sˈɪns hɪz pˈɛɹənts wˈɔntᵻd hˌɪm tə bɪkˌʌm ɐ tˈiːtʃɚ, hiː wʌz sˈɛnt tə mɐnˈɪlə ænd ɛnɹˈoʊld æɾə skˈuːl sˈɪtʃuːˌeɪɾᵻd ɐlˈɔŋ kˈæmbə stɹˈiːt ɪn tˈɑːndoʊ, mɐnˈɪlə ænd wʌz hˈɛdᵻd baɪ dˈɑːn mækˈæɹɪˌoʊ hɚnˈændɛz.
Since his parents wanted him to become a teacher, he was sent to Manila and enrolled at a school situated along Camba Street in Tondo, Manila and was headed by Don Macario Hernández.