NOBLE PROFESSION STEERED HER BACK TO THE PORTALS OF HER ALMA MATER

By: Norberto Betita

The most noble profession of her parents must have been the motivating factor in her eventual search for a career. Both her parents are teachers---her father being appointed a school principal before his death. But her choice of a teaching major must have been influenced and inspired by two of our best teachers in science---Mrs. Glorina Tremedal and Mrs. Lina Durero. In her choice of becoming an educator, she had in mind the future of children, families, communities and nation and she wanted to be an instrument for growth and advancement. She wanted to build a bridge for children to cross the chasm that divides poverty and success. She wanted to see every boy and girl to win their championship trophies in life’s race. She believes in what Solomon Ortiz had to say: “Education is the key to success in life, and teachers make a lasting impact in the lives of their students.” 

She is SNNHS ‘69er Fideciria Sala Cuizon, a small curly haired little lady we knew in high school. Although she was only one of ten siblings, yet she was not at all struggling during high school for she is well supported by her teacher parents. Teaching profession was the best paid career of those days. Their residence is walking distance to school. Assignments were not as much harder because she had very good tutors---her teacher parents. But she did her best in her studies to maintain her seat in the leading section. She was most interested in science than all other subjects. Our science teachers were among the best, and that perhaps motivated her to be a science teacher.

After high school graduation she enrolled at the Northeastern Mindanao Colleges (NEMCO) in a course leading to a Bachelor’s degree in Secondary Education. True to her ambition she took science as her major field of study---a dreaded discipline, and English as minor. Her college life had gone smoothly, until her father suddenly died and her mother was left to support the ten children alone. Some have to sacrifice schooling, but Fideciria pursued her dream fearlessly with courage and faith undaunted. She was very much grateful for the generosity of the college owner and President, Mr. Jose O. Paloma, for allowing her to take examinations with only a promissory note and a little cash installment payment of her tuition and fees. These were done every semester until she finally finished college in 1974. While she was allowed to graduate without paying her college obligations, yet she was not allowed to get her diploma and transcript of records, which are necessary for her to support in applying for a job and to take the Licensure examinations for teachers, until all her school liabilities are fully paid.

She has no choice but to take odd jobs to save and be able to pay her college obligations. After a short employment in Surigao City, she went to Manila to find her fate and fortune. She was eventually hired in a garment manufacturing company. Life had been quiet difficult that she could not even allocate marginal amount for savings from out of her meagre salary. She then resigned and worked as a domestic helper for a childless couple---an American husband and a Filipina wife. She worked with them for several years. At least food and shelter and other minor needs are free and she was able to save part of her salary. With enough savings to pay for her college obligations and have her college credentials released, she went back to Surigao City. In 1980 she prepared and took the Teacher’s Licensure Examination and passed. 

With a Professional Teacher’s License on hand she applied for a teaching job in a public high school. Her first teaching job was in Melgar Barangay High School, an island community where students are generally poor. Her tutoring of these poor and suffering children reminded her of her own despondent and despairing experiences in life. Her teaching job required her to cross the sea from Surigao City to the island barangay of Melgar every now and then. Many times she would cross the stormed tossed sea in the dim of cloudbursts and dreadful thunderstorms. Yet she feared not to cross the ‘chasm, vast and deep and wide’ and fearlessly took the pains and accepted the tremendous, ever profound and over powering challenge of providing knowledge and learning for her poor youthful students in order to bridge the gap between their present and their future. She was willing to sacrifice for those students whom she was called to serve. She realized that the immensity and extent of her responsibility in moulding the Filipino youth is unfathomable and its influence extends perhaps in aeons of time and even in eternity. She knew then how enormously important her role as a teacher in nation building, although oftentimes ignored and disregarded by those who do not understand. After three years at Melgar Barangay High School, she was eventually steered back to the portals of her high school Alma Mater---the Surigao del Norte National High School as a secondary school science teacher.

