Fabella graduated from UP with a degree in Master of Arts in History, thus becoming the first person from Banton to have postgraduate education. In 1934, Fabella completed his Bachelor of Laws degree at the University of Manila and passed the Philippine Bar Examination that same year. Career As history instructor After finishing college, Fabella taught at Romblon High School from 1920 to 1922, and at Tayabas High School in Lucena, Quezon (province) from 1922 to 1923. That year, he received an offer from UP Department of History chairperson Dr. Leandro Fernandez to become a history instructor at the university. His first teaching service at UP lasted 11 years, serving alongside other prominent Filipino historians like Gregorio F. Zaide, Encarnacion Alzona and Nicolas Zafra. Among his notable students include would-be dictator Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos. While teaching at UP, he also completed his master's degree in History at the school and his law degree at the University of Manila. During the same period, he wrote for Iwag it Kaanduan, Romblon's first vernacular newspaper and established his own newspaper Bag-ong Iwag in 1926. Due to his educational achievements, Fabella was well known in Romblon and was active in various organizations such as Katipunang Bantoanon, Romblomanian Association, Banton Uplift Club and Romblon Youth. Following budget cuts brought about by the Great Depression, Fabella was among several instructors let go by the university in 1934. Political career As early as 1922, Fabella showed desire to enter politics to challenge the incumbent Leonardo Festin, who has been assemblyman for the lone seat of Romblon in the National Assembly since 1916. Following the end of his first teaching service in UP in 1934, Fabella joined the Partido Nacionalista Democratico and ran against Festin during the 1935 Philippine general elections. He won against Festin with a lead of 356 votes despite the lack of funding and campaigning throughout the province for only 24 days. Fabella served as Romblon's assemblyman for three years from November 25, 1935, to August 15, 1938. During that time, he became a member of various committees in the National Assembly, namely Public Instruction, Public Services, Civil Service, Codes, Internal Government, Privileges at Navigation. He also appropriated 80 percent of his pork barrel to building schools in Romblon, while the remaining 20 percent was appropriated to construction and repair of roads in the province. Following the end of term in 1938, Fabella did