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My
Life and My Family --
.....What
we have overjoyed we can never lose,
all that we love deeply
becomes a part of
us … Helen
Keller
I
was born on August
4, 1954
in Manila, Philippines.
I was the youngest in
the brood of
15, 8 of
us died due to poverty
and 7 of us struggled.
I’m
the only one who finished college.
My family lived in
a poor community. My
father was a tailor
and my mother
was a housekeeper. My father tried hard to support all of us but he became
ill.
He was bed ridden because of a bone disease.
My mother
then became the soul
breadwinner
of the family. She tried
her best
to support all of us and finance the studies of my sister and brother who were
then in the 1st year
and 3rd year high school
in a private school.
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My
brother Celerino and
my sister
Flordeliza saw the hardship
of my mother and how she
struggled so hard to support
us and the same time to
accommodate my father’s
medical needs. My brother
and my sister decided
to stop schooling to help
my mother. My sister helped
my mother washing and
ironing clothes. They
washed clothes for the
Nurses in the nearby hospitals,
while my brother worked
in the textile factory.
My other brother, Feliciano,
and I continued school,
we were then in the 6th
and 4th grades. |
A
priest, Monsieur Alvarez,
made
schooling possible,
who helped my father gets a foster mother, Mrs. Janie G.
Jordan. Mama Jordan supported me by providing the school
supplies that I needed through the Foster Parent Plan, Inc.
However, my mother still continued to provide me with the
day-to-day allowances I needed in school.
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At the age
of 12, realizing that
my mother could no longer
support me just like my
other brothers and sister,
I decided to work to be
able to continue my studies.
With the help of our neighbor,
I worked at a fruit stand
during weekends and went
to school during weekdays.
I survived my elementary
days and my father was
very happy because I was
going to graduate. On
graduation day, my father
wanted to attend, but
because of his illness
my mother decided not
to bring my father with
us. |
A
week after my graduation,
my father died and I
was very affected. I did not know what to do with my
life. I realized
that
I learned everything about life from
him. I grew up
knowing that
I only have 2 brothers and
a sister but during
the funeral of my father, my mother
introduced me to two
other brothers and another sister.
All along they were living separately with us because they
already have their own families. |
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When
I went to high school
my foster mother continued
her support and this
time, the Foster Parent
Plan, Inc. gave money
for me to buy my own
school supplies. I was
lucky because sometimes
I could save some of
that money for my allowance.
When I finished high
school, I knew that
the support of my foster
parent will be over
and I was so afraid
that I might not go
to college. I was so
eager to know her address
so my brother Feliciano
and I investigated and
were able to find out
her address in the U.S.
I wrote a letter and
I begged her to help
me finish my college,
I was so happy when
she responded and she
told me that she would
be willing to continue
her support. I could
say that she’s
one of the reasons why
I am where I am now.
Until now we still communicate
and her three children
(Randolph, William and
Myra Jane) treat me
like there own sister.
I’ll be forever
indebted to them. |
I wanted to be a nurse but due to our financial status, I pursued my second dream, which was to become a teacher. I took course in Education, major in Library Science and minor in Math. During my 3rd year in College, I decided to apply as a part-time library assistant at National University. The salary I got from this job was the additional support I needed in school, and at the same time to support my family, especially my mother. In 1976, I was able to graduate and passed the National Teacher’s Board Licensure Examination and a Librarian Civil Service Examination. I worked as a Librarian in different schools in the Philippines. |
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My family
is still struggling
that time and I wanted to
remove them from the community
where I grew up, I already
have some nieces and nephews
by then,
so I decided to find them a better place to live in with the help of my employer,
Mrs. Modesta R. Plana and be able to have a condominium which is run by the National
Housing Authority. |
In
1984, my eldest sister
Leonarda
asked me to come to the
United States, and since
my ultimate goal
is to better improve
my
knowledge and to widen
my experience; I accepted
my sister’s
offer. In 1985, my cousin Eleanor invited me to come over in California. I started
my career in San Diego, CA and I stayed there for almost 13 years. My mother
died in 1986 and continuously, I shared every blessings that I receive with my
family and I decided to send my nieces and nephews to school because I know that
allowing them to learn formally in school will also give them a chance to improve
their lives. |
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have some nieces who
graduated
now in College,
one
of them is a teacher, Shirley and one is a nurse, Marie Fe.
My nephews, Romano, a Marine Engineer and
Cristino Jr. an Electrical
Engineer. Daniel is now on his 3rd Year College, majoring in
Business Management and Rosemarie is on her 1st Year College, majoring in Hotel,
Restaurant and Management.
These are the nieces
and
nephews that I am supporting
to get
through with there education and to fulfill their dreams. |
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Shirley |
Marie
Fe |
Romano |
Cristino
Jr. |
Daniel |
Rosemarie |
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