By: Niño Sandil

Ate Famela… 1st Batch… Class of 1994….

Who is Ate Famela? Well, her FaceBook profile reads:

1. “One of the guys” – don’t like doing girlie stuff, especially dealing with the drama. I guess my only 2 indulgences would be pedicure and massages.
2. Very practical (or a tightwad, either one works!) – I hate paying full price. If it’s not on sale, I don’t buy it!
3. Love to laugh – it’s really easy to make me cry, but it takes no effort to make me laugh!
4. A very blessed and contented wife and mommy!

Currently works at the First Republic Bank in San Francisco, California as Oracle Application Engineer and Project Manager (aka Jill of all trades, mistress of none). Previously worked at the California Bank & Trust as IT Field Engineer (aka IT Slave). Also worked at Wells Fargo Bank as a bank officer, agent, teller, file clerk (sales in short).

Here’s my brief interview with Ate Famela during an early dinner at the Fuzio Universal Bistro in San Francisco City’s Embarcadero Center.

Ate Famela & Niño at the Fuzio Universal Bistro in Embarcadero Center, San Francisco, California. September 24, 2011.

Niño: Ate Fam, how long have you been staying/working here in the San Francisco Bay Area?

Famela: I’ve been in the San Francisco Bay Area since I migrated to the United States back in 1994. I work as an IT Engineer/Project Manager for First Republic Bank, a local bank here in San Francisco. I’ll be celebrating my 10-year anniversary with the company in June.

Niño: Since then, how does life treat you so far?

Famela: Life has been one bumpy, yet awesome ride so far. I’ve had my moments, filled with challenges and rewards; all of them molded me to the person I am today.

Niño: Which college/university here did you enroll in, and what course did you complete there?

Famela: I graduated with a BS in Business, concentration in Finance from San Francisco State University.

Niño: Was that the same college course you were eyeing when you were in high school or was there a significant shift in your choice?

Famela: There was definitely a significant change in my choice, a number of them. In high school, I wanted to finish Architecture. I was accepted in the two schools that I applied for – UP Diliman and Mapua. However, I decided to stay in the US permanently. I started my first year of college with Architecture as my major. After two semesters of dragging around huge cases of drafting/drawing tools and paper tablets taller than me, I realized it’s not what I really wanted. I decided to change my major to Biology and eventually go to med school. Unfortunately, I’ve had to support myself through school. For reasons that I will not share here and save for my letter to Tita Charo at Maalaala Mo Kaya, I moved out of my parents’ house when I was 19. Between working two jobs to make ends meet and going to school full time, my grades started to suffer. I didn’t think they were good enough to get to the school that I wanted. I decided to take the easy way out and take Business. I do regret some of these decisions now; however, life is what we make it. At the time when I made these decisions, they made perfect sense. I’m thinking now, Dr. Famela Oliva has a better ring to it than “corporate-IT-slave”.

Niño: Belonging to the 1^st Batch/Class of 1994, kindly share to us the high school life you and your batchmates experienced in the 1990s. For the benefit of the younger batches, what’s so memorable or so interesting during those years?

Famela: High school was very challenging. There were plenty of sleepless nights finishing papers, projects and other homework. If I knew then what I know now, I probably would have taken it easier on myself and stopped to smell the roses. Don’t get me wrong, I did have some fun. I just think I would have enjoyed high school better if I loosened up and didn’t put too much pressure on myself. There was always a fear of failure. What I didn’t know is failure teaches us very valuable lessons and only makes us stronger. Finding the right balance of fulfilling your responsibility and enjoying your youth is key.

Niño: Fear of failure… hmmmh… I haven’t given much thought about it until you said it. Methinks now that is deep, and that it also serves as a key reminder to current students who are probably undergoing a similar pressure under a Parscian educational environment. Anyway, there are only 18 students in your batch and it’s been two decades when you first entered the gate of ParSci in 1990. Where has your batch been all these years? Do you manage to touch base with each other often?

Famela: That is the beauty of social networking. I’ve been able to keep in touch with majority of my batchmates through Facebook. I am up to date with what’s going on with their lives, even though I don’t talk to them. Of course, it’s not as rewarding and enjoyable as hanging out with everyone. It was great when I went back home in 2005 and see everyone after over 10 years. There are a number of us who are out of the country, including myself. Majority of us have settled down and have been blessed with families.

Niño: How’s your family, by the way? How would you describe being married and having children?

Ate Famela with husband and son, i.e. Tracy and Preston.

Famela: I’ve been blessed with a wonderful family. My husband and I celebrated our 11-year anniversary last August. I have two boys: Preston – who is 5 and in Kindergarten, and Cooper – 13 months old. My husband and I are debating on having a third child, perhaps a girl. However, my younger son has been such a handful. He reminds me daily that two children are enough.

Niño: In such debate, I will probably side with your husband. Hahaha! Go add one more! Meanwhile, any high school batches must be filled with dreams. Looking back 16 to 20 years ago when you were a teenager dreaming of something or so many things, how would you rank yourself now on a scale of 1 to 10 in terms of reaching one or more of your teenage dreams? Please explain.

Famela: I definitely will give it a 10 in terms of my teenage dreams of having a wonderful family. Career wise, I’d say it’s about a 5 right now. My job right now provides for the family, which I am very thankful for. However, working in a cubicle, staring at my computer for about 8-10 hours per day is certainly not what I dreamed of when I was younger. However, God-willing, I’m only about halfway through my journey. My husband and I started our own tax preparation business last year. The last year or two has been a struggle, with the baby and starting the business at the same time. Add to that the economic struggle that US is experiencing at the moment. We are hoping that the coming year will be better for us. We hope the business will soon earn enough for me to just work part-time and stay at home to enjoy my children. Like what I’ve mentioned earlier, life is what you make it. Everything happens for a reason. I am thankful for all the blessings that make life worth living, and all the challenges that keep me fighting.

Niño: And I am thankful for the time you allotted to meet me. It’s been a very long while since we last met… perhaps it’s been more or less 18 years, right? Ate Fam, thank you for the pizza treat. It’s my second time here at Embarcadero – the first was I guess 9 years ago – and I so like this place for a walk. As last few words on parting, share your favorite quotations please….

Embarcadero Center in San Francisco, California

Famela: “I thought about it, and I still said yes.” – On my husband’s wedding proposal.

Niño: [Smiling]

Famela: “Yesterday is history, tomorrow’s a mystery, today is a gift. That’s why it’s called the present.”

- End -

By: Niño Sandil

Seven years ago, on the 10th of February 2005 to be specific, I took the Bart from Daly City station to Downtown Berkeley station. I spent that whole day roaming around the University of California (UC) – Berkeley campus. I attended a seminar on the effects of drinking Chinese green tea to cancer patients held at the Genetics & Plant Biology Hall. I got the chance to witness a very noisy university break where many students were out of the classrooms and engaged in various activities close to Sather Gate. I paused and sat for a long while in a bench near Dwinelle Hall. Later, as the students go back to their classrooms, I found myself listening to a thundering silence. Then I proceeded to the Boalt Hall School of Law to watch a policy debate about the use of certain interrogation techniques as counter-terrorism tactics.

It was essentially a campus tour filled with daydreaming moments. Once, I sat on another bench and I was looking at this college student lying on the bermuda grass while reading a book. If I were a painter, I would have painted that student. But on that day, I was only a daydreamer. I daydreamed I was that student enrolled in a very nice campus and a prestigious university in the United States.

Two and a half years after, in August 2007 to be specific, someone I did not know (and vice-versa) fulfilled one of my daydreams and actually enrolled in UC-Berkeley. When I was only able to roam around the school for one day, this someone literally made UC-Berkeley her home. Thanks to social networking, i.e. Friendster before and Facebook now, I saw this someone’s profile in 2007 when Parscian alumni from different batches started to meet and form an informal group. Since then, I never forgot about this someone and so when I found the opportunity, I invited her for our Alumni Spotlight. Without further ado, let me share my conversation with that someone named Angelica David….

Berkeley Graduation: Angelica with Family - May 2009

Niño: When did you first arrive in the United States?

Angelica: August 14, 2004.

Niño: And what college course did you take in the University of California (UC) – Berkeley?

Angelica: B.S. Business Administration.

Niño: If you have been living in Southern California (SoCal), what made you choose UC-Berkeley which is located in Northern California (NorCal)?

Angelica: I wanted to pursue Finance/Business and UC-Berkeley is the only UC that offers a business degree. My other options were: (1) to get a degree in Math with a minor in Accounting in UCLA, (2) to attend UCSD or UCI as a Math or Econ major and (3) to attend the business school in USC. Berkeley was a great choice for me – it has a business school and I got a full-ride scholarship. It was fortunate that it is also the top university in California and in a lot of rankings the top public university in the whole world. The undergraduate business school is also highly acknowledged, even more so than UC Berkeley as a whole in a lot of rankings. Of course, it was inconvenient that I had to move away from my family and friends. It was scary and difficult. I didn’t know anyone in NorCal. I didn’t have any money. I was still getting used to the American culture and I was so young. If I didn’t take the risk though and if I wasn’t persistent, then I wouldn’t be where I am now.

Niño: You made a good decision. You definitely have tasted both independence and self-reliance. In turn, it made you better prepared to stay for a while in another faraway location like UK… which brings me to my next question: what did you do there?

Angelica: Work. I was in a rotational program with Abbott Laboratories where I went through four different Finance/Accounting-related assignments in the last two years. One of the assignments was in Oxfordshire, UK. I supported our manufacturing plant in the UK and analyzed all the costs directly associated with manufacturing the strips used with glucose meters. I also did a lot of traveling in Europe. I was traveling every weekend. I was able to visit Berlin and the Rhine Valley, Czech Republic, Amsterdam, Madrid and Barcelona, Rome and Cinque Terre, Paris, the Swiss Alps, London, Stratford, Oxford, Bath, etc.

Niño: Wow! I’m envious. I’m a European Studies major, yet I’ve never been to Europe. Could you provide just some similarities and differences between California and the place where you stayed in UK?

London with Friends-February 2011

Angelica: California and UK are so big that there are a lot of sub-cultures within the said state and country. To be more specific, hence accurate, let me compare Oxfordshire, UK and Orange County, CA.

Residents from both places are environment-friendly and health-conscious. They use energy-efficient cars and electronics. They recycle. They avoid eating at fast-food restaurants. They like greens and salads.

As for the differences, California has bigger and newer roads and infrastructure. UK, on the other hand, loves to preserve its ‘Old World’ architecture. The colleges in the University of Oxford, for instance, are some of the oldest buildings I’ve ever seen. They are very pretty though and still functional.

The residents of both places are all very nice. Californians though are a lot more friendly. English people have what is called negative politeness; they avoid saying hi to you or talking to you because they think that that will mean bothering you.

