ESTORYA NI TEACHER

Allow me to share on this platform a piece of my life story. During the University of the Philippines Cebu’s 83^rd Commencement Exercises last July 29, 2022, a surge of memories came to my mind, like flashbacks in a movie scene. I recalled all the ups and downs I’d been through to finish my studies from elementary to college. My life story is quite a complicated one. If this were qualitative research, an overarching theme, “making ends meet,” would surely surface.

I remember dropping out twice in elementary due to financial and family problems. I have six siblings (I am the third child), and my parents couldn’t afford to send us all to school because they didn’t have stable jobs. Living in the city is very expensive. My parents’ priority was to find the means to feed us all. Education was not a priority. I experienced going to school on foot without eating breakfast. I would drink a lot of water to survive in the morning and hope that we would have food to eat when I reached home during lunchtime. Fortunately, I survived and finished elementary for eight years.

When I went to high school, our family experienced another set of tribulations and trials – my parents decided to be separated from each other due to complicated reasons. I had to stop schooling again during my first year in high school because I needed to help my parents by taking care of my younger siblings so that they could make a living.

These experiences made me realize, “Would it always be like this? What will happen to me? To my dreams? To my siblings? What will happen to my parents when they get older? Thus, I decided to fight for my dreams by self-supporting my studies no matter what. The plan was to finish high school first so that I could go to college and graduate, find a decent job, and be able to help my parents and siblings somehow. Fortunately, with the encouragement and guidance of my parents and my high school teachers, I graduated from high school.

College was very challenging because I had to be prepared financially, never mind my emotional state. I’ve learned that if money is ready, it is easy to be prepared emotionally and physically (let’s be practical). When I was in third-year high school, during summer vacation, I worked at a restaurant in Ayala Cebu as a dishwasher with the help of my science teacher, Mr. Villahermosa. My manager assigned me to the kitchen so that no one would see me working since I was underage then, and the mall management did not allow it. The following summer vacation, I was promoted from dishwasher to waiter since I was already 18 years old. I worked there to save money in preparation for my college dream; however, it was still not enough.

I prayed a lot and reached out to some people, hoping they could somehow help. I shared with them my story and how much I wanted to finish my studies. I tried applying for scholarships, but those were for sciences and math. I am not good with those subjects, so I failed to secure any scholarship grant. I admit that my dream became kind of blurry at that time. But I may be an average person in terms of academics, but I know how to persevere and find ways to survive.

Fast forward, I remember it vividly, and it’s still fresh in my mind, even though it happened in 2010. I went to Talamban (the northernmost part of Cebu City) with my high school English teacher Ms. Fe P. Valderama, bringing the recommendation letter of Fr. Jake Reyes of ACM Cebu, seeking financial assistance from the Augustinian priests and the Franciscan sisters to support for my college dream. One of the priests asked me if I wanted to become a priest someday because that was the only scholarship they offered. I politely declined the offer. After all, I am afraid to sin against God because I didn’t receive a calling, and I didn’t want to lie just because I wanted to study in college (what a journey it had been).

During that time, I had already passed the entrance exam at Cebu Normal University (thank you, Dr. Derasin, for introducing CNU to me). Back then, I thought CNU was exclusive to education aspirants only. I never wanted to become a teacher at that time because I witnessed how loaded my high school teachers were. I knew because I was a former student assistant in Gothong NHS, which was also a good experience for me. As a result, I enrolled in the Bachelor of Arts in Communication program during college.

Going back to the story, I met Msgr. Pono (may he rest in peace) at San Isidro Labrador Parish, Talamban, Cebu City. Without any hesitations, he and his staff accommodated me. He then gave me money for my medical examinations and to buy essential things for college. I didn’t have to worry about my tuition anymore because my Sugbo scholarship and the CNU Chorale cultural scholarship were enough to cover my college education (thank you, Ma’am Darlene Yap). What was lacking then for me to finish college was my daily allowance. But God worked silently and listened to prayers. He sent His angels in the form of my former high school teachers in Gothong NHS (I am forever grateful to you, Ms. Valderama, Mrs. Labrada, Mr. Indaya, Mrs. Avergonzado, Mrs. Carreon, Mrs. Perigo, Mr. Villahermosa, Mrs. Adolfo, Sis. Betchay, Ate Ivy, and many more). They helped me with my weekly allowance, especially Ma’am Fe P. Valderama, who was and still is very generous in sharing her blessings and guided me to survive and finish my college years.

