On Role-Playing and Playing Roles
Posted on March 30, 2022
Photo by: Sir Russel Owen Viloria
Who would not recognize that Spanish-speaking, short-haired girl clad in pink shirt and orange shorts, her feet covered in yellow socks and white shoes, her right wrist adorned with yellow beaded bracelet, and her shoulder lugging a purple backpack? Yes, that’s DORA the Explorer.
The Pisay-CVC community saw Dora the Explorer come to life during one of the many cosplays held in one of the Book Week celebrations during the pre-pandemic days. And who would not forget that impressive portrayal of Dora the Explorer, no less than by the very versatile faculty cosplayer, Ma’am Melahnie C. Agraam.
Ma’am Mel has been cosplaying in school for years now. Through the years, she has portrayed a wide range of characters. Remember that Marvel fictional superhero whose incalculable strength increases as his anger escalates? Or that blue emotion character in Disney Pixar’s Inside Out who, as her name suggests, exudes gloomy and low-spirited aura? Or that inflatable computerized robot in the animated film Big Hero 6 who looks like a fluffy snowman and possesses amazing intelligence and strength? Or that cute, pill-shaped, yellow creature who communicates using a queer language with meanings exclusive within their circle? Or one of those three huggable bears who perform anthropomorphic activities and adventures? Or that badge-collecting chubby boy who appeared in the Disney film showing a house buoyed by balloons? And oh, who was not surprised in campus when a humungous cup of a South Korean-made instant ramen was walking along the corridors? These character portrayals left spectators in awe, and made students, and employees as well, anticipate with much excitement of what character will Ma’am Mel stage next.
During this pandemic, even when faculty activities and programs were held virtually, Ma’am Mel kept on surprising the Pisay community with her cosplay transformation. During the virtual celebration of the school’s founding anniversary, Ma’am Mel, even while on work-from-home mode, wowed everyone as she appeared on the LED screen, dressed up like that robot doll in the Red Light, Green Light episode of the phenomenal South Korean drama series Squid Game. Not the pandemic nor the restricted and limited physical gatherings can stop Ma’am Mel from personifying characters we usually see in books, TV or movies.
The occasional cosplaying is just a fraction of Ma’am Mel’s outstanding performance as an employee of PSHS-CVC. An English teacher in Pisay for close to two decades now, Ma’am Mel has been consistently topping the teaching performance charts on students’ and supervisor’s evaluation. Academically prepared and honed from the University of the Philippines – Diliman, motivated by the burning passion to teach, and driven by the genuine sentiment to touch lives, Ma’am Mel is a master of her craft. A passionate teacher of language and literature, Ma’am Mel has undoubtedly won the hearts of students, batches back from the old-campus years to the Masoc-housed ones.
But cosplay off-season is the time when Ma’am Mel does not need any costume to portray the character, sans fiction, by being her true self. Outside official time is the moment when Ma’am Mel does the job for the people she loves most – her family.
Born and raised in Manila, Ma’am Mel never thought that she would be living her married life in the province. When her husband laid down the offer for her to give living-the-province-life a try, she immediately agreed on one condition: that she will find employment in Nueva Vizcaya, preferably teaching. Clueless about where she is heading to and uncertain how she will face this new life, she did not hesitate to take on the offer, all for the love of her own family.
Ma’am Mel submitted her application to two schools in Bayombong: Saint Mary’s University and Philippine Science High School – Cagayan Valley Campus. Pisay called her first, and for the first time, she had the chance to experience vying for a position in a government institution, different from her experiences from her previous employment in private schools in the city.
It seemed like the odds were all on her favor because when she submitted her application, it was Pisay’s bigtime hiring season, and a lot of permanent teaching positions were up for grabs. After days of braving the process of application – written exam, interview, class demonstration – her performance and qualifications assured her of the work she has been asking for. She has experienced the long wait for her turn to be called in each of the tests, the longer wait for the phone call confirming whether she made it or not, the longest alone moments she spent with only a single pack of sky flakes crackers that filled her empty stomach during breaks, which she passionately called “the things you do for love.”
