Originally published 2020-03-04.
Romnick Blanco is the son of a farming family from Bulacan, a province just north of Manila in the Philippines. With support from a local foundation he won a full scholarship to International School Manila, and in 2018 he received full-ride offers from four universities abroad: Harvard, Dartmouth, Wesleyan and New York University. He chose Harvard, and according to Acer Philippines, one of the foundation's long-time sponsors, he went on to complete a history degree there in 2022. His story spread widely online in 2019, and it is worth telling carefully, because the support around him is as much a part of it as his own determination.
Two images of Romnick Blanco that circulated with his story: smiling on a plane, and as a boy wading across a river with his school bag, a crossing reports said he made on the way to class.
Growing up on a farm in Bulacan
Reports at the time described a childhood shaped by limited money and long journeys to school. His father farmed, and the family's hope was that Romnick would get the education they had not. He was said to rarely miss a class, even when the route meant crossing a river on foot.
Rural poverty in the Philippines often makes the cost of schooling more than the fees alone. Transport, uniforms, books and the loss of a child's help on the farm can all push families to take children out of school early. That background helps explain why outside support made such a difference in his case.
The role of the GreenEarth Heritage Foundation
Blanco's turning point came through the GreenEarth Heritage Foundation, a Christian non-profit that works with farming families on environmental conservation, sustainable agriculture and livelihoods. Among other things it grows moringa for tea and powder, runs tree-planting days, and operates a library and learning centre, opened in 2011, that offers English and computer literacy classes to farmers' children.
According to the 2019 reports, the foundation also gave Blanco a school allowance. As his grades rose, it helped him secure a full scholarship to International School Manila, one of the country's best-known private international schools. Acer says he was the first child of a farming family to receive a scholarship there in the school's 92-year history.
Romnick with his parents outside their home. The photo was shared by News5 Features, the Philippine broadcaster's feature desk, when his story first went viral.
From Manila to four university offers
At International School Manila he reportedly graduated with top honours, and photos from those years show him at debating and diplomacy-style conferences. In 2018, Acer reports, he was offered four full scholarships in the United States: the King Scholarship at Dartmouth College, a Freeman-Asian scholarship at Wesleyan University, a place at New York University (earlier reports named its Abu Dhabi campus) and financial aid at Harvard University. He accepted Harvard.
A common myth is that schools like Harvard are open only to the wealthy. In fact Harvard's financial aid is need-based, and for families with low incomes it can cover the full cost of attendance. The bigger barrier for students like Blanco is usually getting to the point of applying, with the grades, English, test preparation and guidance that admissions require. That is precisely where the foundation and the international school filled the gap.
A collage of photos from his high-school years, including a conference where he sat behind a South Africa delegation placard, apparently a Model United Nations-style event. Shared by News5 Features.
Planting trees on his father's farm
One detail of his story stands out. Before leaving for the United States, Blanco reportedly planted around 1,500 trees on his family's land, adding to trees he had planted as a child. It fits GreenEarth's own focus on reforestation; the foundation holds annual planting days with sponsors, and Acer says its employees alone donated nearly 37,000 trees in 2023.
Reports from 2019 also mention a gap year after he finished high school. The dates in different accounts do not line up perfectly, so the safest summary is this: he finished at International School Manila, received his offers in 2018, and graduated from Harvard in 2022.
What his story really teaches
It is tempting to read his path as proof that hard work alone beats poverty. His effort clearly mattered, but so did a local charity that saw his potential early, sponsors who paid for classes and laptops, a school willing to offer a scholarship, and universities with generous aid. Most students from similar backgrounds never get that whole chain of support.
That is the more useful lesson. Talent is spread widely; opportunity is not. Programmes that give children in rural areas tutoring, a quiet place to study, internet access and help with applications can turn one remarkable story into many. Acer says it now supports nine more college scholars from the same GreenEarth community.
It also matters what Blanco did with his chance. Planting trees at home before leaving, and staying connected to the community that backed him, suggests that support given to one young person can flow back to a whole village.
How to help students like Romnick
- Support local education charities with a track record and published accounts, especially those that pair scholarships with mentoring.
- Volunteer time or skills, such as English tutoring, help with essays, or advice on scholarship forms.
- Share accurate information about need-based aid. Many families do not know that top universities may cost them little or nothing.
Blanco's journey from a river crossing in Bulacan to a degree from Harvard is genuinely inspiring. It is also a reminder that behind most stories like this stands a group of people who decided to open a door.
Sources: Acer: long-term support for the GreenEarth Heritage Foundation; photos via News5 Features on Facebook; earlier coverage by Elite Readers.
COMMENTS