'Mula sa Bawat Balot ng Cotton Candy,' Atenean Honors Father on Her Graduation

Amid the many negative headlines filling our feeds, one uplifting story reminds us of the power of a parent’s sacrifice. An Ateneo de Manila University graduate paid a heartfelt tribute to her father, a cotton candy vendor, whose years of hard work helped make her dream possible.

“Pa, mula sa bawat balot ng cotton candy, nakapagpatapos ka ng isang Atenista,” 23-year-old Andriana Nepacina wrote in a Facebook post after graduating with a degree in Legal Management from Ateneo de Manila University. The milestone became even more meaningful because her graduation coincided with Father's Day, giving her the perfect opportunity to honor the man who never stopped working to provide for their family.

In her tribute, Andriana shared the story behind her father's decades of sacrifice.

“Kilala si Papa ng marami bilang "Kuya Amor", ang nagtitinda ng cotton candy sa mga kalsada ng Antipolo at sa paligid ng seminaryo. Minsan sa ilalim ng tirik na araw, minsan naman kahit malakas ang ulan. Kahit pagod na pagod na siya, hindi ko kailanman narinig siyang magreklamo sa hirap ng buhay.”

For many people, her father is simply the familiar face behind the cotton candy cart. Day after day, he can be seen walking under the scorching heat or enduring heavy rains just to earn enough for his family's needs. To Andriana, however, every bag of cotton candy represented something much greater than a simple snack. It represented another step toward her dreams. 

She found it fitting to honor her father’s hard work on both her graduation day and Father’s Day, as if fate had brought the two celebrations together. She continued: “Habang lumalaki ako, mas naiintindihan ko kung gaano kabigat ang mga sakripisyong dala ng bawat supot ng cotton candy na naibebenta niya. Hindi lang pala ito simpleng paninda; ito ang naging daan para mapakain kami, mapag-aral ako, at maipagpatuloy ko ang mga pangarap ko.”

As she grew older, Andriana began to understand that every sale came with sacrifices that many people never saw. Every bag of cotton candy helped put food on their table, paid for school expenses, and allowed her to continue pursuing an education that once seemed out of reach. 

“Siguro kaya rin ako natutong mangarap nang malaki. Dahil paano ako susuko sa pag-aaral kung ang taong nagpapaaral sa akin ay hindi sumusuko sa paghahanapbuhay? Paano ko sasabihing hindi ko kaya kung araw-araw kong nakikita ang tatay ko na lumalaban nang marangal para sa aming pamilya?”

“At dahil dito, mas nagsumikap ako dahil gusto kong patunayan na 𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗶 𝗵𝗮𝗱𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻𝗴 𝗸𝗮𝗵𝗶𝗿𝗮𝗽𝗮𝗻 𝘀𝗮 𝘁𝗮𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝗺𝗮𝘆 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗮𝗮𝘀 𝗻𝗮 𝗽𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗽 𝗮𝘁 𝗹𝘂𝗺𝗮𝗹𝗮𝗯𝗮𝗻 𝗻𝗴 𝗽𝗮𝘁𝗮𝘀,” she added.

For Andriana, her graduation was never hers alone. It was the product of years of determination, perseverance, and a father's unwavering love.

She ended her post with a heartwarming message to her father, “Papa, itong diploma ay hindi lang para sa akin. Para rin ito sa lahat ng taon ng pagod, sakripisyo, at pagmamahal na ibinigay mo nang walang hinihinging kapalit.”

“𝗛𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗶 𝗹𝗮𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗻𝗴 𝗯𝗮𝘆𝗮𝗻𝗶 𝗺𝗮𝘆 𝗸𝗮𝗽𝗮. 𝗔𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝗮 𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻, 𝗺𝗮𝘆 𝗸𝗮𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗼𝗻 𝗻𝗴 𝗰𝗼𝘁𝘁𝗼𝗻 𝗰𝗮𝗻𝗱𝘆 𝗮𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝘆 𝘀𝗶𝗽𝗮𝗴 𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗴 𝗽𝘂𝗵𝘂𝗻𝗮𝗻. Happy Father's Day, Papa Lito. I love you.”

The photos accompanying Andriana's post made her message even more powerful.

One photo shows a much younger Andriana beside her father as they sold cotton candy on the streets. Years later, another photo captures the two standing beside the same cotton candy cart. This time, however, Andriana is wearing her Ateneo graduation toga while proudly embracing the man who helped make that moment possible.

Without saying a word, the two photos tell the story of a family's journey through years of sacrifice, perseverance, and hope. The cotton candy cart remained the same, but the dreams it carried had finally become reality.

Andriana also expressed her gratitude to Ateneo, “Maraming maraming salamat, Office of Admission and Aid (OAA), at Ateneo, sa pagbibigay sa akin ng pagkakataong makapag-aral sa pamamagitan ng scholarship. Kayo ay naging malaking bahagi ng pangarap kong mabigyan ng mas magandang buhay ang aking mga magulang at masuklian ang lahat ng kanilang sakripisyo.”

Her tribute has been widely shared on Facebook and featured by several news outlets. While many netizens found the story inspiring, others questioned the timing of the post following the drowning incident involving Ateneo basketball players.

Andriana later responded to one commenter who called her “pabibo”: “Hi, Sir. With all due respect, my post was never intended to 'magpabibo.’ It was a "Father's Day" post for my papa, which I post annually. Nagkataon lang po talaga na sabay ang graduation namin at Father's Day, kaya I wanted to dedicate a tribute to him for all his hard work over the past 23 years as a cotton candy vendor, and a way of thanking the OAA for giving me the scholarship that made my education possible. I actually drafted my letter back in April 2026 pa po, right after our semester ended.”

“It was supposed to be a simple Father's Day message. Nagulat na lang din po ako nang paggising ko, marami na pala itong likes at shares. At gaya rin po ninyo, I am also grieving the loss of our fellow students. I am one of the students who signed the petition for accountability and wore a black band during our graduation. I believe grief and gratitude can coexist. I am deeply grateful for the education Ateneo provided me over the past four years, while also continuing to call for accountability and justice. Minsan lang po ako gagraduate, at akala ko nga noon hindi pa ako makakapag-kolehiyo. Kaya gusto ko lang pong i-alay ang achievement na ito sa aking mga magulang, lalo na sa aking ama, na nagsakripisyo para mapagtapos ako. I hope this clarifies the intention behind my post, Sir. Thank you po, and may God bless you always.”

Andriana responded with grace despite the criticism she received. Her family’s story is a reminder that determination, hard work, and kindness can leave a lasting impact. Beyond academic achievements, character is often what people remember most.

Need more inspiration? A jeepney driver’s daughter graduated as valedictorian at Ateneo. Read their story here.