“Poverty is a source of motivation in itself. You can become creative in finding ways to get out of poverty.”
That statement comes from the mouth of Atty. Nicolas “Nick” M. Caraquel, a former resident of San Isidro, Davao Oriental who was named as one of the recipients of The Outstanding Filipino in America (TOFA) in 2018.
“(He) is an immigration lawyer who understands the challenges and complexity of obtaining legal status in American, having gone through the process himself,” said the press statement. “He acquired a work visa within weeks of applying and a green card after a year. He is licensed to practice law in the Philippines and New York, and has handled more than 100 immigration cases.”
Also in 2018, Caraquel was one of the 11 Pamana ng Pilipino awardees, who were honored during the Presidential Awards for Filipino individuals and organizations overseas. He received the medal from President Rodrigo R. Duterte during the awarding ceremony at the Malacañang.
“A sought-after immigration lawyer based in New York who broke out of poverty through his determination and hard work. He assists in facilitating the family reunification process among Filipinos in the United States,” the press statement said.
“Do not look at poverty as a reason or excuse to stop dreaming big then work hard to make those dreams a reality,” Caraquel summarized his secret of success. “I know it is not easy; there are times that you will feel like giving up. When that time comes, seek for something or talk to someone who inspires you, when the burden gets tougher kneel down and pray. Rest if you may, but don’t give up. Chase that dream and have faith!”
Caraquel is a lawyer – a famous lawyer at that! – and yet he still believes in prayer. He believes that what is impossible to man is possible to that Someone Up There, who is just a prayer away.
“Prayer is the gymnasium of the soul,” says Samuel M. Zwemer. “Prayer is more than verbally filling in some requisition blanks,” Billy Graham states. “It’s fellowship with God! It’s communion with the Lord through praising Him, rehearsing His promises, and then sharing our needs.”
Caraquel, grew up in San Isidro, Davao Oriental, in a family with seven children. “My father earns a living as a barber. My mother was once a seamstress turned businesswomen. My family taught me the value of hard work, prayer, faith and determination to find ways to get out of poverty,” he says in an exclusive interview.
The family was in abject poverty that when he was in third grade, his parents requested him to stop going to school. To help both ends meet, they asked him to help them by selling banana cues in the bus terminal. He was saddened; he wanted to continue his studies but he had no choice. “I prayed that someday I would understand God’s reason why He allowed it,” he said.
But Caraquel, who believes in education, was able to finish elementary. And it came to pass that when he was graduating from high school, the government offered for the first time the State Scholarship Program (SSP) to poor but deserving students in private schools. He took the qualifying exams and was awarded as one of the 13 SSP scholars in the country, representing Region XI.
The scholarship was his ticket to enroll at the Ateneo de Davao University, where he took BS Industrial Engineering. “I felt like I didn’t have to study much with numbers. It’s embedded in my system,” he explains on why he took the course. “I thought that being an engineer would put me in a better position to financially support my parents and younger sister’s education.”
After graduation, he worked in one of the world’s top food manufacturing companies and was assigned to Cagayan de Oro City. However, his childhood dream of becoming a lawyer beckoned. With the money he saved, he decided to fulfill his dream. He pursued law at Xavier University (Ateneo de Cagayan) and passed the bar in 2003.
On why he became a lawyer, he explains: “Generally, people look down on people who were economically challenged. We have the tendency to judge that they have no hopes especially in the province.”
Caraquel saw that through his mother’s experience. “I cannot forget how my mother tried to encourage me while she herself was hopeless. Oftentimes, I saw her in a state of malayo ang tingin wala namang tinatanaw. I wondered what she was thinking. Was it the hardship, the hopelessness or the treatment of some people around her?
“That significantly influenced me in dreaming to become a lawyer – to defend my family if someone will mistreat them, to uplift their spirit so that we can rise from poverty and to financially support my family.”
After passing the board exam, he worked for a company and it was just a matter of time that he was promoted and assigned in the headquarters in Makati. But after 10 years of lawyering in the country, he had enough and went to the United States.
This was in 2007. “I needed a vacation to relieve me from work stress,” he admits. “I was a victim of corporate politics after working for 10 years. I asked for a month’s vacation. While waiting for my flight, the thought of me wanting to become a US immigration attorney came up,” he recalls.
Three weeks after his arrival, he asked his friends to pray for him with a specific request. He recalled: “If God has better plans for me in America, the Nestle USA will call my friends’ landline the following Monday at 9 am.”
True enough, at 9 in the morning that Monday, the phone rang and the company called. He was hired.
In 2012, Nick decided to work as a full-fledged lawyer in New York City. With only three weeks approved vacation from his work, he concentrated on 13 out of 21 subjects for the 2-day New York bar examinations. The first day was the toughest; it had the NY Bar five essay questions.
Before he left the hotel, he asked God to give him at least one topic he could focus on. Should that selected topic be one of those that will come out, he assumed that with God’s guidance, he would pass the bar exam. Out of nowhere, someone whispered in his ears to concentrate on libel and defamation.
The 100-multiple choice federal law portion and the first 2 essay questions were covered in the morning session. The afternoon session started with the third essay question and lo and behold the topic was — hold your breath! — about libel and defamation. It was then that he knew he would pass the bar exam. And he did.
A few months later, Nick was in a quandary whether he would stay in the US or be back in the Philippines, although deep inside him, he wanted to stay. Again, he prayed asking that if his plans aligned with His plan for him, he will receive his American citizenship notification on or before April 2 (Thursday). And, yes, it happened as he had requested.
“All my life,” he says now, “I am guided by prayers in every major decision I make. It’s a trait I learned from my mother. I always ask for God’s sign to give me confidence that the decisions I make are aligned with His.”
