A lawyer shared her encounter with “Tatay Benjie,” a 55-year-old driver of a ride-hailing app she booked, who turned out to be an aspiring lawyer.
Lawyer Jackie Gan-Cristobal on Wednesday, November 12 shared that she booked Benjie Estillore on her way to work, who struck up a conversation when he realized her drop-off location.
Jackie, based on her Facebook profile, notes that she works as a lawyer in the Senate.
“Meet Tatay Benjie, my Grab driver on the way to work today and our future lawyer!” she wrote on social media, sharing a picture of her with the bespectacled man.
“When he saw where my drop-off was, he asked if I worked there and what I did. When I told him I’m a lawyer, he smiled, proudly showed me his ID, and said that at 55, he’s now a [third] year Political Science student at UMak and he dreams of becoming a lawyer too someday,” Jackie said.
UMak is short for the University of Makati.
“He drives Grab in the morning, attends classes in the afternoon, and goes back on the road until midnight. For the past three years, he’s been a Taguig scholar of Mayor Lani Cayetano and he might just be the oldest scholar at that!” she added with a raised hands emoji.
Jackie shared that Benjie has a wife who works as an elementary teacher in Taguig.
“Together, they deeply value education, believing it’s the best vehicle that can take them anywhere they want to go, not as a driver anymore, but as a passenger,” she said.
The lawyer also quoted Benjie, who told her that he would already be a senior citizen by the time he finishes his studies and becomes a lawyer.
“Awa ng Diyos, Atty [Attorney], ‘pag naging abogado ako, senior citizen na ako pero at least sinubukan ko at natupad ko ang pangarap ko,” he said to her.
“Tatay is a reminder that it is never too late, never too hard, and never impossible to chase our dreams. What an inspiration!” Jackie said.
Jackie also posted about her encounter on TikTok, where some users shared that they had also encountered him.
“Little did you know, you have an invisible string with him. He was a senior student at my former junior high school, the same school you visited for your Women’s Month talk back in 2023 that I attended,” a TikTok user commented.
“I’m so glad you met him. I often think about how you both met at the same time, and then it actually happened,” the user added.
To become a lawyer in the Philippines, one must finish a four-year bachelor’s degree, graduate from a law school program, pass the Bar Examination, and then take the oath of office at the Supreme Court.