Leaving the city and migrating to Nueva Vizcaya was a gamble, because it means leaving the life she lived since birth, but in retrospect, she knew she gained and won. It was quite an ordeal for her to live in a community where almost everybody knows everyone, while she felt she was a total stranger, when it took some time before she adapted to the new environment, but it was in this same locality where she can trust even the mere acquaintances. She can ask anyone to look after her kids, she did not worry if she was late in attending to her kids in school, she knew her kids are safe in the company of anyone in the community because she knew she can trust the people there.
It was also a struggle for her to communicate because she did not understand, much more so speak, the local language, Ilocano, so she went the extra mile to learn the dialect, by listening to the radio dramas in the vernacular, like Kapitan Enteng, which her father-in-law regularly listened to during siesta hours. Because of the proximity of their house to the barangay hall, one significant factor that contributed to her language acquisition is eavesdropping, more unintentionally though, to the settlement of conflicts in the barangay hall. The conversations of the people in the hall, the testimonies of the summoned individuals, and the reactions of the then-not-yet-called-Marites, were sources of meanings and contexts of how she began to understand the intricacies of the Ilocano language. Now, Ma’am Mel is fluent and familiar of the language that sounded so strange to her on the very day she set foot here in the province.
For years since she decided to permanently settle in the place far from the busy-ness of the metro, Ma’am Mel found the serenity and happiness she dreamt of for her spouse and children. The turning point came, however, when her parents’ health began to wane, and she was not there for them right away. It crushed her heart to not be able to look after them the very instant she learned about their condition. The guilt of moving out of their home and living away from her parents haunted her, and she was willing to do anything, ANYTHING she can for her parents, before it will be too late…
In 2016, Ma’am Mel’s father began to manifest memory loss. He can no longer recognize her daughter who adored him so dearly. For a loving daughter like Ma’am Mel, to be a stranger in her father’s eyes is such a pain to bear. She could not fathom how sudden his dad’s memory declined; worse, why of all his dad’s reminiscence, hers was erased from his memory slate. But a caring daughter that she has always been, she did not have second thoughts of deciding to go back to Manila, even at the expense of her established teaching career and even with the uncertainties of this drastic change.
With nothing in mind but to make up lost time with and for her parents, Ma’am Mel was ready to tender her resignation from PSHS-CVC immediately. For her, it’s time to be a daughter once again to them. She thought the occasional visits to her parents in Manila every vacation was enough, but now, more than ever, she knew her parents needed her the most. She was willing to sacrifice what she has already invested, and she is prepared to make drastic decisions once again, this time for her mom and dad. She is aware that moving back to the city that cradled her since birth may have repercussions to her disadvantage, like the uncertainty of finding new employment and the difficulty of resetting up, but it’s the risk she is very willing to take.
Then a sound alternative was considered – moving her parents here in the province instead of her family moving to Manila. This was a win-win solution: she did not need to give up her job, she can still be with her family, though it took a lot of courage for her to seek permission from her in-laws about this decision. Gladly they agreed, and in no time, her parents were living with her.
After a very long time, Ma’am Mel was reunited with her parents, and this time she is on duty taking care of them full time. Conscious of the years, months, weeks, and days that are slowly ticking away, she explained to her spouse and children that this time, she needs to take on her daughter role first and might be less of a wife and a mother. Despite her father’s condition, she patiently took care of him, spent sleepless nights to look after him, depriving herself of the luxury of sleep which affected her daytime role as teacher.
