Three sisters from Zamboanga Sibugay walked the stage together on May 27, earning their degrees from Jose Rizal Memorial State University (JRMSU) in Ipil—not only as graduates, but as identical triplets, all finishing with magna cum laude honors.
According to an Inquirer.net report, Lorie May, Eva May, and Xennia May Dangaton earned their diplomas in Business Administration, major in Financial Management, and captured the attention of everyone during JRMSU’s commencement ceremony. Each of them also received awards for academic excellence, best research paper, and outstanding practicum student.
Their story, however, is more than just academic brilliance. Raised by parents Thomas and Lorie in a modest home in Mabini village, Titay town, the triplets’ pursuit of excellence was fueled by their family’s financial struggles. “We just wanted to be rich. Maybe that desire is something we all had in common,” shared Lorie May, reflecting on their drive for a better future.
Their father, who worked as a welder in Manila, and their mother, who ran a small sari-sari store, made many sacrifices to send them to school. “He only wanted the best for us,” said Lorie May about their father, who strongly valued education and even worried about the impact of modular learning during the pandemic.
Lorie May also credited their former teacher, Moises Calabria, for pushing them academically. “Oral recitations pushed us to study hard. And we began to love learning,” she said during her graduation speech. Her sisters, in a social media post, also thanked “Sir Moi,” who responded with heartfelt words: “Moments like this remind us why we teach—to make a lasting impact.”
Beyond academics, the sisters found strength in each other. “When the two are winning, it also feels like I’m winning,” said Eva May in an interview with The State Collegian, JRMSU’s campus publication. “We are each other’s cheerleaders… I would not survive college without them.”
