa group chat may nagsabi: may result na raw.”

He tried to access the Professional Regulation Commission site, but it crashed. Messages flooded in. His heart raced. Then came the moment:

“Nakita ko pangalan ko. TOP 2. Napahiga ako sa sahig. Napaiyak. ‘Salamat po, Lord.”

His name was now etched in the top ranks of the licensure exam. But more than a title, what he felt was validation—for every sacrifice, for every fish his mother sold, for every time he studied from 8PM to 12AM, even during vacations.

Mustufa compares his life to light—a fitting symbol for an electrical engineer.

“Light brings clarity and hope,” he explains. “I want to be that light for my family and for others who think poverty is a full stop. It’s not. It’s a comma.”

He proudly says his greatest motivation has always been his family—his parents Zahid and Maribel, his Nanay Lourdes and Tatay Ente, and the community that never stopped believing in him.

“Sabi nga ng principal ko noong high school ako, ‘Ikaw ay bayani ng Marinduque.’”

Mustufa’s journey now moves into the next phase.

He dreams of working locally first, giving back to his community, and one day, helping uplift students from low-income backgrounds.

“To those who are still walking the path I’ve walked. Don’t ever let hardship silence your dreams. Poverty is not shameful—it’s just your starting point,” he says.

And for the youth under 4Ps?

“Take the help, make it matter. Gawing gasolina ang kahirapan. You don’t just owe it to yourself—you owe it to the people who helped light your way.”