BAGUIO CITY (PIA) — After ‘Carrot man”, another Igorot is trending on line and also is a source of inspiration for all.
Roy Lawagan, a security guard who hails from Sagada, Mountain Province is among the country’s 1,731 new lawyers.
Lawagan, who works at the Regional Office of the Commission on Audit – Cordillera in La Trinidad, Benguet was in awe when he received the good news on Tuesday.
“Hindi pa din ako makapaniwala pero tuwang-tuwa po ako,” said Lawagan in an interview.
“Nakakailang na tinatawag nila akong attorney ngayon, guard lang po kasi ang tawag sa akin,” he added.
Lawagan said he really struggled to take and pass the bar exams since he is a full time security guard working on night shifts and being a father to his four year old kid and his wife during the day. He said that he would take time to review during his off duty and used the COA office during the day as a review area since it has several useful references.
Lawagan finished his Bachelor of Science in Criminology at the University of Baguio and his Bachelor of Laws at the Saint Louis University. He started to work as a security guard to help him finish his schooling.
In his first take of the bar exams in 2014, he enrolled in a review center but unfortunately he failed. In 2015, he opted to self-study and self-review since it would be too costly and he has a wife and kid to support.
Lawagan, the fourth if nine siblings, said that having at least one lawyer was his father’s dream for their family. He has several siblings who finished Political Science but did not continue in law school so he took the challenge.
The new lawyer said he is taking on the job offered to him at a firm where his cousin works in Manila to gain experience as a lawyer and at the same time provide better for his family.
“Sa lahat ng tao, kahit sino man, magpursigi kayo hanggang matupad nyo ung pangarap nyo. Pag nadapa kayo bangon agad, para maabot ang pangarap,” said Lawagan who is turning 27 on May 11.(RMC & D. Moreno-PIA/UC Intern)