California is also more diverse in terms of people and food options. California has a lot more Asian and other ethnic people and food.

They have a more efficient public transportation system in the UK. There are some places that they intentionally make difficult to drive to encourage people to take the bus/train.

British people are also very polite. They open doors for you, pull the chair out for you, assist you in putting your coat on, etc. The British also have a different sort of humor, dry and sarcastic.

Stores and businesses close early in the UK, at 5 PM. Those close at 9 PM in California.

Britain has more holidays and vacation days. California has less and a lot of Californians don’t even take all the vacation and sick days they are entitled to. British people tend to take more days off at work. They also come to work later and leave earlier.

Niño: Thanks for that quite elaborate comparison and contrast. Have you taken a college course in the Philippines or did you migrate immediately after attending Parañaque Science High School?

Angelica: I was in UP for a year studying Business Administration.

Niño: When did you graduate at ParSHS, btw?

Angelica: 2003.

Niño: What do you miss the most about our alma mater?

Angelica: My classmates who have become my really good friends.

Niño: In a batch or class, I understand there are sub-groups (e.g. the geeks, the religious, the easy-going, the topnotchers, and more). Which sub-group classification would you belong? Or how would you best describe yourself during high school?

In front of the Bean, Millenium Park, Chicago - Feb 2010

Angelica: Topnotchers? Haha. Idk. I was always at the top part of the rankings. I was also active in a lot of extra-curricular activities. I was part of dance presentations, plays, competitions– both academic (mostly Math and Sciences) and non-academic (Intrams- badminton, cheerdance, etc.). I don’t think I stood out a lot in any of the categories though… so Idk.

Niño: Oh yeah, I just remembered you’re the salutatorian. What you just said though is kinda ideal for the simple reason that it reflects a well-balanced life as a student. Now, do you feel you are still the same person that you used to be in high school or are you totally different now?

Angelica: Totally different. I’m a lot more mature now, I hope. I’m a lot more independent, a lot more competitive, a lot more direct and outspoken, a lot more authoritative, a lot more determined. At the same time, I’m a lot more kind, a lot more loving, a lot more generous, a lot more understanding, a lot more patient, a lot more open. I personally think I’ve grown up a lot and I’m a better person. I may be wrong though so you’re probably better off asking my friends and family.

Niño: That’s a lot more time, a lot more tiring, and a lot more task for me to take. Your response is sufficient. Hahaha! But my next question is actually about your family and friends. How are they doing?

Angelica: Awesome. Haha. They’re great. I’ve been very blessed to have great friends and family. I’ve been moving around a lot and I’ve met and said goodbye to a lot of friends and relatives. We still manage to keep in touch though. Also, for some of them, we are even better friends now than before when we were physically together.

Niño: Where do you work right now?

Angelica: Abbott Laboratories, currently supporting our medical optics division. I provide financial support to the division’s marketing and sales teams.

Niño: Do you like it here in the USA?

Angelica: Yes. I have endless opportunities and I fit in well here.

Niño: What’s your favorite past-time?

Trying out Archery - CA, Jan 2012

Angelica: It’s a tie between learning and experiencing new things and getting organized. I travel a lot. I take random classes like figure skating, baking, voice and mixed martial arts and most recently, archery. I join community groups– small groups at church, community service groups, social groups. I try to do all sorts of random activities to learn and experience new things. At the same time, I work a lot. To make sure I manage my time well, I spend quite a bit of time planning. When I was in college, on top of working and doing random activities, I was studying. I remember waking up in the middle of the night to write on my to-do list a task that I remembered in my sleep.

Niño: Give us a succinct employment history if you will, please.

Angelica: While I was in college, I worked as an accountant for the business school in Berkeley. I managed the grants that our school received for research projects. In the summer of my junior year, I also did an internship at Wells Fargo Bank in San Francisco as an internal auditor. I examined the processes the bank has in place and prepared recommendations based on my findings. Post college, I joined the Finance rotational program in Abbott Laboratories. I went through four assignments in my two years in the program. For my first assignment, I worked at our diagnostics division in Chicago. I provided financial and analytical support to our Customer Training, Shared Services and Technical Services groups. I prepared their budgets and analyzed their actual spending. For my second assignment, I worked in the corporate office, again in Chicago. I consolidated and reviewed long-range plans, long-range capital plans and annual plans of all of our Abbott divisions. I focused on tax and treasury-related issues. I moved back to California for my third assignment to support the Commercial organization of our medical optics division. I moved to the UK after that to support the manufacturing plant of our diabetes division. I recently moved back to California to take a position in the Medical Optics Finance group, supporting Marketing and Sales.

Niño: And what are you aiming to achieve these days?

Angelica: I am aiming to get settled in ASAP since I’m planning to stay here in California for at least two years this time. Since I moved back from the UK, I managed to get a new job, a new apartment, and a new car. I’m almost done settling in, thank goodness. I was so stressed out during the first few months :’( Now I’m trying to learn as much as I can about my new role in as little time as possible so I can start contributing to my group more. Also, I’m trying to improve my relationships with my family and my friends. I want to become a better daughter, a better sister, and a better friend. I’ve been away for a while and everyone here is still trying to get used to me being around all the time now. Some things have changed since I left and I have to admit I should have tried harder to keep in touch with all of my important people. I’m back now though and I have more opportunities to make things better. Finally, I’m trying to become a better Christian. My friends from small group are great inspirations. I’m trying to be more consistent in attending our weekly meetings to understand God’s word better, to worship Him better, and to be more like Jesus.

Niño: That’s good. Given such adjustment, how would you describe your normal routine these days? What are some of the things you would do to break that routine?

Angelica: I have work weekdays. Weeknights, I generally try to work out and hang out with friends. I have yoga for about an hour Tuesdays and Thursdays. I run the other days of the week to work on my cardio. Wednesdays, I attend small group meetings for church. Thursday nights, Friday nights, and Saturday nights, I get dinner with friends and sometimes go out to clubs. Saturday morning, I have boxing and Kali/Arnis. In the afternoon, I tend to try something new, like a new restaurant, a new activity, etc. I guess this is what breaks my routine since it’s never the same activity. For instance, two weekends ago, I went snowboarding; last weekend, I went on a hot air balloon ride; and this weekend, I’m going to learn how to drive a manual car. Sundays, I go to my parents’ house to spend time with my family. We go to church to hear mass in the morning then go see my grandma in the afternoon.

Niño: Oh my goodness, where do you get all that energy to engage in such activities? Just by listening to you, I felt like I easily got tired and wouldn’t be able to cope with your active lifestyle. Hehe. Anyhow, what kind of music do you like? Who are your favorites?

Angelica: I listen to about anything. Hip hop is my favorite right now since I love to dance.

Niño: Any specific adventures you haven’t done yet, but you really want to try someday?

Angelica: There are too many. I made a list for 2012 recently so let me just share some adventures from that list with you. This year, I am planning to get scuba diving-certified. I’m planning to go to Australia to go diving at the Great Barrier Reef. I also plan on hiking up Yosemite’s Half Dome. Yosemite is a park here in California. Another plan I have this year is to bike across the Golden Gate bridge in San Francisco. I am also planning to work on my snowboarding skills this winter season and planning to learn how to surf in the summer.

Niño: That sounds so adventuresome! Go for it! Now, which would you prefer: snorkeling & kayaking OR hiking a mountain trail?

Angelica: Difficult question. I pick snorkeling since that is the only one I haven’t done yet. I have to wait until summer. I’ve been going hiking and kayaking a lot recently.

Niño: You’ve travelled a lot already. Where else do you want to go? Why?

Angelica: Australia is at the top of my list. I plan to go this year. Besides that, I want to go back to Europe. I really miss it. Besides, I didn’t get the chance last year to go to Greece, Istanbul, and Budapest. I want to experience the rich cultures of East European countries. I also want to go to Egypt and see the pyramids. I also want to go on an African safari. Brazil is another country I want to go to. I will probably go when they host the Olympic games.

Niño: At this point in your life, what would you consider as the best thing that ever happened to you?

Angelica: Is it okay if I name a few things?

Niño: Sure.

Angelica: They are all equally important to me. Moving to the US is one and going to Berkeley is another. Both opened up endless opportunities for me. They were probably the most challenging things I had to do, but also the most rewarding. I learned so much and I’ve become a wiser and stronger person. These experiences made my faith in God stronger too. I don’t know how else I would have survived my first five years in the US if not for all of God’s help. He provided me with everything I needed.

Living in England for six months is also another best. I had so much fun in Europe and it was there that I decided that I want to live life to the fullest. Before, I was all uptight. All I cared about was school and work. I didn’t have many hobbies or interests. I thought they were all a waste of my time. Trying out new things was too risky and scary. After all the fun in England, I decided that I don’t want to miss out on life anymore. Now, I’m more adventurous and I make sure that I have fun. I can still work as hard as I want to, but that simply means that I have to play just as hard.

Sharing To-Do List with Nino - Nov 2011

Niño: Fair enough. It’s harvesting the fruits of your own labor. So don’t deprive yourself of fun. It’s more fun when you’re single and when you have a job. “Fun” should blend well with “Job”. All work without play is considered imbalanced and unhealthy. But all play without work is sheer lunacy and the best path to self-destruction.

So, Angelica, thank you for sharing your story and your list of adventures. I became aware of your interesting to-do list last year. I feel that your to-do list for 2012 is more interesting, more adventurous, more expensive, and more fun. I’m with you in hoping that you fully accomplish each activity in such list. I’m sure many of our fellow Parscian alumni have their own respective to-do lists or, for those who don’t, I believe they’ll soon come up with one after reading yours. As for me, each time I visit the United States, it has become part of my own to-do list to tour a particular university and daydream therein. And I’m glad I toured UC-Berkeley; otherwise, I probably won’t be able to hear – and then share to our Parscian community – one of the most adventure-filled to-do lists, that is: Angelica David’s To-Do List.

Here’s an excerpt:

A New York City subway train holds 1,200 people. This blog was viewed about 6,400 times in 2011. If it were a NYC subway train, it would take about 5 trips to carry that many people.

Click here to see the complete report.

By: Niño Sandil

Not all Parañaque Science High School students pursue a degree in math, science, or engineering. Ideally, the school was established in 1990 to produce graduates who will be entering such fields of study. In this unusual edition of our Alumni Spotlight, I am going to focus our attention to those who deviated from what should be considered as the expected norm of science high school students. Specifically, we will deal with the college course called International Studies (IS). For present purposes, we will also interchangeably use college courses known as International Relations (IR), European Languages (EL), and European Studies (ES); but we will also attempt to provide some distinctions among these degree titles.