She reflected; at what point did she falter? Which role did she fail to perform? When she thought she was doing her best as a spouse, mother, sister-in-law, daughter-in-law, neighbor, friend, colleague, and many other roles, why does she still feel her efforts are in vain? As she has devoted her time building her own family, and committed herself to accomplishing work-related tasks, she had the feeling that she might be a little too late for doing her obligation as a daughter. But no matter how challenging this has been, she still found answers to her many why’s and how’s. Despite being forgotten by her dad as his daughter, Ma’am Mel said these are still ways to teach her what love really is – it never ceases, it has no conditions, it is beyond memory…
During the twilight of her parents well-spent lives, Ma’am Mel was able to give them her best. She poured her heart out to them, gave them all the love she wished she could have given when they were miles apart. It still pains her knowing that they have departed, and every single day, she misses them, but they left her a lesson to live by – that her parents’ examples are her ideals which guide her to be the best parent that she can be to her own daughter and son, Tara and Terence.
Sacrifice, for Ma’am Mel, is not only accorded to her closest of kin. When her father-in-law was hospitalized and the threat of the COVID-19 virus was still high, she volunteered to take care of him, no matter how risky it was to her health. For a month, she stayed with him in the hospital, attending to his needs, and just being there for him. Ma’am Mel shared so much of her time, care and love to her father-in-law, a gesture of kindness which he is forever grateful for.
Ma’am Mel became a mother when she was 23. Parenting at a relatively young age has a lot of challenges, but she was able to survive these by following the example set by her own mom. As a mother, Ma’am Mel sets things straight right away. Her children, at their early age, already understood that not all they ask for are granted as soon as they want it. They were taught that everything has a right time – to buy, to just look, to earn and work for it first.
As a mother of kids living the typical childhood-to-adolescence-to-adulthood stage, Ma’am Mel also has her share of concerns regarding her kids’ upbringing. As her kids grew up into young adults, Ma’am Mel made sure their communication lines are always open and that they do not keep any secrets from one another. She personally knows her kids’ circle of friends, and she feels confident that her children are safe in the company of their peers. And if there is one tip that parents need to know about allowing their children to go out with their friends, take this advice from Ma’am Mel: two names, two numbers. Allow your children to be with their friends, but before they leave, they should give the names and contact details of two of their friends they will be with.
During this pandemic, one of the struggles parents face is to get their kids working on their modules and submitting their requirements completely and promptly. In this case, Ma’am Mel is no exception. From the point of view of a teacher, students are expected to work independently, but from Ma’am Mel’s perspective as a mother, this pandemic is also a struggle that her own son and daughter have to deal with. This is the perfect opportunity for her to be the support that they need, especially for her, a parent, and a teacher as well.
Ma’am Mel has set an ideal that her children now emulate. Tara and Terence, Ma’am Mel’s wonderful children, have felt the boundless love that their mother has for them. They have seen how much sacrifice their mother is willing to give to others. They learned from their mom every lesson of having a good heart for family and friends. They are the true testament to the saying “kung ano ang puno, siyang bunga.”
From the purest heart of a loving mother, Ma’am Mel said, “I may worry constantly as most mothers do, but I genuinely believe that God’s greatest kindness to me was when He made me the mother of my Tara and Terence.” And being the mother of these two awesome children would most probably be Ma’am Mel’s parallel answer to Sushmita Sen’s Miss U question on the essence of being a woman.
Like Dora the Explorer who embarks on new adventures every episode, Ma’am Mel takes on every episode of her life as a new adventure to live and learn from. Like Dora the Explorer who has an I’ve-got-it-all-in backpack, Ma’am Mel’s bag of life is full of wisdom she has gained from people, circumstances, and experiences, that other people gain wisdom from, too, through the years.
Through cosplays, Ma’am Mel has unquestionably transformed into famous characters, and the list just keeps on increasing. But her being a daughter, a wife, and a mother are the most important roles that she continues to portray, needless of the costumes and the spiels, just a pure heart full of love.
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Posted on March3, 2022
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FINDING JOY
Posted on March 21, 2022
by Christine V. Ordinario
Photo by: Sir Russel Owen Viloria
Got toothache? Headache? Colds? Cough? Fever? Upset stomach? Muscle pains? Heartburn? Dysmenorrhea? WE FIND JOY.
Need medical record of students? Medical lab results of employees? Referrals to medical specialists? Contact number of clinics and health facilities? WE FIND JOY.