Her choice of a teaching profession is most respectable and noble. It reminds me of a story of long ago about a teacher, a Doctor of Philosophy, who at a young age was in a dilemma of a career choice. So, he thought of the minister and his community, and how the minister lifted people up with his sermons and how they loved that minister. He thought it would be wonderful to be a minister. Then he thought of being a doctor, and how doctors with their operations, relieve pains and sufferings and extends the lives of people. And, he thought it would be wonderful to be a doctor. Then he thought of being an architect and how wonderful it would be to draft plans and see your buildings go to the heights and be able to drive by and know that they are the result of your own brain and your own thinking. And, he thought how wonderful it would be to be an architect. And then he thought of being a writer and how writers swayed the thinking of men, nations and people. And, he thought, it would be wonderful to be a writer. Then he thought of the golden ears of corn that his father raise, and thought it would be wonderful to be a farmer. And then he said, “Being a prayerful man, I got down on my knees and something seemed to say to me, ‘Why not be them all?’ – be a teacher, and your students will preach your sermons for you, they will perform your operations for you, they will build your buildings for you, they will write your books for you, they will raise your corn for you.” So he decided to be a teacher.

Fideciria knew that indeed, there are great Filipino engineers, architects, doctors, inventors, writers, politicians, generals, productive farmers, bishops and pastors, priests and nuns, economists, and even additional great teachers, who are now globally distributed, and are serving in high offices in politics and governments, because there are teachers, who have the patience, perseverance and unremitting love and passion to train them to read and write and perform simple arithmetic in their early childhood and onwards in their preparations for college education. And she is evermore grateful for the opportunity to have been of assistance to so many youth in their quest for success even more than her own humble attainment.

In one of the promotional culmination program of the Surigao del Norte National High School, the guest speaker, one of the best elementary science teachers of the Surigao City Pilot School---Karen Myl Alinsunod-Hammond, surprised Fideciria with a very sincere expression of gratitude. In Karen Myl’s own words, she wrote to me on Facebook: “She's known of giving low grades in Science but I believed though that it was based on the student's performance. After receiving a 77% rating during our first grading period on my favorite science subject in first year high school, I was very disappointed and even thought "kakuripot sab ini na maestra" (How stingy this teacher is). I was challenged and I accepted and repented that I had been rather lax in meeting the demands of my studies. I changed because of her honest appraisal of my performance. I grappled and dared the challenge and was able to show and prove to her that I am deserving of a better grade. From such experience I was able to perceive my intellectual capabilities and potentials and with more diligent and conscientious efforts, I discovered and demonstrated that I can excel in class, especially in Science. This is why I'm very much grateful for her honest evaluation of my earlier negligence. She taught me not only the complicated science subject, but also aroused my faculties to believe in myself and do my very best as a student. That was the principal motivating factor in my choice of a science major in teaching.” Karen Myl is now in the United States with her husband.

She had been in the teaching profession for more than 30 years now. Out of her love of teaching, she almost forgot the love that only a man of her dreams could so sincerely provide. In the end she found the man in the person of Nonito B. Platil. Finally, at age 38, she and Nonito knelt before the altar of matrimony and vowed to love and cherish each other for better or for worse. Although they married late in life they were still blessed with four children. Her last born was given birth when she was 49 years old, when all other women are menopaused. Her fertility even in middle age was probably a genetic phenomenon, her mother having borne ten children. This made her decide no longer to aspire for educational advancement, and instead just attend to her sacred calling as a mother while performing his best in her most noble career as secondary school teacher III.

She enjoyed most being piloted back into the threshold and precincts of her Alma Mater, no longer as a student, but the bridged builder of youth of which she was once a part. It made the memories of her high school life at SNNHS always crisp and pristine. She knew as Dr. Jose Rizal has said that “The youth is the hope of the fatherland.” Yet she is full of gratitude that her students put the role of teachers in an even higher pedestal because they are they who lift and guide them---the youth, to the hopeful path of their foreordained fate. Her thought goes with Henry Adam’s words, “A teacher affects eternity; [she] can never tell where [her] influence stops.” Hence, she felt so happy and contented as an ordinary teacher and be an influence and instrument for good to every aspiring youth---the rising generation, in their mission and vision to participate in the constant renewal of leadership in every chapter of our national life.

