๐ฃ๐ข๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ง ๐ ๐๐ฅ๐ ๐๐ข๐ฆ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ง๐๐ก ๐ฉ๐๐ง๐ง๐ข grew up like any other student in ๐๐น๐ผ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฎ, ๐ข๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฒ๐ป๐๐ฎ๐น ๐ ๐ถ๐ป๐ฑ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ผ. He attended Langgang Elementary School in grade school and Sacred Heart Academy in his high school years. He excelled academically and participated enthusiastically in extracurricular activities. Yet, amidst the familiar rhythms of school life, a stirring felt within โ ๐ฎ ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐น๐น๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ณ๐ฟ๐ผ๐บ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐๐ถ๐ด๐ถ๐ผ๐๐ ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐บ๐ โ led him to a totally different path.
When PCDT Vitto was in grade 1, he wasnโt the best student. He hated school “๐ ๐ฌ๐ค๐ช๐ก๐ ๐๐ก๐ฌ๐๐ฎ๐จ ๐๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ ๐ง๐๐๐จ๐ค๐ฃ ๐ฉ๐ค ๐จ๐ ๐๐ฅ ๐จ๐๐๐ค๐ค๐ก,” he shares. “๐ ๐๐ช๐จ๐ฉ ๐๐๐๐ฃ’๐ฉ ๐๐๐๐ก ๐ก๐๐ ๐ ๐๐ค๐๐ฃ๐.”His parents, teacher, and even his classmates tried to talk to him, and something changed in him after a while.
On recognition day, he became the top student in his class. Seeing his parents so proud of him made him realize something important, โ๐๐๐๐ฃ ๐ ๐จ๐๐ฌ ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐จ๐ข๐๐ก๐ ๐ค๐ ๐ข๐ฎ ๐ฅ๐๐ง๐๐ฃ๐ฉ๐จ, ๐ ๐จ๐๐๐ ๐ฉ๐ค ๐ข๐ฎ๐จ๐๐ก๐, ๐ ๐ฌ๐๐ฃ๐ฉ ๐ฉ๐ค ๐ฅ๐ง๐ค๐ฉ๐๐๐ฉ ๐ฉ๐๐ค๐จ๐ ๐จ๐ข๐๐ก๐๐จ.โ he wanted to make them happy, and his achievements were the best way to do that. That moment stuck with him, and from then on, he decided to always do his best, not just for himself, but for his family.
As PCDT Vitto moved through elementary school, that drive didnโt fade. From grade 1 to grade 6, he was always at the top of his class and graduated as valedictorian. His determination to make his parents proud carried him through high school, and every achievement, big or small, was a step toward something bigger: proving to himself that he could achieve anything if he worked hard enough.
In high school, PCDT Vitto dreamed of becoming a doctor. He wanted to help people, save lives, and make a difference. Thatโs why he chose to study a Bachelor of Science in Medical Technology in college. But life had other plans.
After high school, he thought he had everything figured out. Despite their concerns about the cost, he was confident in his abilities and even convinced his parents to let him enroll in a well-known university in Manila. โ๐ ๐ฌ๐๐จ ๐๐ค๐ฃ๐๐๐๐๐ฃ๐ฉ ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ค๐ซ๐๐ง๐๐จ๐ฉ๐๐ข๐๐ฉ๐๐ ๐ข๐ฎ ๐๐๐๐ก๐๐ฉ๐ฎ ๐ฉ๐ค ๐๐๐ฉ ๐ ๐จ๐๐๐ค๐ก๐๐ง๐จ๐๐๐ฅ,โ he admits. He promised them heโd get a full scholarship. But halfway through his first semester, he discovered he hadnโt gotten the scholarship. โ๐๐๐๐ฉ ๐ข๐ค๐ข๐๐ฃ๐ฉ ๐ฌ๐๐จ ๐ ๐๐ช๐๐ ๐ฌ๐๐ ๐-๐ช๐ฅ ๐๐๐ก๐ก,โ he says.
Thatโs when he decided to change his path. He discovered the Philippine National Police Academy and learned more about it. โ๐ผ๐ฉ ๐๐๐ง๐จ๐ฉ, ๐ ๐๐๐๐ฃโ๐ฉ ๐ ๐ฃ๐ค๐ฌ ๐ข๐ช๐๐ ๐๐๐ค๐ช๐ฉ ๐๐๐๐ผ, ๐๐ช๐ฉ ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐ข๐ค๐ง๐ ๐ ๐ก๐๐๐ง๐ฃ๐๐, ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐ข๐ค๐ง๐ ๐ ๐๐๐ก๐ฉ ๐ก๐๐ ๐ ๐๐ฉ ๐ฌ๐๐จ ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐ง๐๐๐๐ฉ ๐ฅ๐ก๐๐๐ ๐๐ค๐ง ๐ข๐,โ he reflects. It was a tough decision, but he knew it was right.
Joining the PNPA wasnโt easy. The biggest challenge wasnโt the physical training but the mental toughness he needed. Itโs not just about being strong in body, but strong in mind.
