Testimony of Sophia Marie V. Ynion
4Ps beneficiary
VALDERRAMA, Antique – As Charles R. Swindoll says, “Life is 10% what happens to us and 90% how we react to it. My life is not as extraordinary as others may have. It may not be heroic like that of Rizal, not as inspiring as that of Oprah, and most especially not as saintly as that of Mother Teresa. My life is ordinary as everyone else’s life, but I consider every single thing that happened to me as a gift.
My life would not be a complete gift without the story of my parents and of course my family. It started with my mom, and my dad and they got me! My father, a native of Brgy. Borocboroc, Valderrama, Antique, was born to be a farmer. He has no fixed and regular source of income but he sees to it that we never get hungry. My mother is from Brgy. Cansilayan, of the same town and came from a family of farmers, too. So, when I was born, I was trained to do just what farmers do. I have experienced plowing the field and planting palay, peanut, and mongo seeds. I have also harvested what we have planted, and I have been tending our cattle.
As a simple girl living in a place away from all the noise and industrialization, I am just contented to do what others usually do. To wake up in the morning, go to school, eat, play, sleep, and repeat. I have nothing much going on in my mind. I had been a very slow learner back when I was a child. I had experienced attending classes on the streets because of the devastation brought by Typhoon Frank in our place. Later, I transferred to another school since our barangay is from the other side of the river. Oftentimes, the river overflows, and our teachers can’t cross the river.
I graduated as a Class Valedictorian of Pandanan Elementary School however, despite this success, I am enduring homesickness, especially during my first year. I have learned to be independent having to do things on my own. As a high school student, my normal destination would be from school to boarding house and vice versa. Others may find it boring, but I am comfortable with it. I have mastered the art of everything I have, which is all hand-me-down. It has been our norm to eat dried fish in all our meals every day. I am contented with a hundred-peso allowance per week which includes my fare allowance. Despite everything, I graduated With Honors in high school and K-12.
After graduating from senior high school, I am planning to enroll in the University of Antique for it is the nearest and most convenient school. I was challenged by a friend to expand my horizon. They accompanied me to enroll in any university in Iloilo City. Since my decision was late, I missed almost all the entrance examinations of the state colleges and universities.
Luckily, I was able to take the entrance examination at Central Philippine University (CPU). Even though I failed the scholarship exam for honor students, I still enrolled in the university. The first year of my college days had been tough because our family has nothing. To compensate for my tuition during my first year, our uncles and aunts lend us some money. I joined the work-study student program of the university and gladly I was accepted and assigned to the office of the Vice President for Finance and Administration. It was quite exhausting to attend classes as well as to work but it was worth it.
As a student assistant, I have gained friends, I have understood clerical work, and most especially, I have continued my studies because of our compensation. My lodging is free but in return, I should work for it. To save more of my allowances, I only have pickled bamboo shoots and peanut syrup for my meals.
Things go well for me but unexpectedly, my mother had cancer and later died during my second year of college. Her loss broke my heart to the point of almost quitting my studies. Thankfully, with the guidance of my father and relatives, I have surpassed the death of our mother, the challenge of poor internet connectivity, and the hardship of finding whatever scholarship for me to sustain my studies.
Borrowing the lyrics of a song by Fearless Soul, “a bad day isn’t a bad life”. There have been a lot of bad days in my life but it is not everything to it. My life is only a season, here now gone tomorrow. Like a good harvest, it started with the preparation of the land, sowing the seeds, taking care of the crops, and harvesting; my life is just like that. My parents prepared me, they sowed seeds of good morals and dedication. My teachers and my colleagues support me all the way and now, I am harvesting a good harvest. I graduated Magna Cum Laude in college. The best gift I have ever received. The diploma I have received and the medal I wore, I offer to my late mother and to my father. They are all my inspiration and I worked hard because of them. On my next journey, the best is yet to come, therefore, I will prepare for it.
As I look back, I see how much I’ve grown, and how far I have traveled through each and every storm. I surpassed everything. It has only been a season, a moment. My hardships ad struggles are now replaced with achievements. I know that better days will come and I prepared for them. For the next journey, HERE I COME!