Every morning at a Purok in Caingin, Sta. Rosa, Laguna, a young boy named Kyung Bae “Jake” Prades, eldest of four, wakes up to the soft hum of tricycles outside their small home. Before he does anything else, his hand reaches for his eyeglasses. They are the first thing he wears each morning and the last thing he removes each night.
For Jake, those glasses are more than just lenses. These are his windows to the world.
He started wearing them when he was only five. “Napansin ni mama na palagi akong nadadapa kaya’t pina check-up nya ako,” Jake recalls. Even with limited means, and raising her children alone after Jake’s father left before he was born, his mother found a way to have his eyes checked. That trip to the doctor changed everything.
From then on, Jake’s world became clearer, but not necessarily easier.
He is a bright, curious boy who loves reading, drawing, and joining contests. But behind every success lies a quiet struggle. With an eye grade of over 1,000 for both eyes, Jake would always sit in the front row, clutching his pencil tightly, his eyes fixed on the board. Without his glasses, the letters danced and blurred before him, turning each lesson into a puzzle he had to solve by heart.
His old glasses bore the marks of time, a cracked frame, a loose hinge, and a broken temple piece tied together with string. He wore broken glasses because they couldn’t afford new ones. Still, he refused to let that stop him. “Ginawa ko itong inspirasyon para mas magsikap pa,” Jake said.
In 2024, one day while studying at Caingin Elementary School, a life-changing opportunity came. His teacher told him about the Vision Screening and Eyeglasses Donation Program of Security Bank Foundation, Inc. and Ideal Vision Center. Jake did not know it yet, but that moment would change how he saw the world.
When he received his new pair of eyeglasses, everything came into view again, the chalk marks on the board, the bright colors of their school mural, the smiling faces of his classmates, and his mother’s cheerful eyes. When his classmates saw only the answers on paper, Jake saw something greater: his dreams coming into focus.
“Dahil po sa bagong eyeglasses ay mas naging komportable at maayos po ang aking salamin. Hindi ko na po siya kailangan hawakan para hindi mahulog,” Jake shared.
Since that day, his confidence soared. He became more active in class, never hesitating to raise his hand. This year, Jake graduated with High Honors, considered as Valedictorian of his class, a remarkable ending to his elementary journey, and a bright beginning for what lays ahead.
Now a Grade 7 student at Leon C. Arcillas National High School, Jake carries the same determination and faith that once guided him through every challenge. He finished the first quarter in grade 7 with “High Honors”. Each day, he studies not just for himself, but for his family, dreaming to one day give them the comfortable life they deserve.
As he adjusts his glasses and looks ahead, Jake sees more than just the road to school. He sees a future full of possibilities.
“Maraming salamat po sa Security Bank Foundation,” he said with heartfelt sincerity. “Dahil sa tulong ninyo, mas malinaw ko nang nakikita ang mundo at ang kinabukasang gusto kong marating.”
Through his lenses, the world is bright again. And for Jake, every clear view, every word he reads, and every dream he sees on the horizon, is a reminder that no struggle can ever blur the vision of a heart full of hope.
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