During summer vacations and in my spare time, I would do side hustling here, there, and everywhere, again, just to survive. I tried being a documenter, marketing coordinator, and even singing at the wedding and funeral services, among other ganaps. I graduated from college at 23 (quite late), but that has not bothered me because my dream is bigger than my age. My mindset then was one step at a time and to continue improving our situation each year. And the rest is not a chismis but a history…

How ironic because, after all, I became a teacher and had been teaching for four years in DepEd. This is what I call the power-and-influence-of-the-people-around-me phenomenon. My utmost gratitude to STEP UP PBEd for the teaching certification scholarship program. Thank you for the full tuition fees, monthly stipends, book allowance, free mentoring program, LET package allowance, and many more. I am so blessed to be chosen as one of the recipients of your comprehensive scholarship program. I would say that the STEP UP PBEd scholarship program opened many wonderful opportunities in my life.

I am proud that I can now help my family with most of our daily expenses and pay the bills. I am grateful and honored to do it for them. I am thankful for my parents Melanie and Materno Aniban, and my siblings (Jaymund, Johndy, Jayson, Josef Jude, Karen, & Kaye), who remained strong despite the many adversities, trials, and tribulations we experienced. I hold on to them, and I hold on to Him as well.

I have just graduated from my master’s program, and I feel highly elated about my success despite the many challenges I faced. Just this once, I am proud to say that I am the first member of my family to finish a bachelor’s and master’s degree. I am hopeful that I am not the only one…

My utmost gratitude to my UP Cebu professors, Prof. Baltazar, Prof. Ken, Dr. Pinzon, Prof. Magz, Prof. Macasil, and Dr. Lapa, especially to my research advisers, Dr. Trapero and Dr. Vilbar, for their astuteness, dedication, and constant guidance which inspired me to strive for excellence, dream big, and persevere. I will be eternally grateful for everything you have done for me.

To Mrs. Mangilaya and Mr. Villaver, my former and present school principals, respectively, and all my co-educators at Inayawan National High School, thank you for your support and kind consideration. To my best college buddies, the Fretz—Grace, Rezeil, Dianne, Benjoe, Ray, and Lester: To my closest friends—Chamie, Cienny, Alyssa, MJ, Rowena, Makuy, Patrick, Jeremiah, Jason, Charlie, Leomar, Jennifer, and †Jeneva. Your genuine friendships, heartfelt prayers, cheers, and encouragement gave me the faith to finish what I started. To my best friend, Dr. Kim Rodriguez, my number one critic, supporter, proofreader, and mentor, J'ai la chance d'avoir un meilleur ami comme toi. Merci d'être si généreux de votre temps et de votre soutien. Most of all, to the Almighty God, the Savior of Jesus Christ, whose infinite love, unfathomable kindness, and unrivaled greatness. You alone are deserving of all glory and honor.

To encapsulate everything, I know this sounds cliché. Still, I have learned that it’s good to start identifying your dreams and what you really want in life, then navigate how to achieve them, work on them, pray, persevere, hold on to them and most especially, hold on to yourself. It’s okay to redesign your dreams in life as long as you repeat the second step and proceed with the remaining steps. Most of all, I have learned to appreciate small wins and celebrate them with the people who became my support system.

I hope this story of mine somehow gives inspiration to my students, you, and others who are reading this. Dreams do come true as long as you believe in them, work on them, and persevere for them.

I am a breadwinner, a son, a brother, a friend, and a teacher, but more than anything else, I am a dreamer who doesn’t stay sleeping. I am a dreamer who wakes up, shows up, and makes those dreams a reality…