ONIC Philippines marketing chief Firne Ally Abaga is the ultimate all-around player. Not only does he do various jobs for one of the top esports organizations in the country, he also graduated magna cum laude in Information Technology.
He firneally got his degree.
In an Instagram post, ONIC Philippines brand manager and marketing head Firne Ally Abaga celebrated a major milestone: graduating magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Science in Information Technology from Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila.
The announcement came just a week after ONIC Philippines secured bronze at the MSC Esports World Cup in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
In a conversation with One Sports and GG Network, Firne opened up about his college journey, working with ONIC, and the balance he struck between both worlds.
He was right on track with his program, finishing it in four years. But like many, he grappled with choosing between his professional career and academic pursuits.
“There was a time na sumagi sa isip ko na i-prioritize ’yung current work, given na kailangan kong mag-bootcamp. But I chose to fully trust myself and stay committed to both my career and studies,” he said.
A natural multitasker, Firne embraced life as a working student. His choice to be independent wasn’t born out of necessity, but initiative.
"I started supporting myself financially since senior high school, I graduated SHS sa University of the East," he shared. "It wasn’t like parang pinasa na responsibility from my parents. It’s more of initiative as kumikita naman na ako ng pera noong time na ‘yon and I want to help them para makabawas din sa gastusin, especially nagka-pandemic noon and nahinto ‘yung trabaho ni Mama at Papa on-ground, and I was working online."
Firne’s goal was clear: lighten the load on his parents. With a scholarship at PLM, he only had to worry about commuting and meals.
“Luckily enough, nakapasa ako sa college sa PLM. I’m a scholar, so ang ginagastos ko lang is pamasahe and food, which is hindi naman ganon kabigat dahil may financial support din from the school.”
Choosing IT may seem like a detour from his day-to-day roles in creatives, production, social media, marketing, and PR at ONIC Philippines. But for Firne, it made perfect sense.
“Since elementary kasi babad talaga ako sa computer. Naalala ko noong elementary, I represented our school sa encoding and simula noon nagplano talaga ako na my job should be reliant in front of a computer.”
“Masakit siya sa ulo pero I’m grateful to have my thesis mates as they are super helpful. And more on frontend naman kasi ako,” he added.
Despite the challenges of juggling school and a demanding esports career, Firne graduated with honors. But even he didn’t see that coming.
“Hindi ko ine-expect 'yung magna cum laude since ngayong college hati talaga 'yung oras ko. In God’s grace talaga siguro kasi I was still able to perform well noong college (I also represented our school sa International Research Conference in Cebu) so I was really happy about it.”
Firne said he has always been an overachiever even as a kid.
“Siguro namana ko kay Mama. And it’s not pressure, pero gusto ko kasi talaga 'yung mga ganitong bagay. Noong high school, I also graduated with high honors. I was part of the student council for two years and attended multiple organizations, which is nadala ko hanggang work ngayon sa ONIC. I’m currently handling multiple things, from graphics, social media, marketing and PR, to photo and video shoots, and they often call me ‘one-man team.’”
At ONIC, Firne never felt pushed to wear multiple hats—it was something he embraced on his own.
“To give you context, ako mismo nag-push kay ONIC na kaya ko mag-isa even though they offered na magdagdag sa marketing side (as an hyper-independent person). But given this, they support and pay me well. Sobrang full trust talaga ako sa sarili. It may sound off, pero kasi pag locked in talaga ako sa ginagawa ko, full effort talaga.”
That kind of trust and understanding is invaluable. And it's what keeps Firne grateful and grounded.
“I’m forever grateful sa ONIC, especially kay Sir Raff dahil sa full trust na binigay niya sa akin at a very young age, I landed a job. The people around me, especially [from] S14 onwards, people were very supportive and very understanding. They are one of the most genuine and kind group of people that I’ve met. That’s why super open ako sa kanila on how much they help me dahil sobrang gaan nila katrabaho.”
Firne says there was never pressure from home to achieve so much—only to finish.
“Aware naman sila na I am a working-student, so there were no expectations at all kung may Latin honors [man] or wala. I just did my very best and honored everything they did for me.”
As for what’s next, Firne is still figuring it out. One thing’s certain: his heart’s still in esports.
He’ll carry his IT knowledge with him, wherever the next steps may lead.
And to his younger self, he offers this message:
“Everything will be worth it. Keep trusting yourself and never stop believing in your skills. You are more capable than you think, and don’t forget to be humble no matter how far you go.”