Worried about our high systolic-diastolic reading of our BP app? Got colds over the weekend and uncertain whether to report to school or not? Need suggestions on home remedy or first aid for various ailments? WE FIND JOY.
Weekend. We are at home, it is unofficial time, it’s everyone’s rest day, but we need prompt medical advice. WE FIND JOY.
JOY. Proper noun. A.K.A. Lyzette, Red Lyz, Nurse Joy. Joy Lyzette Reguyal Carreon.
We usually address her in school as Ma’am Joy. The “small but terrible” description is already a cliché, but it perfectly defines her – what she lacks in height is exceptionally compensated by her performance as an employee and by the passion that she pours in her work.
A registered nurse since 2003 and a school nurse in Pisay for almost 10 years now, Ma’am Joy didn’t dream of taking the path she has taken. After high school, she enrolled in Computer Engineering in a university in Manila, but eventually shifted to another course. Convinced by her sister-in-law, she pursued Nursing in a university here in Nueva Vizcaya, and that was the beginning of her journey in the nursing profession that she learned to love, and which she passionately described, “Hindi man nursing ang una ko, siya naman ang huli ko.”
After finishing her degree, she took the board exam, passed it, and set out to face life in the real world. Topping the list of her employment prospects was to become a military nurse, but because of height qualifications, she was five inches away from fulfilling that ambition. With the aim of joining the ranks of the uniformed personnel out of her options, she worked as a home care nurse in Manila and Cabanatuan City, then moved to Saint Mary’s University where she worked as clinical instructor for eight and a half years, while at the same time rendering services as volunteer nurse at the Veterans Regional Hospital and MMG.
She also considered working abroad, especially that nursing is a lucrative profession overseas. She tried applying for Saudi Arabia but luck was not on her side. Just as she was about to apply for Canada, she sought divine intervention, and the sign that the heavens poured down on her was her acceptance at PSHS-CVC as school nurse. That for her was an answered prayer because she didn’t need to leave the country, more so leave her family behind, because her son and her parents are her priority.
As a Pisay nurse for almost a decade now, Ma’am Joy’s daily routine during the pre-pandemic days was checking on students, visiting the sick ones in the dormitories, responding to walk-in patients in her clinic, students and employees alike, who were asking for medicines, professional advice, or medical assistance. There were also days that she is hyped up by emergency cases: rushing patients to the hospital, informing the parents about the matter, communicating with medical professionals, taking care of the patients until their conditions become better. In these crucial times, she remained calm, composed, focused, and sharp – the epitome of grace under pressure.
When the pandemic began, the students were sent to the safety of their homes. With only the employees left as her clients, Ma’am Joy would have projected work to be a lot easier, but the threat of the virus makes work a little more complicated. When some employees contracted the virus and tested COVID-positive, Ma’am Joy ensured that she was able to take care of them, though not physically, but virtually, by checking on each of the patients, constantly communicating with them, giving them advice, referring them to health facilities, instructing them what meds to take, ultimately making the anxious patients feel better.
The pandemic took a toll on her job when the number of COVID-positive employees peaked, the hospitals and quarantine facilities were full, and the danger of contracting the virus is still something that she should not ignore. Despite these challenges, she managed to get through it, thankful that the PSHS-CVC community is a very strong support system.
With a father who has a chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, Ma’am Joy knows that her nurse duties extend even at home. She is always worried about catching the virus, that she might spread it to the people in their household, especially to her parents who are in their senior years and have comorbidities. Even while she is at work, she is always on-call, particularly for her dad’s emergency cases.
When asked if she would still want to be a nurse if she had another chance to choose another career, with honesty and conviction, she said yes, she would still choose nursing as her profession because she considers it as a selfless act. Through her profession, she can help other people feel better, and that for her is the greatest reward for what she does. She has her own share of problems to deal with, but when she helps other people solve their problems by making them healthy and well, she forgets about her struggles and her heart leaps with delight. With her current job in Pisay, she is thankful that her efforts are appreciated.
