Victorio Principe. Photo from the Facebook page of the Quezon City Local Government

MANILA - This former inmate is living proof that it is never too late to change for the better.

Victorio Principe, 20, was jailed in November 2013 for being a courier for a drug group, according to the Quezon City Local Government.

He was only an elementary graduate then, having been forced to work in a construction site to help put food on his family's table.

But while inside the Quezon City Jail, Principe proved that he could do better and be a more productive member of the community.

He worked hard to finish high school through the Alternative Learning System (ALS) program until he was released from prison in June 2015.

Now, Principe has emerged as one of the city's top high school graduates.

With a whopping 99-percent average in the ALS program equivalency exam, Principe placed fourth among all passers in Quezon City.

ictorio Principe shakes hands with Quezon City Mayor Herbert Bautista. Photo from the Facebook page of the Quezon City Local Government

Mayor Herbert Bautista met with Principe on May 2. The mayor offered him a full scholarship to a four-year course at the Quezon City Polytechnic University.

Principe can now show that it is never too late to succeed in life.