DA chief: I’m not a UST alum, the ‘sea’ was my university

AGRICULTURE Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. yesterday clarified that he was not able to finish a college degree amid reports that he completed a course at the University of Santo Tomas.

In a statement, Laurel said that he quit school to raise his eldest child and considers “the sea” as his university.

“Let me clear the air about my educational background given news reports that claim I am an alumnus of the University of Santo Tomas or any other institution of higher learning. That is not true,” Laurel said.

“I never finished my education because I became a father at 19. I needed to work to support my eldest child. My father impressed upon me that my responsibility as a father comes first,” Laurel added.

He said he wanted to obtain a college degree but work and family obligations prevented him. Instead, he helped develop his family’s flagship company, Frabelle Fishing Corp.

Laurel said on his entry to public office, he has divested from his family’s conglomerate which now has interests in power generation, real estate development, meat and seafood processing, cold chain network, aquaculture as well as shipbuilding and repair.

“Like many, I dreamt of wearing a toga and receiving a diploma but that wasn’t meant to be… The sea became my university, experiences in life taught me the value of perseverance, my children gave me the courage and inspiration to get to where I am now, and the good fortune I have today, I enjoy through God’s grace,” Laurel added.

The DA said in an earlier statement that Laurel was only 28 years old when he succeeded his father, Francisco Tiu Laurel Sr., as president of Frabelle, which is now considered the world’s third-largest tuna fishing company.