By Jovit D. Caballero

Raised in a strict household where every move was monitored and every decision scrutinized, the concept of freedom was foreign to him. But as he stepped out into the world on his own, the exhilarating rush of liberation surged through his veins – this is the story of how Macoy embraced his first taste of freedom.

Marc Angelo Zambrano, known as Macoy to his colleagues, is a Senior Bridge Engineer in the Asset Management Division, hailing from Mabalacat, Pampanga. He is the youngest of three children, born to a master mariner father and a traveling nurse mother. Brought up in Pandacan, Manila, Macoy experienced a strict upbringing under his disciplinarian father, a graduate of the Philippine Merchant Marine Academy (PMMA). Growing up in an area once notorious for its troubled community, he faced challenges in balancing his environment. As the self-proclaimed most stubborn son, Macoy often endured disciplinary beatings from his father, which left him with scratches and wounds, but countered by the loving and caring nature of his mother.

Admittedly, Macoy had all his needs and desires provided for during his childhood, thanks to his family’s above-average standard of living. During his elementary years at La Salle Green Hills, he lived comfortably without much concern. Initially not fully appreciating the importance of education, Macoy showed inconsistent academic performance ranging from poor to satisfactory. However, he enthusiastically engaged in various physical activities, particularly sports, during lunch breaks with his friends. Already familiar to this lifestyle, he did not anticipate a significant change when he completed 5^th grade.

Macoy’s parents consistently faced various misunderstandings, eventually leading them to separate. His mother returned to the United States to continue her nursing career, leaving the children with their father, who took a shoreside role as a manning officer in his company to avoid going back to sea as a mariner. Uncertain about whether he would join his mother in the US, Macoy had to pause his schooling. After a period of waiting without a clear decision from his mother, he enrolled at the Don Bosco Technical Institute Makati School for Boys during 6th grade and continued through high school. It was here that he became more socially active and exposed to worldly desires.

In high school, Macoy was introduced to smoking, drinking, and partying with his four closest friends. Despite maintaining satisfactory academic performance and active participation in physical activities, Macoy began to test boundaries by cutting classes and occasionally skipping school. Contrary to others’ opinions, he saw this period as pivotal for building his confidence and self-discovery. Despite these challenges, Macoy successfully graduated on time alongside his classmates and best friends.

Surprisingly, two of Macoy’s closest friends enrolled in the same school and course at college—BS Civil Engineering at Mapua University. Trusting in his son, his father allowed him to handle things independently, from enrollment to all his school needs, providing only a 1,000-peso weekly allowance. Without his father’s awareness, most of this allowance was not used for school expenses. Enjoying the peak of freedom and using his savings from the allowance, Macoy increasingly indulged in vices, including bar hopping and narcotics. During his father’s business trips, Macoy secretly used his father’s car for late-night outings. Consequently, Macoy and some of his peers failed nearly 75% of their units, resulting in a delay of one to two years in college.

In his third year, Macoy encountered an unexpected relationship that would significantly influence his current lifestyle. Grace, a restaurant supervisor and the sister of one of his friends, became his partner. Despite their five-year age gap, Grace, being mature and experienced, consistently offered guidance and advice on life decisions to Macoy. He realized he had found someone who appreciated and loved him despite his personal challenges. This marked a turning point where Macoy began to prioritize his studies and envision not just his own aspirations, but also their future plans together.

Upon graduating in 2006, he promptly enrolled in a review center to prepare for the board examinations. Unaware of the impact of his words, his father unintentionally pressured him by emphasizing the Zambrano Clan’s history of professional success in passing their first licensure tests. This led to a misunderstanding between them, prompting Macoy to leave home, which ultimately affected his examination results.

While living in Grace’s apartment, Macoy initially worked as a call center agent to cover their daily expenses. After two more unsuccessful attempts at passing the board exams—one due to inadequate review time and the other due to a nationwide leakage issue—Macoy finally earned his license on his fourth attempt in 2010, leading to a promotion at his then current job. Despite past misunderstandings, his father made sure to congratulate him and express his pride.

After marrying Grace, Macoy relocated to Pampanga, while his father moved to his uncle’s home in Pangasinan. In 2013, Macoy joined NLEX Corporation as an Asset Management Engineer, and in the following year, he received what he considers his greatest blessing—his one and only daughter. As a father, Macoy finds himself mirroring his father’s parenting style, just with a gentler approach and a lot of heart. Ironically, the man who once craved freedom before now finds himself setting boundaries.

In 2021, amid the pandemic, Macoy received a devastating call from his uncle — his father had contracted COVID-19. Due to strict travel restrictions, Macoy and his two brothers, who were residing in Manila, could only check up on him through video calls. Sadly, after months of battling the disease, his father passed away and was cremated without them being able to see him in person. Though heartbroken that their last family gathering was two years ago, Macoy found solace in knowing they were on good terms before his father’s passing.

To date, Macoy has remained consistent in everything he does, whether at work as an engineer or at home as a father. The life lessons his father instilled in him have guided him in so many ways he has never imagined. By wholeheartedly embracing his journey and the responsibilities that came with it, Macoy has found true freedom — not with hands untied, but with a mind unchained.

Photo by Rubén Bagüés on Unsplash

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