I have invited two Parscian alumnae in this regard: Maria Victoria “Tori” Maglanque and Regine “Reka” Amorin. Both belong to the 17th Batch or Class of 2010. Tori is presently taking a Bachelor of Arts degree in European Languages (EL) at the University of the Philippines (Diliman campus) and her chosen foreign language is French. Reka is currently taking a Bachelor of Arts degree in International Relations major in Diplomacy at the Lyceum of the Philippines University and her chosen foreign language is Nihonggo or Japanese.

Since they are still in college, it would be a bit premature to make them resource speakers at this point in their lives. So I decided to do a self-serving appointment of myself to play the role of a resource speaker for two main reasons: (1) I’m probably the oldest Parscian alumnus who first enrolled and completed a degree in International Studies major in European Studies, and (2) I’m presently working in a diplomatic environment called US Embassy. [Note, however, that my statements here should all be treated as personal or mine alone, and does not represent in any way any existing positions held by my current employer.] And as the title of the feature suggests, this is an attempt to provide some career and course orientation. As a consequence, it meant shifting of roles. Instead of asking the questions, I will be the one answering the questions that Tori and Reka formulated themselves. Therefore, I will be the interviewee this time around, while Tori and Reka will be the interviewers.

So let us begin….

Tori: My first question is… qu’est-ce que vous faites dans la vie exactement?

Niño: Ahhh… can I just be the interviewer again please? Eh bien, je travaille à l’ambassade américaine à Manille. J’offre le travail dans notre organisation d’élèves et j’ai commencé ces articles dans notre Alumni Spotlight section. Quoi d’autre? Je suis célibataire…. Tu vois, Parscian Weblog nous invite à réfléchir à ce que signifie et les valeurs qui nous caractérisent comme Parsciens. C’est tout. 

Reka: Domo arigato gozaimasu. Sore dewa tsuzukimasho…. 

Niño: Gomapseumnida.

Reka: From talking with other people regarding our courses, we learned that they have a vague knowledge about it. So, could you provide us a few words of enlightenment so that fellow Parscians and others can get a good glimpse of what this course is all about?

Niño: It’s all about diplomacy. That’s the key term. Our respective college degrees are essentially geared towards producing graduates who will enter into a diplomatic career. But just like in other courses, not everybody can be accommodated or can succeed. So there are fallbacks. In general though, if everything goes well from college days to job-hunting period, our college course is all about diplomacy.

Tori: Which subject in high school can be most helpful in studying IR/IS?

Niño: I would say English and Social Studies/History.

Tori: What is the difference between IR/IS and ES/EL?

Niño: DLSU-Manila offers an undergraduate degree program called International Studies with four major concentrations: European Studies – that’s what I took, American Studies, Japanese Studies, and Chinese Studies. UP-Diliman offers European Languages – that’s what you, Tori, are taking. Lyceum of the Philippines University offers International Relations major in Diplomacy – that’s what you, Reka, are taking. If you go to the University of Santo Tomas, the closest you’ll find is Asian Studies. So part of the difference lies in the university and the specific programs each is offering. It’s like buying cold drinks. When I go to Starbucks, I often order light Mocha Frappucino. Then when I go inside Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf or inside Gloria Jeans, I embarrassingly ask “What’s the counterpart of Mocha Frappucino?” and I’ll buy that one. What I’m trying to say is: there may be different labels, but they are still common in many ways. It’s about diplomacy, cultural understanding, economic freedom, global affairs, and foreign languages.

Now, here’s a bit of technicalities about IR/IS. For some scholars, IR and IS are simply interchangeable. For others, IR is a branch of Political Science that focuses on the relationships among state and non-state actors or the whole range of actors in the international arena such as government, non-government, inter-governmental, international, multinational, regional, and transnational organizations; while IS is a totally separate, interdisciplinary field of study wherein “interdisciplinary” means you get a piece of many cakes… like a piece of history, a piece of economics, a piece of politics, a piece of culture, and a piece of language. As for ES/EL, European Studies is a specialization where you basically focus on the European Union and its member states – that includes the pieces of many cakes I mentioned. But I could not really speak for UP’s European Languages program. Initial reading of the degree title creates the impression that the students are taking European languages and upon completing the curriculum, they end up multilingual. I’m not sure. You tell me.

Tori: Well, in UP, we do have a minor/elective foreign language but the students are also free to choose another discipline as a minor. Our department offers two plans for students of EL. Plan 1 entails one major in European language of your choice – French/Italian/German/Spanish – and a minor which is another EL – French/Italian/German/Spanish/Russian/Portuguese. Plan 2 entails one major in EL which is the same as in Plan 1, and then a minor in another discipline. I am still thinking about my minor but it would definitely be another discipline.

Reka: Okay, what job opportunities can one get from studying IR/IS?

Niño: If you’re taking dentistry, you’re expected to be a dentist. If you’re taking accountancy, you’re expected to be an accountant. If you’re taking engineering, you’re expected to be an engineer. If you’re taking law, you’re expected to be a lawyer. If you’re taking medicine, you must be sick… I mean, you’re expected to be a doctor. So if you’re taking IR/IS or diplomacy, you’re expected to be a diplomat. But if you fail the required exam, you’ll find yourself in a different career just like the rest. In such case, the job opportunities – or non-opportunities – are pretty much the same as those who took other courses but failed the required exam.

For Parscian “rebels” like us who took an IR/IS/EL degree in college, the main job opportunity we should be seeking is to become diplomats or the so-called Foreign Service Officers (FSOs) working with the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) who will eventually earn titles like Vice-Consul, Consul, Vice-Consul General, Consul General, Deputy Chief of Mission, and finally Chief of Mission or Ambassador. The first step to enter such diplomatic career is to take and pass the FSO Exam administered by the DFA. There used to be three levels in taking and passing this exam. Recently, I think they made it five. Once you passed all and you really decided to work with DFA, you then automatically become a Foreign Service Officer and you just have to climb the professional ladder.

I myself took the FSO Exam immediately after graduation, but I failed the second of the three-level exam at that time. Like other exams, one can re-take it. But in my case, I did not bother to. Therefore, I’m categorically not a diplomat; but others unfamiliar to the field of Foreign Service would sometimes think I am because I work in an embassy and I travel. That’s one thing I’d like to point out. I’m not working for our own government. I’m working for a foreign government. My job is not categorized as a Foreign Service Officer. Instead, in an embassy parlance, I’m considered as a Foreign Service National (FSN). The generic term used by various embassies (e.g. British Embassy, Korean Embassy, Singapore Embassy, etc.) in the Philippines to describe Filipinos working with their respective governments is Locally Employed Staff (LES). This description also holds true in many other countries.

So, an embassy job is one of our fallbacks. In my own experience, however, after gaining a job at the US Embassy, the mindset shifted in that if I lose my embassy job, I’ll re-take the FSO Exam as my fallback. But now I’m 33, consider any plans to re-take it as impossible because I think the maximum age to take it is 35. I’m already a bit old to join and start a career at DFA. My only last option if I want to work with DFA would perhaps be to help someone get elected as future Philippine President and, in return, he/she appoints me as Philippine Ambassador to the United States, for example – and that’s what you call “dreaming”.

Tori

Tori: If we study IR/IS, will we only be able to work in the government/embassies or can we also work in the corporate world?

Niño: Definitely you can work in the corporate world. After all, many corporations also need positions that do not require licensed professionals and they do not look on the college degree alone when it comes to hiring employees. There are some ironies involved too. Just look at me, I’m a European Studies major yet I’m not working in a European embassy.

Reka: What made you decide to take up IS?

Niño: If I remember accurately, I was a sophomore high school student in Parañaque Science High when my older sister got married to a Filipino who was working – and still working – at the Indian Consulate in San Francisco, California. Say they got married in April or June, by September of the same year, my sister had already received her diplomatic visa as a dependent and was able to fly to the United States that fast. Since then, the term “diplomatic visa” or any words associated to “diplomacy” stuck into my head. Quite trivial, but as early as second year high school, I was pretty decided already that I’m going to take a relevant college course that would eventually led me to acquire a “diplomatic visa”. That was the driving force way back then. But to this date, I actually never had one. What I gained is a B1/B2 (business/tourist) US visa instead.

Moreover, I’m reminded that the short story project I wrote during my senior year as required by Sir Dids Morales is entitled “The Diplomat Quits”. It’s a love story with a bit of “parental guidance” content in one chapter. It’s a story about a first love that didn’t die. The boyfriend and girlfriend separated ways in their younger years. After, the man worked so hard for years and became an accomplished diplomat. The man – who is myself in my imagination – thought his first love got married already; but when they finally met again, he found out she’s still single and was still very much in love with him – feeling gwapo in short. In the end, the diplomat quit his job so that he can stay by her side forever.

Somehow, something tells me it’s one of those stupid things I ever wrote in my teenage years. Because “literally”, you do not have to quit being a diplomat in exchange of marrying someone you love. But speaking “literarily”, I guess it’s the idea of willingness to give up something important to you in exchange of staying by the side of the woman you love – which becomes more important. In that sense, I guess it’s more romantic than stupid. Anyway, how about you, Reka? What made you decide to take up IR major in Diplomacy?

Reka

Reka: Me? I was inspired by a fellow Parscian, Ate Monica. She also took up the same course in the same university. She was the one who introduced the course to me when I was still in third year high school – if I remember correctly. Also, it’s because I’m interested in becoming a diplomat in the future.

Niño: That’s good. And you, Tori?

Tori: Same thing with Reka… Ate Monica introduced us to Diplomacy. I gained a clear idea on what Diplomacy is all about. At the same time, my family has been spending the holidays outside the country since I was in first year high school. Because of that, I grew an interest in other countries’ culture and language. Then in junior high, I was asked to do a report on the United Nations. While preparing, I got to know about Carlos P. Romulo. Since then, I wanted to be like him and represent our country. I like learning new languages too and I think it can help me in landing in my dream job.

Niño: Good. Good. All three of us share the same interest – or four if we include Monica. It’s also good that you have been oriented about Diplomacy while still in high school. Now that you’re in college, I wish to add more. In a diplomatic office, regardless of the country, I believe there are commonalities that exist in terms of organizational structure. Labels may differ, but the essential functions are the same.

The diplomatic structure I learned has five sections: Consular, Economic, Management, Political, and Public Affairs. If you become a diplomat, you will most likely end up being assigned in one of these sections or at least be part of a rotation in the office in your first few years until you make the final decision which section you would like to stay permanently.

(1) In the Consular section, your day-to-day duties will be to handle passport application, visa application, plus other consular services like notarials, repatriation, and perhaps even absentee voting, and the like. As a consul or vice-consul, you have the authority to approve such applications and do relevant paperworks.

(2) In the Economic section, you may find yourself involved in a wide range of economic issues that may focus in the following: level of economic freedom of the host country, investment opportunities, trade policy, financial services, science and technology, industrial development, and more. Then you may end up preparing briefing papers or reports for the ready perusal of top diplomats.

