Ang Dangaton triplets na sina Eva May, Lorie May, at Xennia May ay lumaki na laging magkakasama.
Sabay-sabay silang nag-aral ng kolehiyo sa Jose Rizal Memorial State University -Tampilisan Campus (JRMSU-TC).
Iisa ang kanilang kurso—Bachelor of Science in Business Administration major in Financial Management.
Pare-pareho din silang pinarangalan dahil nagtapos silang tatlo as magna cum laude.
Tubong Mabini, Titay, Zamboanga Sibugay, ang identical triplets.
Read: Triplets graduate summa cum laude with similar degrees
TRIPLETS ON GROWING UP TOGETHER
Nakapalitan ng mensahe ng PEP.ph (Philippine Entertainment Portal) ang isa sa mga triplets, si Lorie May, nitong mga nakalipas na araw hanggang June 2, 2025.
Silang tatlo ay 22-anyos.
Si Lorie ang pangalawa sa kanilang magkakapatid, panganay si Eva, at bunso si Xennia.
“Natural birth lang po, sa bahay lang din, since hindi po...uso yung manganak sa hospital noon,” sagot ni Lorie nang matanong kung paano sila ipinanganak ng kanilang ina.
Inisa-isa rin ni Lorie ang advantages at disadvantages ng pagiging triplets.
Una, may "built-in best friends” silang magkakapatid simula noong ipinanganak.
“You grow up together having each other's back, forming a stronger bond. Hindi ka na maghahanap ng cycle of friends mo because you have them already."
Mayroon din daw silang “shared experiences."
Ani Lorie, “You go through life stages (school, birthdays, teenage years) together, which can be comforting.
"Hindi mo mararamdaman na mag-isa ka. You always have them, being your buddies in everything.”
Sanay sila sa pagkakaroon ng “teamwork” at “extra support.”
Ang kuwento niya: “You deal with life facing struggles together, and will always have their support in everything you do.”
Sa kabilang banda, may mga disadvantages din daw ang pagiging triplets.
Una raw ang privacy issues.
"Since nasanay na kami na sabay kami lagi, kung anong meron sa isa, yun din dapat yung sa isa.
“We can't keep secrets from each other. Parang nababasa rin kasi namin yung takbo ng utak ng isa't isa, so we can't hide anything."
Alam din daw nila ang pagkakaroon ng limitadong resources, lalo pa at hindi sila lumaking mayaman.
"Since we only have one pair of parents, thus, one pocket for our financial resources...”
TRIPLETS AS STUDENTS
Sa graduation speech ni Lorie noong May 27, 2025, binanggit niyang sila ang kauna-unahang degree holders sa pamilya.
Mas lalong malaki ang milestone na ito dahil tatlo silang nakakuha ng Latin honors.
Nagdagdag si Lorie ng advantages ng pagiging triplets sa pag-aaral.
Una, parati silang study buddies.
“Kasabay mo sila lagi, may kasama ka sa pag-aaral, pag-intindi ng context ng mga lessons, pag-review for quizzes and exams, sa mga puyatan, at lahat-lahat.”
Malaking tulong din daw ang pagkakaroon ng shared notes and education materials.
“Sharing of books, reviewers, and class materials, which makes studying easier,” dugtong ni Lorie.
Sa madaling sabi, mayroon silang healthy competition “that can push you to do better and stay focused on schoolwork."
Ani Lorie, "Sa amin, yung principle namin, dapat walang naiiwan.”
Useful ding may kanya-kanya silang strengths.
“May mga bagay na nahihirapan yung isa, pero magaling yung isa doon. With that, we can help each other in subjects that the other two struggle with.”
Busog din daw sila sa emotional support.
Kuwento ni Lorie, “If you're stressed, pressured, or down, naiintindihan kaagad nila kahit hindi mo sabihin, because they’re going through the same thing.”
How about the disadvantages?
Dahil tatlo sila, iba-iba ang opinyon nila minsan kaya “you have to consider them in making your decisions in terms of academics."
Nagbigay siya ng halimbawa: "Saying yes to an interview. A doubt or a 'no' mula sa isa sa amin is totally a 'no' for a final answer.”
Mas ramdam din daw ang pressure pagdating sa achievements.