While the storms of life might have rolled the rock of adversity into the lot where she planted the wonderful seed of expectations, yet still it yielded for her a goodly harvest of success, small as it may seem, but made glorious and grand by the beautiful sprinkles of achievements that her children had attained and which her hundreds of students had triumphantly accomplished.

As she looks back to the time when she was sort of being brought into the deep and dark hollow of life’s challenges, she exclaimed in exultation that at last the gleaming light at the end of the tunnel is slowly emerging and is shining brighter and brighter each day as her life’s race is drawing closer to her retirement at age 65. She now enjoys the company of her ever faithful husband and four children---one a nursing graduate, another a DOST scholar with a BS Math degree from Mindanao State University-Iligan Institute of Technology (MSU-IIT), the third a Civil engineering student and the last born still in the early stage of high school. However, she believes that motherhood requires no retirement and teaching at home will still be a part in the remaining lap of her journey.

SNNHS BATCH 69: REBUILDING MEMORIES 2015

by: Norberto Betita

I was blessed to have been temporarily relieved from the pains of afflictions and I thought it best to meet with high school friends in the reunion. I was trying to daily check on possible invitations from any groups of SNNHS Alumni for the date of the reunion on Facebook, but I found no schedule. Until my daughter who is also an alumnus (and so with all my five children) told me that it will be on Saturday, September 5, 2015. That was Friday afternoon after office hours. I requested my wife to prepare my casual clothes for me to wear during the parade. 

Early in the morning of Saturday, I again hesitated to join the parade, but my children insisted that I go. They wanted me to enjoy life with friends of long ago to add wonderful memories for my remaining days in mortality. I decided late so I was not able to meet with the group during the start of the parade. I waited in the road corner where the parade was expected to pass, and then unexpectedly I was informed by the traffic aide that the route was changed. I decided to walk to the Church and there rest before going home. While on the way I met the long procession of the SNNHS Alumni Reunion. Following the police vanguard was the group of Batch 68. I thought the next was our batch, but found those were much younger batches. Until I arrived at the church I never observed the Batch 69 group. Later I had seen Batch 67. I gained confidence that probably our batch was also late in the parade, until I was finally recognized by Florida while I was standing on a shade of palm trees at church enjoying the view of the parade. I was then invited to join with them. There were only a few---Merlyn, Bobby, Florida, Maria, Juling, and Fideciria. They informed me that Phillip will be joining later. We were accommodated in one vehicle provided by Merlyn, whom we knew had just recently been widowed. I joked that “we should be grateful we are still among the few survivors. More might have taken their final rest six feet below the ground.” Then we all laughed out loud.

After the parade Phillip led us to his favorite restaurant. There Estelita joined us. So there were only a total of nine from batch 69, rebuilding and upgrading memories and sharing updates of our lives. Some shared the sorrows and joys of retirement and while others are still waiting for forced retirement. We talked of afflictions attendant to old age and even about medical maintenance, and what’s all about marital intimacy, even sexual dependability at seniority. We talked about Phillip’s plan to run for mayor in 2016 for the Municipality of Placer, Surigao del Norte. It was nice to know that Phillip’s son and mine were in the same mining company and they knew each other.

While I was interviewing Fideciria for his story to be included in our Batch 69 Book of remembrance, she seemed to have a hard time answering my questions. I told her loud, “bagan bongoy na man kaw!” She replied that she could not hear because of many interruptions. We again laughed out loud. I just knew that she married at age 38 and gave birth to her last born at age 49. What an extraordinary fertility, when most women that age were already menopaused. I hope to be able to write her story and that of Florida soon. Earlier I have completed my writing about Jaime’s story for our book of remembrance.

