Fishball and balut helped this husband and wife to send their kids to college

Fishball and balut are two kinds of street food that aren't just delicious stomach fillers but are also affordable meals that don't burn a hole in one's pocket. But even if these dishes are just simple fare, it was able to help a simple couple send their 10 children to school.

Good News got to know the couple Ferdinand Atienza Sr. and Maria Atienza, who have been married for 45 years and have 10 children that they have successfully sent to school.

The pair led a simple life, and both needed to work so that they could put food on the table. What they depended on at the time was selling fishballs and balut, using starting capital that they sometimes borrowed from their relatives. Whatever they earned, they had to fit not just for their daily needs but also for the tuition of their 10 children. Aside from selling fishballs and balut, the couple also made hollow blocks and sold bread.

According to their fifth child, Jennifer A. Guno, their life was so hard that she would often tell her mother that she was okay with just eating ketchup with her rice. The children would also help raise money for their daily needs, such as the eldest child, Ferdinand C. Atienza Jr., who would peddle the bread that their father prepared.

Their family would also receive judgment growing up, with Ferdinand C. Atienza Jr. recalling that his parents' jobs would be looked down upon by other people. The house they lived in was also a shack. However, they did not let this stand in their way, and now their children have finished courses like Office Management, HRM, Education, Engineering, and Business Administration.

Now, the couple's 10 kids have built a house with seven rooms for them. Even when their new home was ravaged by a typhoon, the family still worked together to recover from this challenge.

Watch their story below.

The Atienza family is just one of the success stories that Good News has encountered. There is also the story of Aracely Fernandez Samonte, who owns Aling Cely's Kinalasan who supported her family with kinalas.

There is also the story of the couple Zenaida “Zeny” Paras Inato at Angelito “Lito” Inato who was able to support their familt with their paresan, Bobby Andrew “Bob” Decano who started out as a dishwasher and through diligence was able to become a millionaire, and Regnier Caligagan who started out as a tricycle driver and now owns a resort.