Ma’am Joy’s earnest care was greatly felt during the pre-COVID days, but more immensely so in this time of pandemic. She was responsive as ever, and her genuine concern for everyone, especially for her fellow employees who tested positive of COVID, was felt no matter how this pandemic has drawn limitations for face-to-face interactions. To say that she is one of most hardworking employees during these times is an understatement, and the Outstanding Employee Award that she was awarded recently is a much-deserved reward for all her hard work.
We know Ma’am Joy as a person who possesses a very tough character, but when it comes to her family, she turns soft as a feather. She has done a lot of sacrifices for her family, to the point that she would set aside her personal pursuits because she always puts her son and her parents first before herself. There were times that she just watched opportunities slip through her fingers, moments that she would have treated herself a dose of happiness she’s been wanting for so long, days that she would have thought more about herself, but she let go of all these because she values her family more than herself. Deep inside her heart, she knows there is a space that’s waiting to be filled, and that remains empty until the day she earns enough courage and chooses to find that missing piece.
With the close-to-two-years duration of this pandemic, undeniably, we were always FINDING Ma’am JOY. Now that the course is clearer and the situation is more manageable, we wish this hardworking nurse to find time for self-care and self-love, too. And we look forward to the day when finally, JOY FINDS JOY.
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Mga Kalansing sa Karera ni Kahera Ma'am Hazel
Posted on March 21, 2022
by Maria Jessica O. Villantes
Photo by: Sir Russel Owen Viloria
Sino bang hindi magpapalakpakan ang mga tainga at tataginting ang mga mata kapag sinasambit ang pangalan niya o kaya’y maririnig pa lamang ang yabag ng kanyang mga paa upang iparating ang magandang balita?
Si 𝙂𝙣𝙜. 𝙃𝙖𝙯𝙚𝙡 𝘽. 𝙂𝙖𝙣𝙣𝙖𝙗𝙖𝙣, kahera ng Philippine Science High School-Cagayan Valley Campus (PSHS-CVC) ay 26 na taon nang naghahatid ng serbisyo sa paaralan. Tama, kahera, isang maganda at mabait na kahera mula sa La Torre South, Bayombong, Nueva Vizcaya. Kadalasan siyang nakikita pagpatak ng 7:30 ng umaga sa Administration Building mula Lunes hanggang Biyernes. Bahagi ng trabaho ni Ma'am Hazel na mangolekta at magbayad ng mga bayarin, magdeposito sa bangko ng mga koleksyon, iproseso ang sahod ng mga empleyado at manggagawa, maging ang allowance ng mga mag-aaral.
Ngunit, sino ano nga ba si Ma’am Hazel sa likod ng kompyuter, tseke, resibo at payroll?
Punong-puno ng pangarap ang buong pamilya ni Ma'am Hazel at sa murang edad ay maraming karanasan na magpahanggang ngayon ay 'di niya pa rin malilimutan sapagkat ang mga ito ang nagpatibay at humubog sa kanya. Bata pa lamang si Ma’am Hazel ay hindi na mabilang kung ilang beses niyang ipinakita ang kanyang tatag at lakas sa bawat paglaban niya sa kanyang buhay. Ipinanganak siya na "blue baby" kung kaya't lagi siyang nilalagnat o kinukumbulsyon na anumang oras ay maaari siyang bawian ng buhay kung hindi maagapan. Sa edad na sampu ay inoperahan siya sa puso noong Oktubre 8, 1985.
Hindi ipinanganak si Ma'am Hazel na may gintong kutsara sa bunganga. Natuto agad siyang mamaluktot sa maiksing kumot. Siya ay pangatlo sa apat na magkakapatid. Ang kanyang ama ay isang dyanitor sa isang paaralan samantalang nakipagsapalaran naman ang kanyang ina bilang domestic helper sa ibang bansa. Batid ng kanyang pamilya at kamag-anak ang kagustuhan nilang magkakapatid na makapag-aral kung kaya't sila ay nagtulungan upang makapagtapos. Nasubukan niyang magtinda ng ice candy at manguha ng kabibe sa bukid upang may pambaon noong siya ay nasa elementarya. Nang nagsekundarya naman ay tagaalaga siya sa kanyang pinsan tuwing bakasyon kapalit ng bagong uniporme, kuwaderno, panulat at papel para sa susunod na pasukan.