Paglalarawan ni Lorie, “Though hindi naman namin nakikita yung sarili namin na competitors because we are each other's cheerleaders, pero minsan, the pressure to match up or keep up [with] the same pace is there.”
Nag-elaborate tungkol dito si Lorie sa interview niya with their campus paper, The State Collegian.
Saad ni Lorie, “Xennia and me, we are pressured. Maybe siya [Eva] kasi, handa siya pag ilalagay mo siya sa harap, gaya ng reporting. Kayang-kaya niyang magsalita.”
Sabi naman ng panganay na si Eva, “Conscious ako sa grades ko, pero when it comes sa kanilang dalawa, para sa akin, competitor ko sila…
“Pero they are also my motivators, so if these two [are] winning, it feels like I’m also winning.
“So we are each other’s cheerleaders, so parang okay, ayos lang na mataas sila sa akin.”
TRIPLETS on study habits, household chores
Kanya-kanyang istilo ang tatlo sa pagre-review.
Si Eva ay maagang natutulog para maagang magising dahil mas madali raw sa kanya ang mag-review nang maaga.
Si Lorie naman yung tipo na sinusulat ang lahat ng kanyang ni-review para tumatak sa kanyang isip.
Si Xennia, mas prefer daw ang mag-review nang mag-isa.
Sabi niya pa, “After ma-read lahat ng lessons, kini-quiz ko ang sarili ko. Madali siyang pumapasok sa isip ko.”
Mas naging madali raw ang college life dahil sila-sila ang nagsuportahan.
Pagpapatuloy ni Eva, “High school, sila lang ang kakampi [ko]. I wouldn’t survive college without them.
“Wala akong pinagsisihan academically… na dapat ginawa ko alone.
“They have been part of my journey. Kung saan ako ngayon dahil din yun sa kanila.”
Pagdating naman sa gawaing bahay, may rotation of responsibilities.
Ani Xennia, “Ito usually ang pinag-aawayan, small things… pero lahat naman siguro ng magkakapatid ito ang pinag-aawayan…” pagtukoy niya sa household chores.
Dugtong ni Eva, “We have daily rotation of work. We divide everything that we do para pantay po.”
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TRIPLE THE SUCCESS for one goal
Nagmartsa ang tatlo nang ganapin ang graduation ceremonies sa kanilang unibersidad noong May 27, 2025.
Si Lorie ang nagbigay ng valedictory speech.
Ibinahagi niya rito na bata pa lamang silang triplets, iisa ang pangarap nila.
Aniya, “As for me and my sisters, being triplets, our answer was simple—we just wanted to be rich.
“Maybe that desire is something we all had in common [because] being rich was how we define success, a better future…”
Bagama’t hindi raw nakapagtapos ang kanilang mga magulang, naniniwala sila sa value ng education.
Kaya naman ganoon na lamang ang pangamba ng mga magulang noong tumama ang pandemic.
“Our parents faced the difficult dilemma of whether we should continue with our studies or take a break, not because of the lack of support, [but] because of the overwhelming uncertainty of the times.”
Sa kabila ng walang kasiguraduhang hinaharap, nagpatuloy sa pag-aaral ang triplets.
Nagbunga naman daw ang kanilang mga paghihirap sa kabila ng mga pagsubok.
“We never expected this kind of spotlight,” ani Lorie sa kanyang speech.
“Saying we were lucky is an understatement. It doesn’t fully capture the journey we have fully taken.
“The countless sacrifices and the moments we thought of giving up, but chose to keep going instead.
“We were blessed beyond what we prayed for.”
Higit pa raw sa kanilang inasahan ang ibinigay sa kanila ng Diyos nang magtapos sa kolehiyo.
“All we wanted was to finish college. We didn’t think of honors, believing they were too hard to achieve.
“But the biggest twist, we didn’t just finish. We excelled. Not to boast, but to inspire. We still can’t believe it.”
Sabi pa ni Lorie, “Each of us had a different journey, but we all shared the same spirit. We are dreamers of our future; runners striving to finish; fighters refusing to give up. And, above all, survivors who overcame.”
Inusisa ng PEP si Lorie kung ano ang susunod nilang planong magkakapatid.
Sagot niya, “Our next plan is to obtain our Civil Service Eligibility and prepare all the requirements and papers for employment.”