𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗗𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗺𝘀 𝗥𝗲𝗳𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗔𝗴𝗲: 𝗗𝗶𝗼𝘀𝗱𝗮𝗱𝗼, 𝟳𝟮, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗜𝘀𝗺𝗮𝗲𝗹, 𝟱𝟱, 𝗥𝗶𝘀𝗲 𝗮𝘀 𝗖𝗣𝗦𝗨 𝗖𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗼𝗻𝗶’𝘀 𝗡𝗲𝘄𝗹𝘆 𝗟𝗶𝗰𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗔𝗴𝗿𝗶𝗰𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗶𝘀𝘁𝘀

High in the hills of Candoni, where the city’s glow barely reaches, perseverance blooms in remarkable ways. In this remote town, rooted in agriculture, carved by rugged landscapes and challenged by poverty, limited access, and shadows of insurgency, hope continues to take root, nurtured by its people and strengthened by Central Philippines State University, the lone gateway to accessible tertiary education in this hinterland community.

Among the countless inspiring stories born from this remote campus are the stories of Tatay Diosdado Evangelista, aged 72, and another proud Candoni farmer-graduate, 55-year-old Ismael Gadudo, who both graduated in 2024 in CPSU-Candoni Campus, and passed the Licensure Examination for Agriculturists (LEA) .
Born on September 18, 1953, Tatay Diosdado spent decades tending to his 10-hectare farmland in Brgy. West, Candoni, Negros Occidental. A farmer entrepreneur through and through, his yields in gabi, ginger, palay, sugarcane and other crops sustained their family and supported his four children’s studies, ensuring that they would have opportunities he once could only dream of.

When his children eventually became professionals, a dream long postponed resurfaced. In 2018, at 65 years old, he braved what others thought was impossible for his age, he enrolled in the Bachelor of Science in Agribusiness (BSAB) program at CPSU-Candoni Campus. This time, his hands carried notebooks instead of a bolo, he walked into the classrooms instead of muddy puddles. The campus filled with students young enough to be his grandchildren. But age, for him, was never a barrier, it was a testament of resilience and hope. He funded his studies from his produce, passed every requirement and march at graduation in 2023 at the age of 69.

But his journey was not yet over. He tried taking the Civil Service Exam but was unsuccessful. He also found no luck in first attempt in taking the agriculture licensure exams in 2024. However, neither failure not age dimmed his spirit. And today, at 72 years old, Tatay emerged as one of the newly licensed agriculturists in 2025, a triumph that celebrated throughout the campus, the municipality, and the CPSU community.

Alongside this triumph is the equally inspiring story of Ismael Gadudo, 55, also a Candoni-native and fellow CPSU-Candoni BSAB graduate. Born on April 25, 1969 in Barangay Banga, he stopped his formal education after Grade 6 due to poverty and long-distance travel, working instead in lumber yards, on fishing boats, and later in Manila as a family driver for 23 years. Yet the dream of education never left him.

In 2018, he enrolled in ALS at age 50, passed, and bravely entered college the following year. Supported by family and fueled by determination despite discrimination and financial struggle, he completed his degree in 2024 at age 55. With the same perseverance that defined his youth, he self-studied for the exam, watched online reviews, and took the LEA in November 2024, passing at 55 years old. Today, just like Tatay Diosdado, he stands as a licensed agriculturist, proving that no age is ever too late to begin again.

For many years, education was a distant dream for both men, pushed aside by poverty, the absence of nearby schools, and a time when conflict and uncertainty made learning secondary to survival. Opportunities were scarce, finances were tight, and life demanded labor more than literacy. Yet their dreams never died, they only waited. When CPSU opened its doors in Candoni, hope returned. Education became reachable, attainable, alive once again. What once felt impossible for two farmers in a remote town slowly unfolded into reality, proving that no dream is ever too late to pursue.

Candoni celebrates. CPSU celebrates. The whole of Negros celebrates. Because here, two farmers stood tall, and proved to the world that success grows in its own season. 

 
Written by: Dr. J.A. Emoy

Source and Photo credits: The Cenphilian Pubication – Candoni campus