'I was only 18 years old when my father died a year after I joined my parents in the States. He had no life insurance, had no savings, and had to be cremated because we could not afford to bury him in the US. He was only 50 years old when the heart attack claimed him. And I, the eldest, obviously had to do something in order to survive. And my first job was actually as a janitor. I cleaned bathrooms,' proudly recalled Atty. Francis Padua Papica, in response to the question on his biggest challenges upon setting foot in America.

'It's one of those things I am really proud of as it gave me the opportunity to really appreciate hard work, hard-earned money, and the abilities of the Filipinos to really try their best in a different country. Plus, we had no choice at that moment in time,' continued Francis.