Pangarap ni Ma'am Hazel na maging nars ngunit dahil kapos ay mas pinili niyang kumuha ng kursong kahit papaano ay malapit sa kanyang pangarap, ang Batsilyer sa Agham sa Biolohiya. Pagkatapos ng ilang taong pagsusunog ng kilay ay nagtapos siya sa kursong ito taong 1993 sa Saint Mary College na ngayon ay Saint Mary's University. Nang makapagtapos ay nagtrabaho siya bilang klerk sa Nueva Vizcaya Science High School, dating pangalan ng PSHS-CVC, taong 1996 at kumuha ng accounting units upang tahakin ang karera ng isang kahera. Ilang overtime, puyat, at pagod din ang iginugol ni Ma’am Hazel hanggang natuntong niya ang posisyong Administrative Officer III bunga ng kanyang determinasyon at pagpupursigi.
Sinubok pa ang katatagan ni Ma'am Hazel nang sumapit ang pandemya dulot ng COVID-19. Dahil bahagi na ng kanyang trabaho ang paglabas sa paaralan ay hindi maiiwasang maitaya ang kanyang buhay sa panganib sa 'di mapigilang pagkalat ng virus. Laman siya ng bangko, Cebuana Padala, Palawan Express at iba pang kumpanya upang maproseso ang bayad, koleksyon at pasahod para sa mga empleyado at allowance ng mga mag-aaral. Sa hindi inaasahang pangyayari ay nahawaan siya ng COVID-19 na mas lalong nagpagimbal sa kanya dahil sa pag-aalala sa kanyang munting anak na apat na taong gulang pa lamang. Lubos ang kanyang takot at hirap na kanyang napagdaanan 'di lamang sa pag-aalala sa kaligtasan ng kanyang mag-ama maging sa mga taong umaasa sa kanyang serbisyo. Ngunit sa pagkakataong iyon ay mas naramdaman niyang hindi siya nag-iisa at kailangan niyang magpakatatag. Lubos ang kanyang pasasalamat sa mga kasamahang umantabay at umalalay sa kanya at tumulong upang hindi mahinto ang proseso ng kanyang trabaho at upang unti-unting malagpasan ang suliraning iyon.
Ilan lamang ito sa mga dagok at 'di malilimutang karanasan ni Ma'am Hazel na nagbigay sa kanya ng pagkakataon upang mamuhay sa kung anong mayroon siya, maging madiskatre, mapagpakumbaba at higit sa lahat ay palalimin pa ang pananalig sa Diyos. Gaano man kahirap at karami ang kanyang trabaho, mapalad pa rin siya at masaya dahil mahal niya ang kanyang ginagawa, hindi siya pinababayaan ng kanyang kasamahan at ng paaralan, at laging nagtitiwala sa Diyos. Lubos niya ring pinagpapasalamatan ang kanyang maunawain at mabuting asawa na si G. Marlon Gannaban at anak na napakalambing na si Hannah Gift, ganoon din sa mga ngiti at kuwentuhan na pinagsasaluhan nila ng kanyang mga kasamahan at ng mga mag-aaral na kahit papaano ay nagpapapawi ng kanyang pagod upang muling magpatuloy.
”Magpapatuloy ako para sa aking pamilya at sa lahat ng umaasa sa aking serbisyo," pagtatapos na pahayag ni Ma’am Hazel.
Sa bawat pagsambit sa kanyang pangalan, o pagbungad niya sa bulwagan, hindi na lamang ang mga kalansing ng barya ang maririnig sa kanya, kundi maging ang mga aral at inspirasyong buong pusong namutawi sa kanyang mga labi mula sa ilang taon niyang pagkarera bilang isang anak, mag-aaral, asawa, ina at kahera.
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