Gerald Roxas: From Yolanda survivor to 2024 Bar topnotcher

At a young age, Gerald Roxas weathered the worst storm of his life.

It was not a poetic expression to describe his life’s trials, but a literal fact as he was among the thousands of survivors of the destructive Super Typhoon Yolanda in 2013. Gerald and his family lost everything, that’s why he thought he would lose his chance to finish his studies too.

As if possessing the strength of Yolanda, Gerald persevered and found ways to continue reaching for his dream to become an accountant. Fortunately, he fulfilled this aspiration with the help of kind-hearted people whom he wasn’t even related to.

Fast forward to 2024 — 11 years after the super typhoon wreaked havoc in his hometown Tacloban City — Gerald’s other dream was also fulfilled. The Yolanda survivor did not just pass the Bar, he also ended up among the best of the best.

“Naiyak na lang po ako…. ‘Yong aim ko lang po talaga is makapasa no’ng Bar…. Tapos ‘di ko akalain na magta-topnotcher pa (I just cried. My aim was to really just pass the Bar. I did not expect that I will be one of the topnotchers),” the 2024 Bar 3rd placer from the Angeles University Foundation (AUF) said in a Rappler Talk interview.

Gerald, who earned a grade of 84.355%, is among the top in the 3,962 who passed the 2024 Bar Examinations chaired by Associate Justice Mario Lopez. He is also among the three topnotchers whose law schools are based in the province.

University of the Philippines’ Kyle Christian Tutor ranked 1st with 85.77% rating, while Ateneo de Manila University remained the top performing law school.

Rainbow after the storm

Just a week before Yolanda hit the Visayas, Gerald had just enrolled to continue his Bachelor of Science in Accountancy degree in the University of the Philippines (UP) Tacloban. At first, he and his family did not take the super typhoon seriously as they were used to tropical cyclones in central Philippines.

But things got real for him when the storm surge happened and claimed the lives of his neighbors. The once beaming city turned into a dark, depressed place, some parts reeking with the stench of death. Gerald said even money held no power at the time.

Aside from looking after his mother who was pregnant with their youngest, Gerald said he had to help his family survive the situation. He roamed around the city, looking for any type of food and clean water. His father was in a rush, too, to find a source of fuel as reports spread that looting and unrest had already taken over Tacloban.

“Talagang ano talaga doon, wala talagang order at that time. Tapos literal like ‘pag gabi, ‘pag natutulog ako, katabi ko ‘yong rosary ko talaga. Kasi pag-pray na makaalis na kami ng Tacloban that time, sobrang hirap,” Gerald told Rappler. (There was really no order at that time. At night, when I was sleeping, I really had my rosary beside me. I was praying that we could leave Tacloban at that time because the situation was very difficult.)

Fortunately, Gerald and his family left Tacloban aboard their van that almost gave up even before reaching Borongan City, Eastern Samar. They arrived in the city safely, with almost no fuel left. From Eastern Samar, the Roxas family took the bus headed for Manila.

Despite everything that had happened, Gerald was still determined to pursue his dream to finish school. But how could he do that if they had lost everything, including their small business where his overseas Filipino workers (OFW) parents poured all of their savings into?

While in Manila, Gerald visited UP Diliman to inquire about his studies. Fortunately, he was allowed to cross-enroll for a semester in UP’s Diliman campus. The rainbow — or rather rainbows — at the end of the storm in Gerald’s life were his “ninangs” (godmothers) from the UP Alumni Association.

The alumni association thought of ways to help students displaced by the super typhoon, and Gerald was among the beneficiaries. The kind hearts of journalists, Gerald’s ninangs – Ivy Lisa Mendoza, Susan de Guzman, Stephanie Asuncion, and Margie Quimpo Espino (who passed away in May this year) — helped Gerald reach his dreams. He said he also owed his success to Tess Lardizabal and Jingjing Villanueva Romero.

“So, nagtulong-tulong po sila para matustusan po ‘yong pag-aaral ko…. So, sila po ‘yong nagpa-aral po sa akin,” he recalled. “Tapos ‘yong nakakataba rin ng puso, no’ng nasa Diliman ako, dinadalhan na ko ng pagkain ni Ma’am Susan, [sa] mga café, do’n sa Diliman para ma-distract din ako do’n sa nangyari do’n sa Yolanda.”

(They worked all together to finance my studies. They helped me finish my studies. What was touching was when I was in Diliman, Ma’am Susan would bring me food, to cafés in Diliman, to distract me from my nightmares brought by Yolanda.)

CPA-lawyer

Four years after Yolanda, Gerald earned his accounting degree and immediately passed the 2017 Certified Public Accountants (CPA) Licensure Examination. In a post dedicated to Gerald, Ivy Lisa even looked backed at her “inaanak’s (godson’s)” journey to success. She remembered the time when Gerald treated his “ninangs” after passing his licensure exam.