(3) In the Management section, the work is more administrative or you provide support services to the FSOs and other employees working in the other sections. You will deal with employment opportunities, professional development, training needs, salary issues, etcetera.

(4) In the Political section, you will obviously encounter political issues or political events that occur in the host country. It may be about military security or cooperation, democracy, human rights, labor programs, and other similar functions. You will most likely be tasked to write briefing papers or reports too.

(5) In the Public Affairs section, the bulk of the workload will be about public information dissemination as well as cultural and educational programs.

So let us all be clear: Diplomacy is not all about travel. Being able to travel using taxpayers’ money is clearly one of the perks, but there’s a “reason” for traveling… and that “reason” may not be as pleasant as traveling itself. It may involve going down the nitty-gritty of reviewing a very long text you didn’t imagine you’ll be reading, and it may be a very routinely sedentary job. In extreme cases, this may be gossip, it may mean enduring the company of FSOs who really don’t care about the interests of Filipinos abroad. I’m saying this because when I was in college, I used to have a number of perceptions which I later found to be totally different from reality. So this is just a heads up. What’s the next question?

Tori: My next question is actually related to travel. Do people who graduated from IR/IS always travel?

Niño: I don’t know. Some people always travel regardless of their college degree. Would you believe I haven’t been to Baguio and Boracay yet?

Tori: C’est vrai?

Reka: Honto?

Niño: Oui, c’est vrai. Hai, honto desu. I know it’s a shame. But that’s personal travel. Going back to Tori’s question, you probably meant official travel, right? Let me share something about that. In DFA, I heard in the past that FSOs wait around two to three years before they are assigned abroad. In embassies and for LES, travel is not a guarantee. It depends on the nature of the job and the budget of the office section. In international organizations such as WHO, UNDP, ILO, and ADB, travel is perhaps more likely but may also depend on the position title. If you find an opening and apply at the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), where majority of the employees are accountants though, then Geneva, Switzerland is a sure thing for you. But here’s the catch: danger zones like Afghanistan or Pakistan or even in some African countries are also a sure thing. But you don’t have to worry because I’m sure you’ll be under some protective security and the hazard pay must be a huge amount too.

Tori: What countries have you been to? Vous-avez un pays préféré?

Niño: For official travel, only one: USA. For personal travel, I’ve been to only four: Singapore, Canada, South Korea, and the USA. Bien sûr, j’adore l’États Unis! Mais, j’aime Corée du Sud aussi.

Tori: Do you get a chance to talk with famous people?

Niño: Not really. I’ve never talked with any international or local celebrities. I’d love to. But if you consider US Ambassadors as famous, then yes… I do get a chance to talk with them but only to greet them “Good morning/afternoon” because they are the big boss and it’s natural to meet them in the office. But you don’t normally chat with them unless during a brown bag lunch or meeting or they visit your office section. Famous is a relative term. For example, I had the privilege to meet the former Commissioner of the Social Security Administration of the United States in September 2006. Her name is Jo Anne Barnhart and she was a direct appointee of then U.S. President George W. Bush. So I’d say she’s the most big time individual I’ve met so far. I happened to be the very first non-US citizen to have been given an award by the SSA Commissioner in the US. You probably don’t know her, but she’s famous within our federal agency simply because she used to be the big boss. Hence, famous is relative.

(L-R) Nino Sandil w/ former US Amb. Francis Ricciardone, US Amb. Kristie Kenney, and SSA Commissioner Jo Anne Barnhart

Reka:Can you also describe the experience of traveling?

Niño: Sure. During a Tokyo to Detroit flight segment, I was seated on the upper deck or business class of Northwest Airlines (now Delta Airlines). If you did a profiling, I was probably the youngest who was age 28 at that time, the only one who wore jeans and t-shirt, and the only one who has brown skin in that deck. The rest are the typical white American businessmen/women who must be in their 40s and older. The flight attendant either thought I am a US citizen or totally forgot to give me an I-94. It’s a form that must be completed by non-US citizens to be submitted to the immigration officer at the port of entry. We landed in Detroit and I was already outside the airplane. So I was nervous… but also hopeful that there must be I-94s at the immigration area. Fortunately, there were lots of them. But as I tried to pick one, I found myself stunned after realizing the forms were not in English. There was no Tagalog either. I ended up picking two: one French and one Italian – because at that time, I was enrolled in Basic Italian at Dante Alighieri in Makati. Ultimately, I chose the French I-94 because I felt more comfortable with my basic French than basic Italian. Thankfully, I was able to fill it out. Approaching the immigration officer and before he even opens his mouth and suspects me of anything, I immediately explained why I’m submitting a French I-94. Then he replied: “That’s okay. Just step back. Go over there and fill out the bottom part of this form. Come back when you’re done.” “Ah okay,” I replied back. I intentionally didn’t fill it out the first time because I thought I didn’t have to. Just partially true because that bottom part was actually stapled to my passport and I will have to submit that when I leave the USA. Meaning, I can fill it out anytime before I leave the US. It turned out the immigration officer must ensure it is completed by the same person he interviewed. In the end, I was allowed entry without any further hassles. A moment like that would really make you appreciate the value of learning a foreign language – even just at the survival level. So that’s one unforgettable travel experience for me.

Reka: Would you suggest taking up the IR/IS course in our country or in abroad?

Niño: If your parents can afford, then you may want to take the course abroad – to experience independence and to take advantage of better facilities and campuses of some foreign universities. If your parents cannot afford, then go apply for exchange student programs. In your case, Reka, since you’re studying Nihonggo, I’m sure a number of Japanese universities regularly offer scholarships both in terms of college level exchange student programs or graduate level (i.e. MA/PhD) fellowship/grants. Go apply!

In the past, South Korea is one country I never had an interest when I was in college. But after my trip to Seoul last June 2011 and if I could only easily give up my embassy job, I would apply for a masteral/doctoral degree there. Their government also offer scholarship grants and I invite others to try Seoul-searching. The city is pretty safe and very much developed.

Most recently in the USA, where the Republican Party presidential candidates are debating each other, I specifically heard from the former US House Speaker Newt Gingrich that if he’s elected president, he’ll introduce an H1-B visa (i.e. a work visa) that goes with every graduate degree in math, science, and engineering. Well, that’s not for us IR/IS/EL majors, but I mentioned it to still encourage more Parscians to stick to the original goal of enrolling in math, science, and engineering degrees. Not necessarily to encourage them to leave the country, but to really promote the said courses especially now that there’s an oversupply of nurses/nursing students. It’s timely to let them know that they can also have a better future in math, science, and engineering courses. If that proposal becomes a reality, say, starting January 2013, I’m confident many will finally listen to really enroll in masteral and doctoral degree programs.

Tori: For students who want to take up Law, does studying IR/IS/EL/ES give them advantage?

Niño: Yes – if you are going to really focus on International Law later on. Otherwise, I guess ours can be considered a pre-law just like Political Science or something. I believe entering into a law degree entails a whole new set of curriculum anyway.

Tori: I’m trying to choose a minor for my college degree. If I decide to take further studies either in IR or Law, which of the following would you suggest: Philosophy, Social Sciences, English, Speech Communication, or Communication Research?

Niño: If Law, my unprofessional perception is: the classic philosophers are a must. Lawyers should be familiar with the works of Cicero among others. If IR, English (i.e. grammar instead of literature) can be a very helpful tool in reading and writing a lot. If Law major in Int’l Law, the focus may start from the Treaty of Westphalia and onwards and so you may not need the classics. Therefore, I’ll narrow down the list into either Philosophy to provide you the basic principles in creating and interpreting laws or English to provide you a basic tool in reading and writing a lot easier regardless of the topic. Those are my two centavos.

In American law, if I may add, it’s a must to read the Federalist Papers. Ain’t sure if they require it in our law schools, but I recommend you to read them especially to give a better understanding of Constitutional law. As a self-imposed conservative, I suggest you also visit the Federalist Society (FedSoc) website. But if you’re a liberal, then you’ll probably listen to the American Bar Association and believe in a living constitution. I’m not a law student, but I eventually found myself more convinced that “originalism” is the best method of textual interpretation… that the role of the judiciary is to interpret the law by telling what it is and not what it ought to be. Unfortunately, starting from the Warren Court which is notorious for legalizing abortion in the USA in its Roe vs. Wade decision, American law schools have been largely dominated by liberal ideologies with all their moral penumbra effect arguments. To what extent this liberal ideology reached or influenced our Philippine law schools, I don’t know. In the event it’s largely liberal, then I’m trying to give you an unsolicited antidote already: Read more legal papers and/or discussion through the Federalist Society website. If you have time, watch and listen to the speeches of Justice Antonin Scalia in YouTube (i.e. the unedited ones and not those intended to malign him). Read the legal briefs of Judge Robert Bork as well as essays on the constitution by Ed Meese. Visit the Heritage Foundation website. That’s it.

Reka: What hurdles did you face while taking up this course?

Niño: I guess the hurdles would often point to one issue: time management. Different professors asking you to read varying materials, write an essay, and you just don’t know how you could possibly do them all at the same time. Just recently, I saw your post in FaceBook where you said you’re supposed to do a writing assignment, but you kept procrastinating. Strikingly, you ended up completing your write-up in just five minutes. Well, it’s all about time management issue. You’re encountering it now. I still do.

Consequently, if you are to choose between reading a book chapter and daydreaming about your crush, which will you choose? Nature tells us: your crush! A business guru would probably advise you to manage your time. I’d probably say let time catch up with you. Hahaha! While I was taking up this course in DLSU, the hurdles were the girls… at one point, you couldn’t focus on your study because you’re seated beside or you are classmates with one of the prettiest girls in campus… especially in my course where there are more girls and a number of them were actually commercial models. Sometimes, the hurdle would be not being able to do your own assignment because this beautiful classmate of yours (take note: “beautiful”) told you: “Niño, help me naman with the assignment oh.” Will I resist that? Of course not! It’s a positive hurdle. It motivates you to study harder, perform better in class, the girls will notice you, and when project deadlines are close, you are prepared, they are not, they’ll go to you, and you rescue them. You know it’s an abusive practice, but you’re willing to be abused because they make you feel you’re the boy next door. But no cheating during exams please! That’s something I’m very strict since high school. If you want help, approach me before exam day and we’ll study together. Those were the hurdle days.

Tori: You mentioned about “The Diplomat Quits”, your high school short story. Suppose the diplomat is actually you as you imagined while writing it, will you quit?

