Looking at her reflection on the mirror, neatly wearing (for the last time, before donning the toga) her well pressed school uniform with a good pair of black shoes on, Josephine can’t help but also see on the mirror an untidy eight-year-old kid on her crumpled-and-supposed-to-be-white blouse, faded skirt and an over-worn pair of slippers, carrying a dream of becoming a teacher.

Josephine Sibelo, 24 years old, the third child in the family and a native of Brgy. Bitoon, Dumanjug, Cebu could still recall how she was being laughed at 16 years ago for going to school untidy and not being able to wear a decent school uniform throughout her days in primary school.

“Nag-Grade 1 hangtud Grade 6 ko usa ra gyud ka paresan akong uniform unya akong notebook usa ra pud kabuok kada tuig (I only had one set of school uniform from Grade 1 to Grade 6 and had used only one notebook every school year),” Josephine recalled.

Coming from a big family, simply taking shelter under a nipa house, with parents earning just enough to feed 8 mouths at home, Josephine had seen the dire need of her family an augmentation on their daily income for survival.

Thus, as early as eight years old, she started helping her mother peddling fish, live chickens, piglets, goat and other animals consigned to them by their neighbor. They would also participate in the auctions in Mantalungon Livestock Market in Barili every Thursday and in Dumanjug Livestock Market during Sundays while her father also worked as a laborer in a farm entrusted to them.

After finishing primary school, her struggles in wanting to pursue a good education continued as she stepped in her first year in high school. Not missing a single day in class, joining some campus activities and accomplishing school projects had been a constant burden to Josephine as her parents were still unable to financially support them in their studies.

She had tried her luck in Cebu City and worked as a house helper while pursuing her remaining 3 years in high school where she finally graduated and received a scholarship for college.

She was one of the recipients of the Cebu City Scholarship that provides Php 10,000 worth of scholarship cheque per semester to each student who will be entering college to sustain their pursuit of good education. Going back to her hometown with the scholarship she had, eager to pursue a degree, Josephine excitedly enrolled herself in the Cebu Technological University (CTU) Dumanjug Campus.

But finishing first year in college was an uphill struggle to Josephine. The educational subsidy unfortunately wasn’t sustainable. Her daily expenses in school, projects, books and the miscellaneous payments remain a steady ball and chain.

Trying to weigh things, thinking of her other younger siblings and the need of her parents of someone to help them in providing food on the table, Josephine felt the urge to go back to the city. She went back to Cebu City and for the second time has worked as an all-around house helper doing household chores, errands and even looking after more than 20 cats/dogs of her boss and taking the stewardship of the different plants for sale of her employer.

She has never been satisfied in the kind of job she had earned only Php 2,500 per month, which was totally inadequate for her daily essentials and for her family left in Dumanjug. Hence, two months after she decided to leave her employer.

Soon after, she got hired as a sales clerk in a lumber and hardware store in Talisay City. There was a free accommodation while she earned Php 3,600 a month and was still able to send some for her family and support financially her younger siblings in school. It was a relief for Josephine getting that job which aide her constantly supporting her parents and other siblings.

It was also during that time, year 2010, that they became one of the beneficiaries of the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s (DSWD) Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program, otherwise known as the 4Ps.

With the Php 500 monthly health grant, Php 600 monthly rice subsidy and a monthly education grant for her 3 siblings worth Php 1,100, Josephine couldn’t be any grateful how these aid have added convenience in their daily subsistence.

Knowing that her other younger siblings are already getting constant support for their studies from the Pantawid Pamilya and not experiencing the same hitches she’d undergone before, Josephine saw a glimmer of hope. A hope that her dream of pursuing a degree will soon be fulfilled. Maybe not by her, but by her other siblings.

“Para man gud nako, ang edukasyon ang usa sa mga labing importante nga hinagiban kung mo sulong ka og gubat – gubat dili sa katilingban, apan gubat sa pagpakigbatok sa atong ka-kabus (Because for me, education is one of the most important weapons in a war – against poverty),” expressed Josephine.

