BELOW is another interesting and heartfelt essay written by Engr. Jennifer M. Felisilda, 19th placer, Registered Electrical Engineering Board Exam in September 2004. I am publishing it in toto.
“They say we usually meet some of our closest friends while we are at school, which means many of our friends are around our age. Normally friends not within our age range are people we meet at work. The disadvantage of this type of friendship is that we can’t maintain it, or we lose connection once we transfer to a different job.
I was a new graduate and new board passer when I met Belinda Sales Canlas. I was a Cadet Engineer, and she was Corporate Communications Officer of the National Transmission Corporation-District 6 in General Santos City. I was 22 years old, and she was thirty-nine. I was a young engineer who was excited to take the world on while she was an established wonder woman: a mom, a wife, a teacher, a journalist, an eloquent speaker.
To say that we don’t share a common ground was an understatement, but to my surprise a lifetime friendship was developed. I would call it an unlikely friendship but one of the friendships I truly treasure. A relationship that does not require seeing or communicating daily, but the friendship and love remain.
Ate Beth as I call her, is not just a friend, but is also a mentor and a teacher. One distinct memory with her was an office-related travel to Maguindanao. She tagged me along with permission from my parents. It was my first time ever to be in that part of Mindanao and it changed my perspective of the place and its people.
Outside of work, she is a fun woman to be with. She loves food, music, and dancing. One of our usual get togethers was eating at a local resto and listening to a band, and sometimes it involves dancing. It makes me realize that I should not stop enjoying life no matter how old I get or wherever life takes me.
I love spending time with her, and the conversation is always intuitive tickling my brain. Our conversations vary from serious topics to shallow stuff, but both give us joy and insights into each other’s lives. She would share her experiences as a wife and mother as well as her journey from Bohol to General Santos City. She would also listen to my stories of studying and working away from home, and she gives pieces of advice about my dating life, aha! She is a woman who is generous in sharing her wisdom and knowledge and not afraid to show her flaws and shortcomings. In short, she is authentic. With her I learned that being a strong and successful woman is a remarkable thing to achieve but what is far better is to be a woman of wisdom, understanding, and compassion.
She has an aura of strength and glamour, and I would admit I was intimidated at first. However, as our friendship grew, I began to enjoy it tremendously. Overall, she is an unlikely friend but a treasured one, a friend I did not expect but a friend I will cherish for the rest of my life.”
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Another good news! The South Cotabato Filipino-Chinese Chamber of Commerce, Inc. (SCFCCCI) headed by President Cyril Y. Ang has rolled out its vaccination program on July 14, 2021. The program administered jabs to more than 1,500 individuals. The second dose was set yesterday and today. Members of the Chamber were able to procure the vaccines through the help of their mother Federation, the Federation of Filipino-Chinese Chambers of Commerce.
Together with KCC Mall of General Santos, the Chamber bought around 8,000 vaccines to benefit 4,000 individuals. Interestingly, among the beneficiaries is Ang Pek Go, a centenarian.
Moreover, as part of the Chamber’s advocacy, willing vaccinees from the SCFCCCI-Volunteer Fire Brigade also received their Sinovac shots.
Kudos to SCFCCCI for a jab well done! Thank you Chiclet Moscoso-Rillo for the information.
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Food for Thought
Accept yourself, love yourself, and keep moving forward. If you want to fly, you have to give up what weighs you down. – Roy T. Bennett
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Writer can be reached at belindabelsales@gmail.com. Twitter @ShilohRuthie./PN
