BECOMING A POLICE GENERAL

by. Norberto Betita

She’s tall compared to the ordinary Filipina women. To her that is an advantage. She’s kind of brave and physically athletic and strong. But there had been no manly inclinations in her countenance neither in her character and actions. She’s a woman in every way. 

SNNHS ‘69er Merlyn Centural was sort of ‘come what may’ or ‘no matter what’ kind of a student. She’s best satisfied to receive passing grades. To her that’s all there is in it. She just wanted to do what she thought is best for herself. She knew that the honors are already taken, reserved and occupied. However, she determined to endure the rigors of high school by consistency of purpose, while at the same time enjoying her teenage life. True to her desires she moved forward with undiminished willpower and so together with the 1969 batch of the Surigao del Norte National High School she marched gracefully to receive her graduation diploma.

In college she was given the favour by her elder brothers to study at San Nicolas College one of the best and the only sectarian college in the locality. Accordingly she tried her best to change, the way she wanted her siblings to see how she appreciated the special treatment given her. She understood along the way that “No one can make [her] feel inferior without [her] consent (Eleanor Roosevelt).” Her college life was never easy but as it was in her high school days she determined herself to endure her scholastic battles. Provisions and requirements were never easily laid, but hardly provided in continuity. In her difficult circumstances and under the pressures of meeting academic challenges, she felt like personally being told, Merlyn, “You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose. You're on your own. And you know what you know. And YOU are the one who'll decide where to go...” (Dr. Seuss, Oh. The Places You'll Go!). She consequently graduated with a degree in business.

Perhaps even in her own imaginations, never did she think that she would one day be carried into the military arena. That was one difficult choice for a woman. Not many Filipina women during those times were inclined to be a part of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP). However she found no other direction considering the difficulty in finding employment in the locality. She therefore tried and passed the police qualifying examinations. Her height and physical built added worth to her eventual employment in the Philippine National Police (PNP). Her business degree gave her the opportunity to be assigned in the office.

While it was never in her wildest dream to be a policewoman, she learned later to love the career. She realized that the door of opportunity which she wanted to enter was closed, while she discovered that the door for military service was wide open for her. Hence, she tried to take every door for promotion by accepting the grueling military trainings as requirements. She trained as if she was ready to be at the battlefront, only to find herself back to the office. While in the military she was touched by the heart of another policeman and their relationship was eventually tied by a marriage covenant giving her the family name of Escañan. Still she didn’t want to remain an enlisted man for the rest of her military career. She wanted to prove her worth. Her earlier attributes of consistency of purpose and undiminished willpower drove her to move forward in marching rank. The honors which in high school are reserved and occupied only by a few are now opened before her view and were never taken. The measure is only for her to learn, to train, and to act. She seemed to take the challenge as did Mahatma Gandhi: “Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.” With every desired promotion she qualified through competitive examinations and continued military trainings as if she was going to war and to die for her country and fellowmen. 

She endured every step of the way up the high climb into the six levels of officer’s position in the PNP for which she was honored to achieve. Although she prepared hard and made herself ready for actual battle, yet she was blessed to have been permanently assigned as Police Finance Officer, and therefore had the opportunity to make use of what she had studied in college. She retired with the full-fledged rank of Police Colonel. The privilege of one rank higher at retirement gave her the title of Brigadier General. A rank attained by only very few Filipina women.

Now she enjoys a peaceful life with her family, freed from the anxieties of being called at any time to battle. As she looks back to that 45 years of her journey from high school graduation and those seemingly easy going high school life, she declares as did Thomas Edison: “I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” Edison with faith and persistence eventually lighted the whole world. Merlyn after her battles with great challenges and struggles finally was given the honors of becoming a Police General. She is earnestly waiting to join with the SNNHS ‘69ers in its golden jubilee reunion on 2019.