MANILA, Philippines –  It’s never too late to start again.

A heartwarming video went viral this week featuring inmates from Consolacion, Cebu singing Orient Pearl’s “Pagsubok” during their graduation rites.

“Laban lang (Just fight),” Consolacion Councilor Joannes Alegado wrote in the caption of the video which already has 1.3 million views and 21,000 shares as of this posting.

In an interview with Rappler, Alegado said 14 elementary and 20 high school students of the Consolacion Municipal Jail graduated from the education department’s Alternative Learning System last Monday.

Asked for his message to the graduates, Alegado said: “I told them to persevere and not to lose hope. I look forward [to] the day that we will meet once again outside the jail premises and see them succeed.”

He also advised other inmates to start thinking about what they want to do with their lives and their future. 

“It’s never too late. As long as you have the grit, then everything will be possible,” Alegado added. – Rappler.com