Three years after working in a hardware store, Josephine’s boss has introduced and entrusted to her a new business. She vended a solar powered equipment which unfortunately didn’t click. Until one time, two strangers looked for her. She expected them to be her potential buyer of her product, but it turned out that they were looking for a house helper. She was promised that if she wants to finish her studies, they can negotiate with it.

Excited that it might be the opportunity she has been waiting for, tomorrow after, she accepted the offer. She started during the month of August and everything went well. She was well paid and well treated. Until such when she enrolled during the second semester of the school year at Saint Paul College Foundation in Talisay City, Cebu that she started another uphill struggle because all her salary is allotted for her tuition fee.

Every day she had to scrimp and save for her other expenses in school. The Php 50 daily allowance was basically not enough, and so she maneuvered her way to surviving every day in school despite the limited resources she had. With the permission of her boss, she would sell chili peppers from their backyard to restaurants or markets near her school or sometimes would trade them with food for her lunch.

“Sometimes, if the restaurant would refuse to buy, I would go to a market and trade the chili pepper with food for my lunch,” Josephine amusingly recalled.

All those she had willingly done to make her way in chasing her desire to get a degree, as she wanted to improve the dire status of her family.

In 2014, her journey as an Expanded Students Grant-in-Aid Program for Poverty Alleviation (ESGP-PA) grantee commenced as she enrolled herself in Cebu Technological University (CTU) Main Campus in Cebu City and took up Bachelor of Education Major in Pre-Elementary and Technical Livelihood Education.

Her journey as a college student with the ESGP-PA assistance was a whole lot different. Her tuition and miscellaneous fees for four years were shouldered by the program and she was also provided with Php 3,500 monthly stipend. Apart from that, a lot of opportunities have been opened for her that molded her to be well-rounded individual worthy of emulation.

The chance of traveling to different places was unlocked, leadership trainings and seminars that directed to her personality growth were also opened and her passion of doing community outreach programs has been constantly utilized.

As the president of the pioneering ESGP-PA organization she established in the campus, she initiated different outreach activities realized by all of the ESGP-PA grantees in their university.

Among the community outreach activities, she initiated were the Feeding Program of 200 kids from Brgy. Carreta, Cebu City, a gift-giving activity to street dwellers entitled ‘ESGP-PA is coming to town!’ and the charitable giving of school supplies to students every year.

Josephine wanted to drill to her co-scholars a spirit of generosity and let other indigent people experience the delightful feeling of being blessed, the feeling they are presently enjoying.

“I was thinking how I could repay the government for the help they have given to me. Since the money given to us is from the tax of the people, I have to give back to other people. That’s why I strive to push through with our outreach activities,” she added.

Josephine believes a good education should not only be manifested intellectually but it should also be manifested in the kind of attitude that you have for the rest of the people around you.

With the support from the government scholarship through the ESGP-PA she was able to straighten her path towards achieving a good education which she believes a saving rope that would help them get out of poverty.

Now, looking at her name on the list of the official candidates for graduation, after the long years of perseverance and the roller coaster ride she’d been through, she couldn’t help but get emotional. Tears welled up in her eyes as she called her parents informing them that their soon to be teacher will be marching heads high very soon.

For Josephine, she believes that a way always seems to open up for a person who is will-powered with full valor to combat against adversities in the journey towards achieving a degree.

“Kahibaw ko nga libre rang mangandoy. Kinahanglan lang gyud nako nga maningkamot para sa among kalampusan ug sa maayong kaugmaon dili lang para nako, but para sad sa akong pamilya ug sa nasod (I know that to dream is free. I just need to work hard for our success, not just for my future but for the future of my family and the nation),” added Josephine.

On April 9, 2018, after hopping in to different educational institutions and making unwanted pauses in pursuing her studies, Josephine has finally marched jubilantly waving her diploma with full pride wearing the glimmering smile of victory.

With her sheer tenacity, she finished her studies and bagged the Outstanding Officer award, recognizing her excellent leadership skill.

As she finished her degree in Bachelor in Elementary Education major in Pre-Elementary and Technical Livelihood Education she desires not just to inculcate academic knowledge to her students but to also inspire them how to survive in a bumpy road towards realizing a dream by sharing her life story.

She hopes that her desire to reach out and serve the public will continually be realized when she step in the door of the teaching profession. ###

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