Gerald landed a job in a big accounting firm in Makati, before finding another job in Pampanga. While in Central Luzon, the thought of studying law entered his mind. He applied at the AUF law school just weeks before the registration ended. At first, Gerald juggled his work as an accountant and his other life as a law student because he said he did not want to become a burden to his OFW parents.

But since law school was demanding, he had to choose to become a full-time student, causing his parents to shoulder his expenses. His journey to the Bar was not smooth either because when the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Gerald’s parents lost their jobs in Japan. There was no one to finance his studies anymore.

“Tapos nangyari nga no’n sa isang subject, one month nga ako hindi nakapasok. Kasi parang na-depress na ako. Pero buti naman tinanggap pa rin ako noon, kahit one month akong nag-absent noon,” Gerald said. “Tapos ‘yon, tuloy-tuloy, paunti-unti, nakakabangon. Buti nandiyan ‘yong mga tita ko, mga tito ko ‘yan. Nagtutulungan na lang kami para matustusan ‘yong pag-aaral sa law.”

(Then in one of my subjects, I was absent for the whole month because I think I felt depressed. Fortunately, my school still accepted me despite my one-month absence. I kept going until I gradually was back on track again. I am fortunate that my aunties and uncles were there. We all worked together to finance my law studies.)

Gerald finished his law degree just this year.

Child rights advocate

Before finishing law school, Gerald worked as a part-time paralegal for TLF Share, a non-government organization that promotes the rights of vulnerable sectors. His work mainly includes the promotion of children’s rights.

He said he attended seminars that promote good parenting, open the eyes of young people to social issues, and avoid exploitation and abuse of children.

“‘Yong bata vulnerable kasi ‘yong bata. So as adults, parang tayo dapat ‘yong nag-protect sa kanila, naggagabay sa kanila para hindi sila lumaki na may trauma. Sana makikita nila ‘yong full potential nila paglaki,” he told Rappler.

(Children are vulnerable. So as adults, we should be the ones protecting them, guiding them so they won’t grow up with trauma. We guide them so they will realize their full potential when they grow up.)

For Gerald, his experience with TLF opened his eyes to how laws should be applied to everyday life, particularly how the justice system should favor the oppressed.

“So hindi lang ako grumaduate ng law school na puro theoretical lang or puro libro lang. Talagang, ano po talaga, na ‘yong law can be used as a tool para makatulong sa iba. Parang hindi lang lahat ng problema is usaping ano, mga pangangailangan, basic needs, or medical. Ando’n din ‘yong may mga problema na kaya lang talagang masolusyunan through law, application of law,” Gerald said.

(So I did not graduate from law school with purely theoretical or by-the-book knowledge only. I knew that law can be used as a tool to help others. Our problems do not only revolve around issues on basic needs or medical. There are also problems that can be solved by law, through application of law.)

“Tapos syempre, binigyan man ako ng Panginoon itong blessing (And of course, God gave me this blessing). I have to pay it forward. I have to pay it forward.”

The future for Gerald

With his success, Gerald said many opportunities started to knock at his door. As for his options, Gerald said he is open to opportunities in the child rights advocacy sector. He also has the option to return to the corporate world since he is a CPA-lawyer, and also has an interest in the labor sector.

If he was to decide for himself, he said that on the one hand, he is already content with a simple life because he knows what he needs to survive on a daily basis. On the other hand, Gerald acknowledged that he needs to use his law degree to help others.

But while he is still at a stage of decision, Gerald has also resolved to give back to his loving family.

“This equates to hope talaga. Kasi parang ito na ‘yong parang chance [na] sana makaahon sa hirap. Matulungan sila sa pangangailangan namin. Tapos doon rin sa pag-aaral ng mga kapatid ko. So sana gabayan ako ng Panginoon na magkaroon ng magandang trabaho para makatulong din sa family. Para makauwi na rin sina papa’t mama tapos makumpleto na kami,” he said.

(This really equates to hope. This seems to be my chance to rise from difficulty. To help my family with our needs and with my siblings’ studies. I hope God will guide me to have a good job so I can also help my family. So my father and mother can also return home and we will finally be complete.)

Surviving many storms of his life made Gerald the strong man that he is today.

“Never stop reaching for your dreams. Kasi ‘yon ‘yong magbibigay sa ‘yo ng lakas. Kung may pangarap ka, may vision ka sa buhay, hindi ka titigil,” the 2024 Bar 3rd placer said. (That will give you strength. If you have dreams, if you have a vision in life, you will never stop.)

“At kung ando’n man tayo sa stage na dumadaaan na tayo ng depresyon, huwag mahiyang humingi ng tulong sa iba. Ang paghingi ng tulong ay hindi kahinaan dahil ito ay pagiging totoo sa sarili mo. So, talagang aim high. Aim high kahit probinsiyano ka man, kahit mahirap ka man.”

And if you arrive at a stage where you experience depression, don’t hesitate to ask for help from others. Asking for help is not a sign of weakness because it is being true to yourself. So really aim high. Aim high even if you’re from the province, even if you’re less privileged.) – Rappler.com