Balancing academics, training, and leadership responsibilities was difficult for him. By the end of the day, he was physically and mentally exhausted. โ๐ฝ๐ช๐ฉ ๐ ๐ก๐๐๐ง๐ฃ๐๐ ๐ฉ๐ค ๐๐ค๐๐ช๐จ ๐ค๐ฃ ๐ค๐ฃ๐ ๐ฉ๐๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐ฉ ๐ ๐ฉ๐๐ข๐.โ When it was time for tactics, he focused on tactics. When it was time for academics, he focused on that. He didnโt let the pressure overwhelm him. โ๐๐ ๐ฎ๐ค๐ช ๐ฉ๐ง๐ฎ ๐ฉ๐ค ๐๐ค ๐๐ซ๐๐ง๐ฎ๐ฉ๐๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐ฉ ๐ค๐ฃ๐๐, ๐๐ฉ ๐ข๐๐ ๐๐จ ๐ฉ๐๐๐ฃ๐๐จ ๐๐๐ง๐๐๐ง,โ PCDT Vitto says. โ๐๐๐ ๐ ๐๐ฎ ๐๐จ ๐๐๐ก๐๐ฃ๐๐ ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ ๐ฃ๐ค๐ฌ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ฌ๐๐๐ฃ ๐ฉ๐ค ๐๐ค๐๐ช๐จ.โ
โ๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ฉ๐ค ๐ง๐๐ข๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ข๐ฎ๐จ๐๐ก๐ ๐ฉ๐๐๐ฉ ๐๐๐๐ก๐ช๐ง๐ ๐ฌ๐๐จ๐ฃโ๐ฉ ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐๐ฃ๐โ๐๐ฉ ๐ฌ๐๐จ ๐๐ช๐จ๐ฉ ๐ฅ๐๐ง๐ฉ ๐ค๐ ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐๐ค๐ช๐ง๐ฃ๐๐ฎ. ๐๐๐๐ง๐โ๐จ ๐๐ก๐ฌ๐๐ฎ๐จ ๐ ๐ง๐๐๐จ๐ค๐ฃ ๐๐๐๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐ซ๐๐ง๐ฎ๐ฉ๐๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ฉ๐๐๐ฉ ๐๐๐ฅ๐ฅ๐๐ฃ๐จ.โ He believes that every challenge is part of his growth. So when things get hard, he doesnโt give up. โ๐ฟ๐ค๐ฃโ๐ฉ ๐ฉ๐๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ฎ๐ค๐ช ๐๐๐ฃโ๐ฉ ๐๐ค ๐๐ฉ. ๐๐ค๐ช ๐ข๐๐๐๐ฉ ๐จ๐ช๐ง๐ฅ๐ง๐๐จ๐ ๐ฎ๐ค๐ช๐ง๐จ๐๐ก๐ ๐๐ ๐ฎ๐ค๐ช ๐ฉ๐ง๐ฎ,โ he stated.
PCDT Vitto also looks up to his father, a police non-commissioned officer. He has always admired his fatherโs dedication to his work. Growing up, he saw how his father would be away from home for long stretches because of his duty. But when he was home, he spent quality time with the family. His fatherโs example taught him the importance of hard work and commitment. โ๐๐ ๐๐ก๐ฌ๐๐ฎ๐จ ๐ฉ๐ค๐ก๐ ๐ข๐ ๐ฃ๐๐ซ๐๐ง ๐ฉ๐ค ๐๐ค ๐๐ฃ๐ฎ๐ฉ๐๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ฉ๐๐๐ฉ ๐๐ค๐ช๐ก๐ ๐๐๐ง๐ข ๐ข๐ฎ ๐ง๐๐ฅ๐ช๐ฉ๐๐ฉ๐๐ค๐ฃ ๐ค๐ง ๐ข๐ฎ ๐๐๐ข๐๐ก๐ฎโ๐จ ๐ฃ๐๐ข๐,โhe says.
To future cadets, PCDT Vitto has this advice: โ๐๐๐ ๐ฃ๐๐ข๐ ๐ฎ๐ค๐ช ๐๐๐ง๐ง๐ฎ ๐๐จ๐ฃโ๐ฉ ๐๐ช๐จ๐ฉ ๐ฎ๐ค๐ช๐ง๐จ. ๐๐ฉ ๐ง๐๐ฅ๐ง๐๐จ๐๐ฃ๐ฉ๐จ ๐ฎ๐ค๐ช๐ง ๐๐๐ข๐๐ก๐ฎ, ๐ฉ๐ค๐ค. ๐๐ง๐ค๐ฉ๐๐๐ฉ ๐ฉ๐๐๐ฉ ๐ง๐๐ฅ๐ช๐ฉ๐๐ฉ๐๐ค๐ฃ. ๐๐ค๐ง๐ ๐๐๐ง๐, ๐จ๐ฉ๐๐ฎ ๐ฉ๐ง๐ช๐ ๐ฉ๐ค ๐ฎ๐ค๐ช๐ง ๐ซ๐๐ก๐ช๐๐จ, ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐ก๐ฌ๐๐ฎ๐จ ๐จ๐ฉ๐ง๐๐ซ๐ ๐ฉ๐ค ๐๐ ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐๐๐จ๐ฉ ๐ซ๐๐ง๐จ๐๐ค๐ฃ ๐ค๐ ๐ฎ๐ค๐ช๐ง๐จ๐๐ก๐. ๐๐ซ๐๐ง๐ฎ ๐จ๐ฉ๐๐ฅ ๐ฎ๐ค๐ช ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐ ๐ฃ๐ค๐ฌ ๐ฌ๐๐ก๐ก ๐จ๐๐๐ฅ๐ ๐ฌ๐๐ค ๐ฎ๐ค๐ช ๐๐๐๐ค๐ข๐ ๐๐ฃ ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐๐ช๐ฉ๐ช๐ง๐.โ
Source:ย Kalasag-PNPA Corps Publication