At night we met at the Tom’s Avenue Videoke. We were joined by the ever beautiful Sandra who just came from Manila. We enjoyed singing the old songs and dancing the old craze. There were just a few bottle of beer and a bottle of lady’s wine and some finger foods. We found that the kind of steel-boned seniors---Merlyn, Florida, Maria, Juling and Fideciria, are still very capable of dancing. The dancing grace of Merlyn even in seniority surprised me. I was all the while thinking that she is not that dancerous. Of course we have with us the best entertainers---Phillip, the singing Board Member with his favorite “Totoy Bibo” backed by the dancing five; and Maria, the Imelda Papen of Batch 69 singing the popular tagalog songs and dancing like Madonna, figure-hugging the center post of the room. There was our best singer of Batch 69, Bobby with his rendition of “Hello” by Lionel Richie and “One in a Million” and “Bridge Over Troubled Water” by Simon & Garfunkel. His voice has always been a delight and never dulled even by ageing. Juling rendered best her version of “Skyline Pigeon” gasping for air to cope with the beat while battling against the pressure of cholesterol level. I did never assume that Florida would choose the high pitched songs of Celine Dion, but she reached the limits. I have never seen these talents exposed during high school days, except for that of Bobby---he has always been a singer since high school. Perhaps all these talents were developed later in their lives. 

I so loved and enjoyed witnessing the SNNHS Batch 69 seniors as they are acting like the youthful group of long ago. I also felt like I am part of a much younger audience. With Sandra, who had recently undergone an operation, and Estelita, who had always been a silent and most kind audience, I should have chosen to be with them on the pew, but they wanted me to perform. Perhaps they thought that after my singing, all their bad renditions will be overlooked and forgotten. It had been long since I have sung a song in a videoke. All I have been singing daily are lullabies for my grandchildren. However, I wanted to prove them wrong, so I rendered for them “Oh, My Darling” by the Beatles; Kenny Roger’s “Coward of the Country”; and for our batch muse, I sang Barry Manilow’s “Sandra.” Except perhaps for Sandra herself, all were surprised to know that there is such a song of the same title. I should have rendered more if not for time and resource constraints. Sandra looks much younger than all of us, but she was the first to offer her senior citizen’s ID to request for a discount.

We thought we are just only having so much fun in so short a time, but we realized we are rebuilding memories and rekindling friendships. When I think of reunions, reflections and memories; sharing wonderful happy moments with friends and classmates, and write the events in pen or in the hidden tablet in the chambers of the heart, those memorable celebrations become treasures kept for a lifetime.

THE COMIC OF THE JEACAL’S

by: Norberto Betita

During our high school days fraternities are not so much a popular trend among students. However, they usually formed groups among friends closest to each other. I remember, I have been with the Searchers---a group of diligent, studious, popular and good boys of our class [I should not have been one of them.] However, I did not seem to remember a group of three composed of a comic, a brilliant and a reserved young men, who called their group the JEACAL’S---acronym for Jaime, Epifanio, Alberto and their family names Cruz, Almeda and Labordo. SNNHS 69’er JAIME DELA CRUZ was the comic of the JEACAL’s.

He was kind of a spoiled brat being the only child of the Chief Electrician of the Surigao Electric System, the then only source of power in the Municipality of Surigao. There was not so much skilled electrician in Surigao during those times. Hence, his father had gotten the good job of being in-charge of the large generator that provided light to the entire town during the night only. They also lived just at the back of the Power House end to end with the Surigao High School property boundary. A leap to the interlink fence was already school area. He admitted that he was at first hesitant to enrol thinking that it would be very difficult for him as he did not have any friends. But with his parent’s insistence, he finally enrolled. He realized then that high school was no bad at all, especially as he met new friends. He was among the group of the smallest boys in our class, together with Epifanio and Alberto. They became close and so the three organized themselves into a group they labelled with an acronym JEACAL’s. He admitted that he loved to be with his partners in the group because they are intelligent and studious, while he is kind of a young boy who had so many stories to tell and would not keep his mouth shut, and did not have much time to study or just one boy who did not want to study at all. He said, “I liked Epifanio because he was very respectful to my parents, but most importantly because he was very generous during examinations. I do not study, so I have to cheat and Epifanio and Alberto would share their answers to me.” He was so good at copying that he could get the answer at a glance. He was a copy master. That helped him to maintain a seat in the special class. Jokingly, he would say that it was a special talent he was gifted during those times.

