A parent’s dream

During UST vs. Ateneo UAAP basketball games when we were still in college, the feeling of being discriminated upon was strong. Some of the parents of the players including the other Atenista parents would shout “UST baduy”, “UST walang class”. One time one pretty mother shouted “UST bobo”.
The way the mestiza and rich looking parents looked at the UST students spoke of pure discrimination. They probably felt they were high up there, and the UST people were poor and masa.

Most of them were de-kotse.   The UST guys were in Cadillacad.

Ateneans were more articulate in English. Alam mo naman nuong araw, pag-English speaking ka, class, merong wow-effect.
Coming from Binangonan, during my time, people frowned upon those trying to articulate in English, “Pa-inglis-inglis pa”.

When Edmund was recruited by the Floros to play for the Crispa Redmanizers’ MICAA team, he became friends with his mestizo team mates from Ateneo. Yung mga pa-inglis-inglis.

One time Edmund and I attended a gathering in honor of the players hosted by Mr. Floro.
I was just quietly observing. The Atenistas were so fluent.
Batuhan sila ng Ingles.

I also noticed that when people asked about schools, there’s always a whiff of pride when they answered “Ateneo”, “La Salle”.

In my mind, siguro kulelat ang UST. Because everytime I was asked and I said UST, the expressions on their faces were different. There’s some “yeowww”.  Para ba akong batang yagit.

For the record, UST is where Edmund and I came from. I owe a lot to them. They honored me with two outstanding awards.  Ewan kung para saan (pa-humble effect).   Edmund and I are proud Thomasians. All my siblings too.

But maybe I should send my kids somewhere else para ma-iba naman.
That’s why, I developed a sense of conviction that I would send my children to other schools.
My daughter was the first casualty of this pre-conceived notion that it would be better for her to study in the US. Although she was accepted in Ateneo and DLSU. we forced her to study abroad.
She hated it at first because she wanted to go to Ateneo where most of her classmates and friends were.

It was a tough, long, and emotional journey. I cried 3x a day. Everytime I would visit her, I cried before I boarded the taxi, at the airport, on the plane, at home.

(We took the school’s shuttle from Manhattan to the Bronx whenever we visited her.)

The safest way to and from the Lincoln Center campus in Manhattan to the Rose Hill campus in the Bronx is to ride the school’s Ramvan. This is actually exclusive for students, professors, and visiting parents.

Dad playing with her giraffe during a visit to her dorm.

A day before the graduation.

Her dormitory

Dinner in honor of parents, the night before graduation day.

Father and daughter dance

My daughter resented me for a while for sending her abroad.
She got detached from her friends in the Philippines. Although she gained new friends, she felt I subjected her to the most difficult situation- that’s being torn between two countries. To stay forever in the US or come home.

No one would ever understand my intense desire to give her the best education. Although “best” is debatable.
All I had in my mind was to give her something that cannot be taken away from her. She would learn a lot of things which I could not teach her. She would be more mature and street smart. I did not get scared of the big expense because my mother was my inspiration when it comes to that. When my Kuya Junior wanted to take up medicine which was known to be an expensive course, my mother said “Anak, kahit igapang natin sa hirap ang pag-aaral mo”.

Oyen was in the Dean’s list. She also received a citation from another institution as one of the Most Outstanding Foreign Students in America. A few months after her graduation, she was given another award from her school.

While studying, she worked part time as budget assistant to augment her meager allowance.
My daughter survived living away from home. We are so proud of her.

The graduation march.

With her classmates and friends.

Fordham President, Fr. _____

Six years ago, on May 19, 2007, my daughter went up the stage and received her hard-earned college diploma. A parent’s dream became a reality.