Cagayan de Oro City 2nd district Rep. Rufus Rodriguez commands respect and admiration from veterans and newbies alike in the House of Representatives. But it was a different story when he entered college in 1971.

A candid and revealing Facebook post from the House's legal luminary on Sunday, March 22 detailed how he was able to grow out of his self-perceived "baduy" phase as a student who came to De La Salle University (DLSU) all the way from a province in Mindanao.

"I initially felt inferior as an AB-Economics freshman because the way I dressed was ‘baduy.’ I was the typical promdi. I felt that my classmates looked down on me because I did not have that Manila look," Rodriguez wrote.

In an advice that could resonate with the current generation, Rodriguez said that he "didn't dwell on my inferiority" and instead "studied hard".

"And soon, my classmates began copying from me and began asking me to coach them on our lessons. When that happened, they began to accept me socially. I was no longer the bisdak from Cagayan de Oro, but the source of their correct answers," he said rather humorously.

But the results of hard work and dedication are no joke. Rodriguez said that four years of studying hard at DLSU led to him graduating as a Summa Cum Laude in 1975. From there, sky was the limit for the eventual multi-term congressman.

"I proceeded to take law at the University of the Philippines - Diliman, College of Law, as an entrance and college scholar," he said.

"How people perceive you should matter little as long as you study hard and focus on your goals. Hard work and determination trump everything else in the real world," the lawyer-legislator said.

"Make your parents, family and friends proud - but most of all, make yourself proud," Rodriguez said.

Rodriguez is a former House deputy speaker. He is current the chairman of the Committee on Constitutional Amendments.