Pinoy board topnotcher who became a toilet cleaner in Australia shares grueling journey to success

Sometimes, it takes more than a little sacrifice to make your dreams come true — something Jao Jundam learned the hard way.

Jao started his now viral post by stating bluntly, "Board topnotcher ako sa Pilipinas at naging toilet cleaner ako sa Australia. And I’m proud of it."

At 25, Jao has finished his Bachelors and Masters degree in his new country, and even holds a stable nursing job there. His posts online show him travelling the world, achieving his goals, and sampling the best food the world has to offer.

But in a recent Facebook post, Jao shared the hardships he endured just to get to this point since he decided to migrate to Australia a few years ago.

"A lot of people, especially in social media, think that I’m 'lucky' to reach the position where I am now...Little did they know that before I have started travelling the world, I have to walk for 1 hour in the freezing cold winter morning of Canberra just to work and sell fish in Belconnen market. Yes, I was also a fish vendor," he wrote.

He was also a barbecue boy, a waiter, a personal care provider, a cashier and many more.

He took off jobs, saying he had to help his family pay off his expenses during his stay there.

Jao also opened up to almost failing out of university because of the culture shock.

"I have even been accused of plagiarism which put my last semester in jeopardy. And as an 'above average' student in the Philippines when it comes to academics, little did they know that my self-esteem went down the drain many times in a way that I have to drown myself just to get it back," he recalled.

Because of his financial limitations, he shared that he would carefully ration his food.

"Back in Canberra, I have to cook 2 ulams which were often Sinigang and Tinola because they’re the easiest and cheapest to cook. Once I have cooked them, I separate them in containers of 3 a day so that it will suffice for a week. I also remember buying a $5.00 cake and slicing it in 7 so that I can only eat one slice/day," he said.

And of course, breakdowns are unavoidable.

Jao remembers asking himself if he can still push through.

"Many times, I have to look at myself in the mirror in tears while asking 'Kaya ko pa ba?' But with every time I ask myself that question, I will always answer myself back saying 'Kaya ko pa. Ako pa ba?'," he wrote.

"Having the life that you want doesn’t just happen because of luck. Becoming the person you aim to, do not happen just by dreaming about it. Dreams will remain just dreams if you do not act upon it," he added.

Now, Jao is stronger and wiser for what he had endured.

He says on his post, "Start from the bottom. Walang maliit na gawain o trabaho kung marangal."

"Then when you’re up there, look down and help those who are struggling to climb up. Trust me, achieving success feels way better when you have someone to share it with," he added.

—JCB, GMA News