Niño: Hmmmh…. They say “a diplomat is someone who thinks twice before saying nothing.” I usually think more than twice. Worse, I often say more than expected. So I am not a diplomat. But if I were one, will I quit in exchange of staying by the side of the woman I love? I wrote that short story in 1994 or 1995 when my grammar was probably awful. More than fifteen years have passed. If I’m going to rewrite it, I’ll probably make few changes that fit reality in addition to stylistics and grammar. Because reality dictates that bachelors like me who are 33 years old and above are actually looking for women much younger than them. If an “age-mate” of mine still catches the attention of men, she must be one competitive woman. Besides, the infatuation in high school or college normally dies a few months/years after. So the woman in the story does not need to be the first/puppy/young love. Once this revision is done, I will end the short story and still say: Yes, the diplomat quits.

Reka: Before you quit though, what tips or pieces of advice can you give to fellow Parscians who are interested in or are currently taking up this course?

Niño: Well, this goes for everybody. In your pursuit of happiness and dreams, tough times are inevitable. They come and go. They come because they want to; but they go because they realize one thing: You don’t want them to stay.

-  END -

]]> http://parscian1.wordpress.com/2011/12/03/international-studiesrelations-a-career-course-orientation/feed/ 2 parscian rekatori Tori 298689_248969255155536_100001273909744_768652_10942827_n usamba http://parscian1.wordpress.com/2011/11/16/gino-martin-canlas-a-parscian-research-scientist/ http://parscian1.wordpress.com/2011/11/16/gino-martin-canlas-a-parscian-research-scientist/#comments Wed, 16 Nov 2011 10:03:33 +0000 parscian http://parscian1.wordpress.com/?p=1147 Continue reading »]]> Gino Martin Canlas: A Parscian Research Scientist

By: Niño Sandil

 Parañaque Science High was established in 1990 to primarily produce scientists. Two decades after its creation, it has become clearer that such goal is very much attainable as we begin to learn about the number of alumni who have actually chosen and entered a career in the scientific world.

In this Alumni Spotlight feature, we will get to know one of the successful harvests of our alma mater. An alumnus of the University of the Philippines (Diliman) and a current doctoral student at the University of Houston in Texas, USA, the Research Scientist we will introduce is also a member of the 9th Batch or the Class of 2002. He has a passion for molecules to the extent he uses “Benzyne” as username in social media… and his full name is: Gino Martin Canlas.

Gino working - or probably playing - in the lab....

If you feel you will get bored knowing a story of a research scientist, think again! Gino’s story will give you a new orientation of the world of science. In my conversation with him, you will either be amazed or surprised that this fellow also has time for the not so scientific areas of human interest. Therefore, I invite you to read Gino’s story – presented through a conversation – from the very first sentence up to the very last.

So here it goes….

Niño: Hi Gino! You indicated University of Houston in your FaceBook (FB) profile. What degree are you taking there and when did you first enroll?

Gino: I’m currently enrolled in a PhD program in Chemistry. I started Fall 2009, i.e. late August I’d say.

Niño: Are you on a scholarship or fellowship?

Gino: I am on a scholarship. The University of Houston (UH) – and/or my advisor – pays for my tuition and compensation… the amount of which depends on the kind of assistantship my advisor gives me. In the beginning, I was a Teaching Assistant (TA) for two years (except summer time) and the Department of Chemistry was paying for my tuition and salary. Now, I am a Research Assistant (RA) and my boss pays for my salary and most benefits.

Niño: I mean did you apply for a Fulbright  scholarship or did you simply apply on your own and then got a scholarship after being accepted?

Gino: I applied on my own. I had to borrow money from my parents… because Fulbright fellowship would require that I come back as soon as I graduate, but I still think that I’ll be doing a postdoc. Also, if I do a PhD in Chemistry, it comes with the fellowship in the form of being a Research or Teaching Assistant. For this university, you are required to do one year TA; then, depending on your boss, you may still have to do more – like mine – and then RA – if they have the money.

Niño: Most universities ask during admission what you intend to research for your dissertation. Were you asked such question? If yes, what’s your dissertation proposal about?

Gino with Prof. Brian Stoltz (CalTech) - taken after the latter's seminar

Gino: Yes, I was. And I told them that I wanted to pursue a career in Organic Chemistry. As part of my research, I wanted to do synthetic organic chemistry. I am highly interested in the total synthesis of natural products. At this time, I am working on a methodology to synthesize eight-membered ring compounds using a rhodium-catalyzed [4+2+2] cycloaddition reaction.

Niño: If that’s your proposed dissertation, may I know what was your college thesis all about? And did you write it alone or was it a group thesis?

Gino: My college thesis was entitled “Aqueous-Phase Synthesis of a Glucosamine-Based Polymer with Chitosan-Like Properties.” Initially, I did it with a friend; but later on, we had to write our theses separately.

Niño: What triggered your interest in Chemistry?

Gino: I first liked biology, but when I was in second year high school, I was in search of something else. I wanted to be a doctor before, but since I started to kind of drift away from biology, I was choosing between chemistry and physics (since I prefer to do science). I started to see myself as a classic “scientist” who mixes things and discovers amazing stuff. Furthermore, Chemistry is somehow in between Biology and Physics – not too much of the rigorous memorization or calculations are required (so I thought). Come third year, I realized I preferred chemistry – especially organic chemistry even though it was just plain nomenclature then, i.e. with Ms. Nelle Suarez. I continued to like it up to fourth year, i.e. with Mrs. Cora Javier. This led me to choosing B.S. Chemical Engineering as my major in UP Diliman.

Niño: But you graduated B.S. Chemistry at UPD, right?

Gino: Yes, I graduated with a Chemistry degree. Although I started out with Chemical Engineering, I shifted during my sophomore year.

Niño: Did you teach at UPD after graduation?

Gino: Yes, I taught at UPD for three years. I was a Lab Instructor and I was able to teach General, Organic, Analytical, and Inorganic Chemistry – the laboratory courses.

Niño: What were your high school batchmates like? Besides social networking sites, does your batch manage to get in touch face-to-face often?

Gino: My high school batchmates were fun. I actually do miss the times we were together as high school students. We liked having fun and, despite our differences, we managed to be close to one another. A lot of times, during college, we would hang out during summer time as a group. We would go swim and the like. After college, a lot of us still met up. Even when I came to Houston, I still see them having get-together events. So I would say my batchmates, in general, are a close-knit group of people.

Niño: What reminds you of Parañaque Science? In addition, just like the recent tag lines in FB, how would you respond to “Taga-Parañaque Science High School ka kung…”?

Gino: I would honestly say na yung “toneknek” (quail eggs with orange coating) ni Ate Belen. My batchmates always teased me – in an endearing manner – na ako daw ang embodiment ng toneknek. Lagi kasi akong pinagpapawisan at may baong orange shirt. Tapos, hindi ko naman maikakaila ang pagkabilugan ko, kaya hayun, niloloko nila ako. Anyway, I love toneknek plus the hotdog, at wala akong nakitang ibang kagaya nun. So I would say, taga-ParSci ka kung mahilig ka sa toneknek. Napaghahalataan ako dito.   

Niño: Toneknek? Hmmmh… I’ve heard of “tokneneng” as a nickname of a person, but this is the first time I heard of “toneknek”. I must not be a Parscian huh. Hahaha! But I know what you’re referring to. I probably tasted it once, but never tried it again.

Gino: Yes kuya, pareho lang po sila… nagkataon lang po siguro na ganun yung tawag ng batchmates ko sa kanya… hehehe

Niño: At any rate, after your college graduation, how long did you wait before you enrolled for PhD? Were you really determined to take a doctoral degree?

Gino with close friends, i.e. his fellow Chemistry graduate students

Gino: While I was teaching at UPD, I was also enrolled in a master’s program. I always wanted to finish a doctoral degree abroad even before I shifted out of Chemical Engineering. I applied during my second year, but I was rejected. So I applied the following year, i.e. 2009, and I got an acceptance letter from the University of Houston.

Niño: And when do you expect to finish your PhD?

Gino: Spring of 2014… hopefully.

Niño: After completing your doctoral degree, are you planning to go back home to teach at UP or will you be working in the USA?

Gino: I am planning to explore options. Hindi ko kasi alam kung saan ako makakakuha ng trabaho na talagang research in Chemistry (especially my field). As of now, wala pang ganung research sa Philippines kasi mahal ang mga gamit at chemicals. So I am still not sure.

Niño: How do you plan for your career/life? I mean, setting aside divine intervention, is it your habit to do some long-term planning or short-term planning in terms of where you would like to see yourself in the future? Or are you the type of person who doesn’t plan at all and just let events come your way?

Gino: I am trying the best that I can to plan long term. I actually suck at short-term planning… ako yung tipong alam ko yung gusto kong puntahan pero hirap ako pumunta doon for the meantime.

Niño: How many siblings do you have? Are you the eldest or youngest?

Gino: It’s just two of us and I’m the eldest. I have a younger sister and she already finished her college education too.

Niño: This is a question from one of your FB Notes which I’d like to ask here: What’s your dream in life?

Gino with his family... in Bohol a few days before he left for Houston.

Gino: My dream is to be a successful chemist in research. I would like to be able to discover new things through what I know or probably reinvent the wheel if I can. Sounds like a child’s dream, but that’s what it really is. Also, I would like to be able to train other people to be like me (in the event that I become really successful).

Niño: What’s one thing that you do not have at the moment which you think can make you reach your dream much faster/earlier if you have it?

Gino: Better training from UP… I know that UP is good, etcetera, but I lack training. I came here like a blind person – not knowing what to do in the lab. I could have been able to get more results faster and earlier if I already had enough training then. But, anyway, everything is a lesson learned.

Niño: I also noticed in some of your FB posts that you seem to be a fan of SNSD or Girls’ Generation. Am I right? Among the members of this group, who is your favorite and what’s your favorite music video that they produced? To you, what makes SNSD a better group than, say, Secret, Davichi, Sistar, Chocolat or Brown-Eyed Girls?

Gino: Yes, I am a fan of SNSD. And I would like to blame my fellow ParSci alumnus, Pete Medina (who posted their song “Oh!” on his FB wall), for all of this. Hahaha! I like Sooyoung, Tiffany, and Hyoyeon the most. But I like the group as a whole. I probably wouldn’t like them as much if they were performing alone. In terms of saying that they are better than other groups, I would like to think that I just prefer their songs and style. But that’s just my opinion. If you would ask other people, they would probably prefer some other groups. Also, I am a fan of a lot of other K-Pop groups. I do not exclusively like only SNSD, but I would admit I like them the most.

Niño: Last October 2011, SNSD released their third studio album entitled “The Boys”. Did you buy that album or are you satisfied watching them at YouTube? I also wonder if you bother to understand the translation of their songs… or is the tune itself okay already? Is it the song or is it the appeal of the music video that you enjoy more? Explain the addiction please.

