Diosdado Macapagal was born on September 28, 1910, in Lubao, Pampanga, the third of five children in a poor family. His father, Urbano Macapagal y Romero (c. 1883 - 1946), was a poet who wrote in the local Pampangan language, and his mother, Romana Pangan Macapagal, daughter of Atanacio Miguel Pangan, a former cabeza de barangay of Gutad, Floridablanca, Pampanga and Lorenza Suing Antiveros. Urbano's mother, Escolastica Romero Macapagal is a midwife and schoolteacher who taught catechism. He is a distant descendant of Don Juan Macapagal, a prince of Tondo, who was a great-grandson of the last reigning Lakan of the Kingdom of Tondo, Lakan Dula.

Macapagal excelled in his studies at local public schools, graduating valedictorian at Lubao Elementary School, and salutatorian at Pampanga High School. He finished his pre-law course at the University of the Philippines, then enrolled at Philippine Law School in 1932, studying on a scholarship and supporting himself with a part-time job as an accountant. While in law school, he gained prominence as an orator and debater. However, he was forced to quit schooling after two years due to poor health and a lack of money. Returning to Pampanga, he joined boyhood friend Rogelio de la Rosa in producing and starring in Tagalog operettas patterned after classic Spanish zarzuelas. It was during this period that he married his friend's sister, Purita de la Rosa in 1938. He had two children with de la Rosa, Cielo and Arturo. Macapagal raised enough money to continue his studies at the University of Santo Tomas. He also gained the assistance of philanthropist Don Honorio Ventura, the Secretary of the Interior at the time, who financed his education. He also received financial support from his mother's relatives notably from the Macaspacs who owned large tracts of land in barrio Sta. Maria, Lubao, Pampanga. After receiving his Bachelor of Laws degree in 1936, he was admitted to the bar, topping the 1936 bar examination with a score of 89.95%. He later returned to his alma mater to take up graduate studies and earn a Master of Laws degree in 1941, a Doctor of Civil Law degree in 1947, and a PhD in Economics in 1957.Answer this question using a quote from the following article:

What achievements did he have in his early education?
Pampanga. After receiving his Bachelor of Laws degree in 1936, he was admitted to the bar, topping the 1936 bar examination with a score of 89.95%.