Photo from Angelo Fernandez Virgo

MANILA — Angelo Fernandez Virgo, a student from Valencia, Bukidnon, has built a promising path for himself after earning a full-ride royal academic scholarship in Thailand. 

Around April 2020, his friend tagged him in a Facebook post — a move he said was made in jest — which announced applications for the Royal Scholarship for ASEAN students offered by the Suranaree University of Technology (SUT) in Thailand.

Virgo — 17 years old at the time and had just graduated from senior high school — was already preparing to continue his studies in Bukidnon with a scholarship from the Department of Science and Technology.

But after learning about the opportunity to study abroad through the Thai royal scholarship, he wondered, "What if?"

What began as laughter over what he and his friends saw as an unlikely opportunity turned into a serious pursuit, as Virgo decided to push his luck and applied for the Thai scholarship.

THAILAND-BOUND JOURNEY

After passing the requirements, a screening examination, and a series of interviews, Virgo was offered a scholarship and was among the seven scholars from the Philippines in his batch. His story first appeared on the Inquirer.

Despite his stellar academic background, his financial situation remained an unfortunate roadblock.

"My parents are both laborers, [and] I am the only one in the family with a bachelor’s degree," Virgo told ABS-CBN News in a recent interview.

His situation may have dampened his spirits for a while, but his friends and a handful of sponsors and mentors helped him with his journey.

"I look up to them and I will forever be grateful [for their support]," he said.

By January 2021, Virgo was bound for Thailand to pursue his dream course, Civil Engineering.

NEW ENVIRONMENT

Virgo has always known that he wanted to pursue Civil Engineering, believing that his knack for numbers and the idea of building things are his life's passion.

As the Thai royal scholarship covered Virgo's expenses like accommodation and food as well as a stipend, he was able to focus on his studies.

Initially, he had a hard time adjusting to spicy Thai cuisine, but by immersing himself in Thai culture and taking the initiative to learn the language on his own, the foreign land gradually grew on him.

Despite all the social and cultural adjustments, Virgo said that the most challenging part has been the rigorous academic landscape in Thailand.

"Trimester kasi kami, three months of studying then one month na pahinga," he said.

Virgo was also an active member of the university cheering squad at SUT and outside of school, he was an active member of the Filipino community in Nakhon Ratchasima.

BREAKING THE CYCLE OF POVERTYPhoto from Angelo Fernandez VirgoPeople who want to achieve their dreams should get out of their comfort zones and find their motivation, Virgo said.

For him, his motivation was to break the cycle of poverty in his family.

"I used to commute to school every day," he recalled. "Education starts at home, and I am proud to show how my parents raised me as a child, and I carry with me all the right conduct I have learned from them."

In his graduation appreciation post, Virgo expressed his gratitude to his friends, family, and mentors who supported him from his hometown to miles away in Thailand.

Upon graduating in October 2024, he returned to Thailand in February 2025 to pursue a master's degree program, still with a grant from SUT.

Endorsed by one of his lecturers and his previous mentor from his college internship, Dr. Aphai Chapirom, Virgo is said to be the first-ever Filipino recipient of the "One Research One Grant" scholarship, which will fund his Master of Engineering program (M.Eng.).

Virgo is determined to take the licensure examinations in both the Philippines and Thailand in the future saying that gaining a license is his next priority.

The Royal Scholarship in SUT has an annual offering for all ASEAN citizens, like Filipinos, interested in their course offerings in Civil Engineering, Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineering, Petrochemical and Polymer Engineering, and Innovative Agripreneur.

The university follows a trimestral academic year, and the scholarship will be awarded to 20 candidates, covering tuition fees for four years, on-campus accommodation, health and accident insurance, and a monthly allowance.