page_title: Ferdinand Marcelino
section_title: Early Struggle
hierarchical_section_title: Ferdinand Marcelino / Early Struggle
caption_attribution_description: English: Colonel when he is still in PMA
context_page_description: Colonel Ferdinand Marcelino is an active Marine officer of the Philippine Navy, a graduate of the Philippine Military Academy Bantay Laya Class of 1994. Born in Hagonoy, Bulacan, he is the eleventh of 13 children of a fisherman and an ordinary housewife. He managed to finish his primary education with flying colors having graduated as valedictorian and was a consistent scholar in his secondary education. Finishing his college education was really difficult due to poverty which constrained him to take various odd jobs to support himself.
  More than just military achievements, Colonel Marcelino transcended the stereotypical role of a soldier in his various assignments, particularly with his work with foreign governments. A number of people who heard Marcelino’s struggle to liberate our communities from terrorism and the drug menace described him as brave, credible, and “dead”. “Dead” describes the numerous threats that he gets from the criminals whom he sent to jail, who will do everything to destroy if not kill him. But Marcelino is a living inspiration to our people to be upright and honest.
context_section_description: Marcelino initially planned to enroll at Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila believing that it is the only school that his family can afford. But upon enrolling, he found out that the registration fee amounted to P180.00 – money that they did not have. Determined to finish his studies, Marcelino worked at a construction site at the University of the East in Recto, Manila where he saw a poster of the DAWN, the college’s publication. Immediately, he applied to become one of its staff writers which helped him pay his tuition. He also became a police beat reporter for the then internationally circulated tabloid, Headline Manila. “Mars”, as his peers call him, was just 16 years old then.
caption: Marcelino as Phillipine Military Academy cadet
exif: {}