Gino with his Filipino friends in Houston

Gino: I don’t really buy the albums and I did not buy “The Boys”. I just enjoy listening/watching their videos and, in fact, I prefer their live performances over the videos. Regarding the meaning of the song, I do care about what the words mean. I go to the web and try to look for translations of the songs. But I would say that the first thing that attracts me to a song is the beat. I do not care first about the lyrics and what it means at first. I would just do it later.

Now, I liked K-Pop from the Nobody (Wonder Girls) days; but my exposure to these kinds of songs was quite limited since I wasn’t into songs that I do not understand. However, the beat sticks to your head and, furthermore, I enjoy the dance moves. I love the fact that they all do it perfectly in sync – unlike most performances that I’m used to. Then, continuous YouTube searches led me to finding other videos (even older ones) that gave me more choices.

Niño: So, it’s the “beat” huh! Just like 2PM’s Heartbeat song: “Listen to my heart… beat for you!” Anyway, for those who are my contemporaries or older, my crushes are Choi Ji Woo, Kim Haneul, and Kim Bin Woo – the tall ones. For the younger ones, I find the following as very pretty: Han Hye Jin, Kim Tae Hee and Sun Hwa. Then the two whom I really admire the most because of their talents are: IU and Kim Yuna. Who are yours?

Gino: I would say that I find Tiffany the most appealing. I like the quality of her voice and I find her really beautiful. I do like even more Korean idols, but I am not sure how they look without make-up so I keep my choices quite restricted to a few whom I have seen with or without make-up and before debut.

Niño: You’re right. The make-up is so deceiving. But I saw Choi Ji Woo and Kim Haneul without make-up in the reality show “Two Days & One Night” and they still look really great. Oh well, let’s move back to the serious stuff. What improvement/s would you like to see in our high school alma mater?

Gino: Please have good laboratories and equipment. Being a scientist from our school, I have seen the limitations posed by not having enough materials and equipment. That would also help students aspire to take science majors in college. Also, I know that our teachers already did this, but I hope that they would inspire the students to dream even bigger (audaciously). Because I know that their dreams would carve their future.

Niño: You’re now at the University of Houston and you must have already roamed around the campus and visited different facilities there. What’s one thing that made you say “wow” when you first saw it at UH?

Gino: The fact that they could have more than one NMR, and that chemicals could be bought at a lower price because we’re in the US. That’s it!

Niño: What’s NMR?

Gino: Oh, it stands for Nuclear Magnetic Resonance. The so-called NMR Spectrometry is a technique in chemistry wherein you can use the electronic and magnetic environments around atoms to be able to determine chemical structure or at least have an idea about the chemical environment around atoms. It uses a super cooled magnet (using liquid helium) and the magnet must not be allowed to reach higher temperatures. It is an expensive machine in that you have to maintain it well by always cooling the magnet with liquid nitrogen. In the Philippines, the price of liquid nitrogen is really high (as far as I know when I was doing research back there); so maintenance can be a reason why universities avoid purchasing their own machine. However, UP just purchased two NMR spectrometers so it is quite good news.

Niño: Got it! Now, say you’re being invited in a career talk or asked to deliver a speech in our alma mater, please draft your first introductory paragraph and very last paragraph here. What would you say first and last?

Gino: Pinahihirapan mo naman ako kuya eh (joke)! Here it goes….

Gino's college grad pic.

“I was once wearing the same uniform as you did. Same polo shirt, same blue pants, probably same shoes. I once dreamt of being someone great and I would say that I have started with little steps. I have, in many ways, failed… experienced troubles… been tested… and experienced hardships. And to tell you frankly, I wanted to give up. And I say: before, during, and after high school, I experience these things again and again.”

I know it does not seem encouraging, since I would be enumerating all the things I experienced… but that is the first part. The last part would be the following:

“How is gold refined? It comes not as a big chunk of perfectly shining gold. It is the complete opposite. Gold, as it is mined, contains a lot of unwanted materials, dirt, and dross. To obtain pure gold, therefore, it must be put to the fire. It must be melted and exposed to these tortuous conditions in order to burn off all the impurities before it can be used for any other purpose. Sometimes, to extract gold, poisons like cyanide are even used just to be able to get even the trace amounts of this precious metal. At this juncture, I would like to say that we are all like gold. We have to pass through all these tests, trials, and tribulations. This doesn’t mean that we have to succumb to all these circumstances and say I give up. I don’t aim to be perfect anyway! However, this is my challenge to all of you. Do not give up. Hold on to your dreams. Your dreams are crying out for you to fulfill them. I could have just said to myself that I don’t really need a PhD to get a good job. True enough, I don’t. But I aim that I do not simply rest on my laurels because I aim not just to be gold. I want to be pure gold. Hang on, for there are more trials to come. But I know that you will all make it through.”

Niño: Wow! We are obviously saving the above draft. Years from now, when you are asked a similar question/task, you can reflect on the above and see for yourself if you’ll still say/write the same thing that you have just said/wrote in this feature. But for this present purpose, such draft has actually become the finally edited version of your inspirational message to our fellow Parscian alumni and students. Thank you so much, Gino. On behalf of our fellow alumni, may I say we are proud to have you as one of the most promising research scientists that our alma mater has so far produced. In the next few years, it is our earnest desire for you to reach your dream of becoming a successful chemist in research so that – as you yourself stated – you can train other people (especially our Parscian students) to follow your footsteps and also become Parscian Research Scientists.

- End -

Iris Acejo: On Taking A PhD Degree in the United Kingdom

By: Niño P. Sandil (feat. Aila Asistores)

Aila

In this 10th Alumni Spotlight, I have requested the assistance of an alumna who belongs to the Class of 2010. Her last name became familiar to me because her mom is one of the first parents who expressed support in our 1990 school logo advocacy. She is also my fellow Lasallian and Christian achiever for God and country who recently enjoyed the DLSU Centennial celebration. She’s currently taking AB Interior Design. God-willing, if she’s consistent with her career path and perhaps add minimalism or Asian design in her specialization, I hope I’ll be one of her first clients when she finally becomes a professional interior designer. She’s no other than Ms. Aila Asistores. Aila and I will take turns in posing our respective questions.

Ate Iris

Now, for our alumna on spotlight, I must subjectively assert that she belongs to my favorite batch: the 3rd Batch/Class of 1996. I am a living witness to how solid the 3rd Batch was and has been over the years. Their batch has been consistent in holding reunions either annually or every other year. They gather in different events and I feel privileged that they included me in a few occasions and made me feel I’m part of their batch. My fellow alumni, let’s hear the story of Ate Iris Acejo….

Iris in a symposium at Cardiff Hilton

Aila: Ate Iris, what/who inspired you to really pursue your doctoral degree?

Iris spending autumn break with flatmates.

Overall, it is an enriching experience in both the academic and personal realms. The support such as state-of-the-art teaching facilities, well-stocked libraries and respected academics live up to its world class and high quality reputation. The research quality and the dedicated mentorship from the professors make learning a very positive experience. U.K.’s multicultural society provides a vibrant backdrop not only within the halls of our classrooms but also outside of it. The cosmopolitan feel from the mix of different cultures and perspectives is an embodiment of that real world knowledge it is much touted for. Wholistic learning through and through!

White Christmas in Wales

1.) Cardiff and Wales in general for its bouncy castles, huge coal mines, breathtaking coasts and lovely Welsh voices. I watched a performance by the Welsh National Opera at the Wales Millenium Centre and it was a surreal, angelic experience! Their voices are just perfect!

Summer break in Santorini

Iris: I feel humbled for I have never realised that I have come this far. However, I also feel that I have a responsibility towards my countrymen in terms of relevant contribution on some issues the country is facing.

 If your family has a car or if you drive your own car (or any vehicle for that matter), you may now purchase the “original” Parañaque Science High School Logo at GRAFICAD Creation Enterprises in L3 Festival Supermall, Alabang, Muntinlupa.  GRAFICAD’s kiosk is located in the middle of the hallway going to ACE Hardware, Western appliance store, and Headway Barbershop.

The cost is P100.00 per car sticker. It’s round and 4×4 in size. Indicate a white background for the sticker. The filename is “Paranaque”. If your batch orders at least 50 car stickers, then you may get a discount, i.e. P80 per sticker. If your batch intends to order around 20 to 30 stickers though, I think you can still bargain the price depending on your ability.

Original ParSci logo

Printing may take just a little while if you’re ordering only one or two sticker(s). But if you’re ordering around five or more stickers, it will take a long while. So if you are planning to stroll, go there first to order so you can spend the rest of your time roaming other stores. Of course, you may watch how the sticker is prepared too which is meticulously interesting.

Note: GRAFICAD was “arbitrarily” chosen. If other alumni would like to purchase a ParSci car sticker in another creative company, please feel free to initiate contact. You may need to pay a lay-out fee though. In Graficad, I already paid for the lay-out fee already. If ever other alumni did ask the services of another creative company, please share the info to this website so we can also advertise where Parscian students and alumni can purchase the original Parscian school logo car sticker aside from Graficad. The more choices, the better!

Please support our cause for the accurate history of our alma mater. Thank you!

By: Niño Sandil

It is with great delight that I present the 9th Alumni Spotlight feature this month of March 2011. My interviewee is a young woman with whom I have had the chance to engage in just few email exchanges in the past two years. From the very start, her perspicacity has been very noticeable.

Her name is Jorela Rikka Lebron. She’s a true-blue Parscian-Thomasian. She completed high school in 2003 at Parañaque Science and then she finished B.S. Nursing in 2007 at the University of Santo Tomas.

Let’s get acquainted with your Ate Jorela as she shares some of her points of view about B.S. Nursing as a college course; as she reveals some of the things that define her; and as she demonstrates how she’s been chasing her dreams.

Jorela Rikka Lebron

Niño: Hi Jorela! You belong to the 10th Batch or Class of 2003. It has been eight years for you since you completed your ParSci education. What do you miss most in our alma mater?

Jorela: I miss my classmates of course. When we graduated we had two sections, but we had close friends in the other section too; so all of us were in good vibes with each other. It’s always the friendship you form in high school that you will never forget. Oh yeah, I miss Speech and Drama classes with Sir Dids as well.

Niño: Sir Dids has been reaping his harvest. Every time I interview an alumnus/alumna, either his name or his class is the most remembered. He’s truly a treasure! Now, you took B.S. Nursing at the University of Santo Tomas (UST). When you were at that point of trying to select a college degree, was there an oversupply of nurses already or none yet?

Jorela: From what I can recall, there was none yet. I remember being told at that time that there would be a demand for 6 million nurses by the year 2005 just in the United States alone, and more would be needed by the time I graduate in 2007.

Niño: In terms of level of difficulty, how would you rate B.S. Nursing? And what was the most difficult subject for you?

