"Like many others, I dreamt of wearing a toga and receiving a diploma. But that wasn't meant to be."

Thus said the newly appointed secretary of the Department of Agriculture, Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr., on Monday, recounting how his getting a college degree took a backseat to early fatherhood.

"The sea became my university; experiences in life taught me the value of perseverance; and my children gave me the courage and inspiration to get to where I am now," Laurel said.

"The good fortune I have today I enjoy through God's grace," the self-made seafood industry magnate, who took over the DA portfolio from President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., added.

Laurel clarified his educational background yesterday after media reported that he had graduated from the University of Santo Tomas.

UST's student organ, The Varsitarian, had called out the error in the reports.

Not true

"Let me clear the air about my educational background given news reports that claim I am an alumnus of the University of Santo Tomas, or any other institution of higher learning," Laurel said.

"That is not true. I never finished my education because I became a father at 19. I needed to work to support my eldest child," he said. "My own father impressed upon me that my responsibility as a father came first."

He said he wanted to get a college degree, but work and family obligations prevented him from doing so. Instead he helped build the family's flagship company, he said.

That company, Frabelle, would grow from a simple fishing operation to a conglomerate that now includes power generation, real estate development, meat and seafood processing, agriculture, shipbuilding and repair, and a cold chain network.

Laurel said he has since divested from the family businesses upon assuming public office.