He sadly confessed and acknowledged that he should have done better during high school if only he studied harder. Perhaps he must have thought of being like Thomas Edison, whom we studied in our science class and who was considered a dullard at school, but eventually invented the incandescent light bulb and so lighted the whole world. He probably reserved his intelligence quotient (IQ) and his intellectual energies for future utilization.

He was a good looking and attractive young man. He was also well-dressed, his parents being able to afford good shirts for him. But he is not attractive to girls. His comics and gags at times irritated young women. However, his humorous attribute is one that keeps him young at heart. Until now, he even makes a comic about his life.

After high school graduation, he studied Liberal Arts at the North Eastern Mindanao Colleges (NEMCO). It was a course that was popular for those planning to be a lawyer. However, it was never in his dream to study law, but he just wanted to improve his English language ability for employment purposes and for any other further plans after college. But before he finished college, his heart was fascinated and charmed by a beauty which waved and flagged down from the golden hills of Tugonan, Mabini, Surigao City. Hands were eventually clasped on the altar of matrimony, when Jaime and Luvimida Tumogbong took their marital vows in 1973. The simple beauty that hails from the mountain community popular for its gold panning livelihood filled his heart with love overflowing as to be worthy of an expensive wedding feast. He had just concluded his third year in college. He should have asked his parents to continue supporting him for another year, but he realized he needed to face his responsibility. He might have heard the echo of the words of Paul, “But if any provide not for his own, and especially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel” (1 Timothy 5:8). He dropped college and tried to find a job at the Marinduque Mining & Industrial Corporation-Surigao Nickel Project (MMIC-SNP) where I also worked as Security Guard. He was assigned at the Instrumentation Department. He eventually resigned and and joined the pioneering staff of the Surigao del Norte Electric Cooperative (SURNECO) in 1978. He resigned in 1986 as a supervisor to apply for work abroad.

His work experiences at the MMIC-SNP which was known to be the biggest nickel refinery in the world during that period and at SURNECO, gave weight to his resume as he applied for work abroad. He was eventually employed by the Arabian American Company (ARAMCO), operating in Saudi Arabia. While in such employment he was trained in Bio-Med Technology by the medical equipment suppliers of ARAMCO, which included Siemens and other American Medical Companies. His English proficiency earned during his three years of liberal arts education qualified him for the training. He worked in Saudi Arabia for a period of 15 years, after which he resigned and stayed full-time in the Philippines with his family. He applied for work at the Provincial Health Office using his Bio-Med Technology experience as his complementary qualification. He was employed and has since worked for 13 years in the government meeting the civil service requirement of 15 years continued service at age sixty five, God willing, to qualify for a lifetime pension comes 2017.

He is now the head of Engineering Maintenance of the Surigao Provincial Hospital---in-charge of all medical equipment not only for the Provincial Hospital, but all other hospitals in the province of Surigao del Norte funded by the local government. His two children are now grown. His son Michael earned a computer engineering degree and is now securely employed in the government. His daughter Jeddalyn graduated with a degree in Hotel and Restaurant Management. He now has three grandchildren---two in college and one in high school. His granddaughter graduated salutatorian from SNNHS, which he proudly enunciates as, “having inherited his grandfather’s brilliance.” As he reflects on those wasted intellectual development opportunities in high school, he thought he should have achieved more. 

Should he be given the chance to have an audience with youth in high school, he would advise them that they should be very serious in their studies and not be like him. As according to Plato, “The direction in which education starts a man will determine his future life.”

As he now ponders on the individual journey of the members of their high school group, he contemplated that should he not been a cheat during high school and instead studied harder, the comic of the JEACAL’s might have also been a lawyer like the brilliant Epifanio Almeda, who retired as Vice President of UCPB and is now a practicing lawyer and Philanthropist. He was sorry for the silent and unspoken Alberto Labordo who entered the military and was reported to be a casualty. He felt very happy to have visited the office of Epifanio at Bacoor, Cavite and the superior and exclusive treatment accorded him as to postpone all other official appointments. His friend always remembers him as the comic of the JEACAL’s. Yes, I too remember him as a man who always has a gag to share to instigate laughter, a talent not many is gifted.