Jorela: For the diligent at heart, I think Nursing is not so difficult since the course is mostly focused on skill. Taking it up in UST, our professors emphasized to us that we always have to act based on reason illumined by faith. Theory was never compromised in learning. But since I never had good study habits and just relied on my long term memory retention, I found it on a level 6 on a scale of 10 (with 10 being at max). I had the hardest time with Chemistry.

Niño: “Illumined by faith”… such a nice phrase! Anyway, after college graduation, how long did you wait before you took the board exam? How did you prepare for it?

Jorela: We actually started the in-house review with our professors as early as the semestral break before graduation. And then as soon as classes resumed, every lecture class incorporates a mock review session. We were all afraid of getting as much casualties as we did in the July 2006 NLE (Nursing Licensure Examination) – the controversial one where there was a leakage. We were lucky because UST has the best professors in the country. They are the ones being asked to give review classes at schools in faraway cities and provinces. So after we’re all done with the thesis defense and clearance completion, review classes were given weekdays… sometimes having one on a Saturday and each subject will be reviewed from 8am till 5pm. We were like that until the end of May which was two weeks before the actual date of exams.

Niño: It is great and enlightening to learn about UST implementing such review strategies. That surely makes the course they offer very competitive in the country.  Subsequently, what year and how did you find out that you passed the NLE? If you still remember, what was your reaction when you learned you’re finally a Registered Nurse (RN)? Did you do something special on that day?

Jorela with Family

Jorela: I was working in a call center at that time, because I planned to work there only until I get the board exam results. So I remember going home at around 8am, sleeping the whole morning and afternoon. I woke up at around 6pm when my older brother phoned me up to tell me I passed. I checked my messages on my phone and I think there were more than 30 new messages in my inbox… congratulating me for passing. Then I went to work wearing my graduating class shirt. Nothing special after that.

Niño: By the time you gained your RN license, did you know – even at least an estimate – how many registered nurses in the country you would be competing for job opportunities? Please describe how challenging it was or it has been for you to be hired so you can practice the profession.

Jorela: I was aware of how many new nurses I was competing with at that time, I just could not remember it now. It’s just that I did not think that the demand for nurses will end so I became complacent at my status. I did not really think I will have a hard time looking for a job since the demand was high. I realized later on that medical institutions became very strict with their requirements, and hiring ceased as application slots fill up.

Niño: I’m just curious… other Bachelor of Science degrees like Biology, Chemistry, and Physics have corresponding graduate/masteral degrees. Is there such a course as M.S. Nursing either here in the Philippines or abroad? Also, can B.S. Nursing be considered/credited as a Pre-Med course?

Jorela: Yes, there is a post-graduate course that can be taken for Nursing: it’s the Master of Arts in Nursing or M.A.N. degree. Let’s say I would like to be a professor in a certain college of nursing or I would like to pursue higher employment status in an institution, then I would be required to have a M.A.N. just like in the other Bachelor of Science programs available. Most of my friends continued with medical education after graduating and taking the board exams; so yes, they will be nurse-doctors, which is way better than being doctor-nurses.

Niño: You just hit the target! Now, given the oversupply of nurses in our country as reported at the beginning of 2011 in the news media, would you suggest to a junior or senior high school today to just choose another course instead of nursing?

Jorela: If it is really a passion for him/her, then why not. I recommend taking up Nursing Education in a Center of Excellence college like UST-College of Nursing (CON), where I actually took mine. I take pride in being a nurse because of what my alma mater instilled on me. I am confident that I can make the school proud of me as an alumna because of what I have learned and what I know I can share. I am sure anyone who will go through being a UST-CON student will feel the same. But if the motivation for taking the course is just for financial gain or to be able to migrate to other places, then I suggest they take another course because not only will nursing be hard for them, it will also be hard on them.

Niño: Do you think colleges and universities should impose a cap on the number of BS Nursing student enrollees?

Jorela: Yes, I strongly suggest they do. UP and UST are among those universities that admit only a certain number of students per academic year. I can speak for UST that they only accept new high school graduates for admission on the freshman year, and shifters from other colleges within the university are required to have a certain GWA for the previous year depending on the college. Transferees from other schools are not admitted to the college, so enrollees are regulated.

Niño: I know GPA stands for Grade Point Average. But what does GWA stand for?

Jorela: It means General Weighted Average.

Niño: As far as I know, many of those who took or who are taking a nursing degree did so in order to work abroad and receive high salary. Is this a fair assessment?

Jorela: Most of them, yes. I can say that most are motivated by the opportunity to improve financial and economic status. It’s not really a bad thing because all of us go through education in order to achieve that level; but some think that it is a way of acquiring wealth and migrating to a more progressive country. Nursing is seen as a cash cow by a lot of people, which puts the idea of studying it in a bad light.

Niño: Filipino families obviously want to achieve an upward mobility in life, but I guess better analysis of the job market should be greatly considered before taking a particular college course. Anyway, in your Parscian batch, the Class of 2003, what is the percentage of students who took up B.S. Nursing?

Jorela: I really don’t have the statistic, but I remember from my friends in the batch that less than 20% of the graduating class took it up.

Ate Jorela

Niño: Let’s move on another topic. There’s a not so old foreign movie soundtrack entitled “What Dreams Are Made Of?” involving Lizzie and Gordo. :) In your case, Jorela, what are your dreams made of?

Jorela: I just want a happy life with my friends and family around. I’ll be happier if I get a job I love, a loving, faithful husband, and well-rounded kids in the future.

Niño: As an individual, what would you consider as your strengths and your weaknesses?

Jorela: I guess it’s my confidence. I’m a people person so I chum up easily with most people I meet. And that I can handle personal or emotional turmoil with a smile. I don’t let any problems get into my head if there’s nothing I can do to stop it from happening. My weaknesses? I’m always late. I have to change that attitude… I know.

Niño: Yes indeed. You should! Let’s play favorites! Who/What is/are your favorite…

1. Actor               = Johnny Depp and Adam Sandler
2. Actress            = Sandra Bullock, Angelina Jolie and Drew Barrymore
3. Movie              = 50 First Dates and The Wedding Singer
4. Past-time       = Reading books, playing solitaire and watching movies
5. Place(s) to go = I love it here in the South (Metro Manila). Everything is here, especially here in BF.
6. Perfume          = I collect perfumes and body sprays, so I really don’t have one signature scent. I pick a scent depending on my mood. I guess the one I used the longest was Paris Hilton.
7. Brand of jeans = Lee and Crissa. I’m not very particular with jeans because I wear dresses, skirts and shorts most of the time.
8. Chocolate          = Cote d’Or. The darker the better.
9. Day of the week  = Friday.
10. Historical person = Che Guevarra. He was a revolutionary but he was a doctor and he helped a lot of those injured in the war.

Niño: Ouch! The friend of Fidel Castro. Anyhow, in one sentence, describe your mom.

Jorela: She is the person that holds me together and the person I don’t want disappointed with me because I know she’s my last straw if I ever did.

Niño: How about your siblings?

Jorela: They’re rowdy, bratty, and fun; but they are always present when I need their help.

Niño: And, in another single sentence, describe your dad.

Jorela: He was one thing I didn’t know I had until he was gone.

Niño: In the future, in the event you finally decide to get married and establish a family of your own, what kind of family would you like to have? What elements/traits would you want to be present in your own family someday?

Jorela: I want my family to be God-fearing. Every good trait spawns out once they have it in their systems that God needs to be the center of their life. I want them to be good citizens and, as much as possible, not be burdens to society.

Niño: How much do you value your friends?

Jorela: I value them as much as I value my family. They will always come next to my family. They helped me get through the hardest times of my life. They keep me grounded and at the same time boost my morale if I’m feeling down. I will not be able to live without them.

Niño: Do you think family and friends play a vital role in achieving one’s dream? How about the role of Parañaque Science High School and University of Santo Tomas in achieving your own dream?

Jorela with Friends

Jorela: Of course, they do. There is always that influence as to how you build your dreams. They lead you to it unconsciously. They show you the way. When it comes to ParSci and UST, no doubt it did. ParSci taught me how to be tough, resilient, and confident, while UST molded me to be humble, respectful, and gracious.

Niño: If one starts to seriously dream, whether that dream is big or small, what do you think are the essential elements needed to reach that dream? Should it be “illumined by faith” too? (I obviously like the phrase!)

Jorela: It should always be. Another key factor is persistence. Never giving up if something fails. We Thomasians always say we pursue the truth through the use of reason, illumined by faith. This way, you don’t walk over people on your way to the top.

Niño: Can dreams be revised? Do you believe that reaching one’s dream sometimes involves pure luck, or perhaps is it sometimes a combination of persistence and luck?

Jorela: No one can stop you from dreaming. If you decide to change it, it’s your call. I believe it’s more of the combination. You don’t get lucky by not doing anything.

Niño: Suppose an individual stops dreaming, what do you make of him/her? Please don’t tell me he woke up.

Jorela:  No judgments here. There could be a lot of things going through his/her mind if that happens. I think no one stops dreaming. Every man or woman has desires and needs, so I think it will just be a waste of oxygen and space if he/she doesn’t continue dreaming.

Niño: Earlier, you described what your dreams are made of. Now, let me ask you this: What would you exchange for your dream? That is to say if you have to give up one dream – and for this interview purpose you are forced to give up one – what would you barter it for?

Jorela: I guess my lovelife. I could wait if it compromises my way to achieving my dream.

Niño: You are in front of Parañaque Science High School students. Then someone  expresses he/she wants to graduate – not be expelled – and become a Parscian alumnus/alumna too. What would you say to him/her?

Jorela: Be resilient and work hard. Let every waking moment be a time to learn new things, try everything a teenager must, and give gifts to your teachers. LOL.

Niño: Jorela, thank you. You have been very gracious to accept my invitation to feature you in our Alumni Spotlight.

As you yourself chase your own dreams in life, I’m sure both our future alumni and fellow alumni do chase their respective dreams as well. What you have stated here certainly reminds us all that there are things inseparable from dreams… and they are called “family” and “friends”.

Equally noteworthy is the realization that dreams need to be chased with actions “illumined by faith”.

Finally, on this 8th day of March, 2011, let me end this Alumni Spotlight feature by saying: Jorela, Happy Birthday!

Thanks to Janella Renae for sharing! It would have been better if there’s at least one paragraph description of the batch as a whole.

By: Niño Sandil

A year after Parañaque Science High School began its official operation in 1990, the first “reinforcement” that the pioneering batch had been waiting for finally arrived. Obviously, it’s the 2nd Batch whose initial total population was 42 students. Because Parscian teachers really have zero-tolerance attitude towards social promotion at that time, the final members of this batch was reduced to 26 students. Among these students who survived the academic environment of a science high school was a teenage boy from Barangay Sto. Niño named Aris Fernando (Class of 1995). Now, he has turned into an Electrical Engineer.

In this 8th Alumni Spotlight feature, Aris will bring us up to speed not only on the professional field called Electrical Engineering, but also on his experiences both in high school as well as in his present life as a father of two sons.

Since Aris is a batchmate of mine, it wasn’t that difficult for me to invite him for this feature. I hope this light-hearted conversation will be a leisure to all our fellow alumni and future alumni alike. So, try to ignore any incoming notifications in your Facebook account in the meantime; instead, give yourself a few minutes with the view of getting to know your Kuya Aris…

Engr. Fernando wearing his official uniform

Niño: Batchmate, it’s been 16 years since we graduated from Parañaque Science High School. How is life treating you these days?

Aris: Has it been 16 years? So far I’m enjoying my life, happy, and contented.

Niño: As a teenager attending Parañaque Science High School from 1991 to 1995, what were the campus experiences that you simply cannot forget?

Aris: There’s a lot that I simply cannot forget! As you also know, Onin, ParSci was our second home way back then. We spent more time in school than in our own homes. We started school day at 6:20 a.m. and ended it at 5:40 p.m. Given that schedule in high school, all I can remember is being in school and being with our classmates. I also cannot forget all the extra activities we did in school where the motto was: “I want to play!” We would always find ways to play anything we want to… like using the lab tables for table tennis and the walis ting-ting as the net; and playing turumpo in the classroom that destroyed the floor. With almost all of our time tied up in school, playing was our outlet.

Niño: Oh yeah, I wonder if those white lab tables we used for table tennis still exist? If I may add, I also remember that someone would always bring a guitar and many would borrow to play it and sing Beatles’ songs and more during break time. I hope we were able to capture those moments in video. By the way, how did our alma mater look like during those times? Kindly describe the campus, the facilities, the classroom, the book supplies, and the like.

Aris: As I have said, our class schedule was from 6:20 a.m. up to 5:40 p.m. and we only occupied a small, separate building located within the Parañaque Municipal High School campus. We, the students, are very few in numbers. During our first year, there were only two sections and we have a total of 42 students. In second year, our student population was reduced to 38 and we started to merge into just one section. By third year up to fourth year, we have a total of 26 students and that’s the whole batch already. In short, we have so much space allotted for us and we even have lockers inside the classroom at that time. As for the books, they are typical public school books: some are too old and some are torn.

Niño: After high school, I remember majority of our batchmates enrolled at the Mapua Institute of Technology (MIT) and took Engineering courses. That includes you. What happened during that time? Was there some kind of peer pressure that you and most of our batchmates did not want to disintegrate so you decided to be together even in college?

Aris: Actually most of us who went to MIT went there because of the Department of Science & Technology (DOST) scholarship we got. It’s just that we all know that MIT is the best engineering school in the country and DOST gave us a chance to go there under their scholarship program.

Niño: In your specific case, you took B.S. Electrical Engineering (BSEE). If I’m a high school student trying to choose a college degree or if I’m a college student wanting to shift courses, why would I want to choose Electrical Engineering? What does it have to offer and what does it take to succeed in this discipline?

Aris: Having a BS Electrical Engineering degree will offer you a wide variety of fields to work with compared to other engineering courses. BSEE grads can work in the Building Management, power plants, construction, and also in the maritime industry where I am currently working with. If you remember, I have worked as a Building Administrator at the Alabang Town Center when I was just 21 years old. Being an alumnus of Mapua has been a big factor for me being chosen to fill that vacancy at such a young age. In the maritime industry today, there is a big demand for licensed Electrical Engineers worldwide to work as Electrical Officers on board the vessels.

Niño: In your present line of work, I understand there are months that you stay and work in Fort Lauderdale, Florida and then there are months you stay in our country. Please tell us what you do in Florida and what you do here in the Philippines.

Aris in front of the Oasis of the Seas

Aris: I’m working as an Electrical Engineer for the Royal Caribbean International (RCI) and my assigned vessel is the Oasis of the Seas which is the largest cruise ship in the world today. Our vessel’s home port is in Fort Lauderdale and we have an itinerary in which we go to the Caribbean. As an Electrical Engineer, I am in charge of managing the hotel facilities and I have assistant electricians under my supervision. I am directly hired by RCI based in Miami and that is why I have a contract in which I am doing 10 weeks on board and 10 weeks vacation with continuous salary, i.e. unlike other seafarers that is only being paid while on board.

When I am at home, I am connected with the Philippine Center for Advanced Maritime Simulation and Training, Inc. (PHILCAMSAT) in Makati City where I work as a Maritime Training Instructor. I am the lead instructor for Electrical courses. I also have developed some modules and training materials that is now being used in the center as new courses for aspiring and present electricians.

Niño: How does it feel like being on board for 10 weeks? And what if the weather pattern does not seem cooperative?

Aris: Working for 10 weeks on board passes by so quickly and you wouldn’t even notice it at all. Some say that it’s like I’m on a paid vacation. In terms of the weather, since we are a cruise ship, the priority here is the comfort and safety of the passengers and crew. So when there is a bad weather system in the area, management diverts us to different ports of call in order to make sure that we will not encounter any huge waves that can endanger the guests. We have in every cruise around 6,000 guests and 2,200 crew members on board. So it will be a big gamble to put us in a situation that will endanger everybody.

Niño: What exactly do you do as an Electrical Engineer on board the Oasis of the Seas? I mean, could you share some of your common routines, i.e. without necessarily disclosing routines that may be internally “classified” in nature?

Aris: As an Electrical Engineer on board the Oasis of the Seas, I am in charge of the electrical system at the hotel department. We maintain all the equipments, staterooms, and facilities. We attend to any complaints by the crew or guests that are electrical in nature. We maintain the cabins, swimming pools, elevators, entertainment venues, dining rooms, galleys, and other public areas within the ship. It’s like working in a five-star hotel. It does not differ at all with my previous work as a Building Administrator.

Nino: Working as a seafarer, do you contribute to the Social Security System (SSS) or does your company offer you a separate retirement plan?

Aris: Our company pays SSS every month, even when I am on board. I also contribute when I am home because I am connected with PHILCAMSAT. I am contributing to all: SSS, Philheath and PAG-IBIG… so I guess I am covered. As for the retirement plan, there is somewhat a certain amount that you will be entitled to depending on the number of years you serve, this is true for my work in RCI and PHILCAMSAT.

Niño: Good! Although I don’t like the way our SSS is structured – ‘coz it’s a Ponzi scheme – since it’s the only old age insurance system we’ve got so far, it’s still better to be covered than not at all. Our banks are very slow in introducing the Personal Equity & Retirement Account (PERA) option to the public, especially to seafarers or Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) like you. As for Philhealth, we should reform our health care by adopting a multi-million-payor system instead of a single-payor system. As for PAG-IBIG, I’d prefer to fall out of love to contributing to this housing insurance program. Sigh! Anyway, how are your kids doing?

Aris: My kids are doing very well. My eldest, AJ, is eight years old and is a Grade 3 student in Westfield Science-Oriented School in BF Resort Village, Las Piñas. Thankfully, he is a consistent honor student just like… me, of course! Hahaha! My youngest, JR, is only three years old but his built is like he is already five years old. He is starting to show signs that he will follow the footsteps of his kuya, and he was invited to a VTR session – for a TV commercial – by a talent agent who saw him in the mall. Of course, mana pa rin sa ‘kin. Hahaha!

Niño: Weh, di nga? As a father of two little boys, how would you like them to see you or to remember you when they grow old?

Aris with kids: AJ & JR

Aris: This is one tough question. Actually, as a father, I am trying my best to be the most approachable father there is. I encourage my kids to be open and tell me whatever they want to tell without hesitation. I play with them a lot. I wanted them to feel that I am not only their dad, but also their friend. I want them to tell me almost everything. And I am trying to teach them how to be independent and responsible at the same time.

Niño: A little more personal about you: What are some of your favorite brands (e.g. shoes, clothes, or the like)?

Aris: I am a sports enthusiast, so I like mostly Nike and Adidas when it comes to shoes. In terms of clothes, I am very simple and brand doesn’t matter to me… as long as it looks good and comfortable, it’s fine.

Niño: Do you think the future salary or future income of a high school or college student today will depend on what that student does today?

Aris: I believe it will… because the subjects you take in school will give you knowledge; but school is not only about that. The best thing to learn in school is good values and attitude. If the student does good in school, he or she will have a bigger chance to get a job and be able to get a better starting salary in their first job. The way you handle the pressure in school is a good training in handling life itself especially in the professional field.

Niño: Define success. Do you think one is successful based on the university degree he/she has attained, based on the amount of salary and position he/she has held, or based on some quantitative or qualitative parameters? Would you consider yourself “successful”? Why?

Aris: Wow! Success? I think I can consider myself successful because I am in a job that I am enjoying. In RCI, there are only a handful of Filipino Officers in the Marine Department. Most of them are Europeans; and, modesty aside, being one of them says something. Having a degree is an achievement, but it’s only the start. Different people have different perception of success. For me, success comes when you have reached a point where you are happy with what you are doing in life. In a way, to be successful means to enjoy your life. In addition, I would like to share one of my favorite quotes from Albert Einstein when he said: “Try not to become a man of success but a man of value.”

Niño: If our educational system in the country, especially the credentialing process for teachers, will be reformed in the future in such a way that professionals and/or engineers like you will be allowed to teach part-time to high school students, will you be willing to teach?

Aris with colleagues in a workshop

Aris: I have been into teaching since I graduated from college. I was a former Engineering Instructor at the AMA Computer University. At present, I have been a Maritime Training Instructor at PHILCAMSAT since 2007. Given the opportunity, I will be very much pleased to contribute and help in becoming a part-time teacher to high school students too, especially at Parañaque Science High School.

Niño: I’m glad to hear that, Aris. Many alumni have been pondering a lot on how they can give back to our school and I posed that last question to bring readers up to speed on potential educational reforms that we can legislate and/or adopt in our country. Engineers like you and other professionals such as pharmacists, accountants, and the like should be allowed to engage in part-time teaching in our public high schools and especially in science high schools because they are the ones who can best share knowledge or teach our students what they need to know in order to succeed in the real world today. And this can be done by reforming the credentialing process in our educational system.

As a consequence, I’m sure many Parscian alumni professionals like you will be able to give back to our alma mater in the most productive way. The expected return on investment will also be significant. But while such proposed educational reform has not yet been realized, we can start in our very own little way through this Alumni Spotlight. Hence, I really want to thank you, Aris, for taking the time to entertain my questions and for sharing your knowledge to our fellow and future alumni alike. Your participation is truly one meaningful contribution that enables our Parscian students to get even a slight glimpse of what it’s like in this so-called “real world”, letting them know what they need to know to succeed today, and – as one Korean tv series title says – telling them to… Dream High!

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