Stories of inspiration

Welded Hearts: Pagpapanday sa Pinagtagpong Puso

Ang Happy Ever After ng Dalawang PSFI scholar

Parte ng SKIL Scholars Batch 2014 sina Marina “Rina” Ramirez – Efsiaca at Rolando “Roland” Efsiaca, Jr.. Sa hindi inaasahang pagkakataon, nagkrus ang kanilang landas noong 2014 sa programa habang nagsusumikap para sa kani-kanilang pangarap.
 
Ang SKIL ay isa sa mga scholarship program ng Pilipinas Shell Foundation, Inc. (PSFI). Dito ay nabibigyan ng libreng pagsasanay ang mga iskolar sa iba’t ibang teknikal na kurso tulad ng automotive mechanic, consumer electronics, structural welding, at iba pa. Isa ang Batangas sa lugar na pinagsisilbihan ng PSFI.
 
“Naku, Malaking bagay [ang SKIL scholarship]. Kulang-kulang walong taon ako naging welder. Kung hindi ako naging scholar ng Shell [Foundation], hindi ko matututunan kung paano yung ginagawa ko ngayon para sa pamilya ko—” ani Roland.
 
“Mas madali makahanap ng trabaho. Kasi bukod sa skilled po kami, may training din po kami ng safety leadership. Under din po ng PSFI. Mas malaking bagay din po sa safety,” dagdag ni Rina.
 
Bilang parehas na mag-aaral ng kurso, madalas magkasama noon ang dalawa sa training. Isa sa hindi nila malilimutang bahagi ng kanilang pagsasanay ay ang kanilang Leadership Enhancement and Attitude Development (LEAD) workshop. Hindi lamang nahasa ang kanilang mga kasanayan, kundi napagtagumpayan din nila ang kanilang pagiging mahiyain. “Malaking tulong [ang LEAD workshop] para sa mga hindi pa sanay humarap sa iba’t ibang klase ng tao; tinuturo nila doon,” bahagi ni Roland.
 
Sabay sila noong pumapasok at umuuwi sa mga training ng PSFI. Unti-unti silang pinaglapit ng tadhana.
 
Ang kanilang kimika, na hindi maitago, ay naging paboritong biruan din ng kanilang mga kaklase. Kaya naman sa pagkakataong nagsama-sama sila sa iisang boarding house ay tuluyan nang natunaw ang kanilang mga puso para sa isa’t isa. Noong 2015, opisyal na nagsimula ang kanilang matamis na pagmamahalan.
 
Pagkatapos ng apprenticeship sa SKIL, ang kanilang mga pangarap at ambisyon ay nagpatuloy nang magkasama. Kapwa silang nakapasok sa inaplayang trabaho sa Shell. Ngayon, halos isang dekada na ang nakalipas, masayang binabalikan ng mag-asawa ang kanilang pagiging mga aplikante ng SKIL hanggang sa pagbuo ng kanilang sariling pamilya sa kasalukuyan. Sa kabila ng mga pagsubok, sila ay pinagtagpo at hinubog ng kanilang mahabang karanasan. Kaya’t payo nila sa mga katulad nilang umiibig:
 
“Patuloy lang kung ano ang gusto [nilang] marating at kung sino ang kanilang gustong makasama’t ibigin—gawan ng paraan.”
 
Para kina Roland at Rina, ang edukasyon, pangarap, at pagmamahal ang papanday sa walang hanggang posibilidad—kaya’t ito’y dapat gawan ng paraan. Hinubog ng pagsisikap, hindi lang bokasyon ang natagpuan ng ating dalawang iskolar, kundi pati ang makakasama panghabambuhay.
 
Gusto mo na rin bang maging iskolar tulad nila? Alamin dito kung paano: http://tinyurl.com/SKIL-Application
 

Related stories:

From Home Kitchen to City Hall: Maricris Senados’ Journey of Grit and Growth

From a home kitchen to a food stall at Tagbilaran City Hall, Maricris Senados’ journey reflects quiet determination and shared progress. Once a full-time housewife running a small sari-sari store and selling homemade snacks online, Maricris took a chance when an opportunity arose. Through PSFI’s Shell LiveWIRE program, with the support of Shell Pilipinas Corporation, she received assistance that allowed her to save on costs, reinvest in her business, and steadily grow her livelihood. At the same time, her son earned a technical scholarship under SKIL, enabling them to train and graduate together. Today, as her food stall often sells out by early afternoon, Maricris continues to build toward her dream of a permanent cooking space—showing how timely support, partnership, and perseverance can turn small beginnings into sustainable livelihoods.

PSFI and Shell Pilipinas Corporation Celebrate 2025 Tagbilaran Culmination Day, Honoring Community Enterprises and Local Partnerships

PSFI and Shell Pilipinas Corporation celebrated the 2025 Tagbilaran Culmination Day, marking key milestones of the Tagbilaran Social Development Program and the impact of strong local partnerships.

The event highlighted the completion of the 2025 Shell LiveWIRE Program by three community enterprises and recognized broader community initiatives, including school support, coastal cleanups, and disaster relief efforts. The gathering underscored a shared commitment to sustaining community progress in Tagbilaran.

In Memory of Cesar A. Buenaventura

Cesar A. Buenaventura shaped not only institutions, but the character and purpose of the people who worked with him. As the founding chairman of Pilipinas Shell Foundation, Inc., he was a principled leader who combined firmness with empathy, demanded excellence, and remained unwavering in doing what was right. In this personal reflection, PSFI Executive Director Sebastian C. Quiniones Jr. shares memories of CAB’s quiet but lasting influence, and the values that continue to guide the Foundation’s service to others.

BCFI and PSFI Celebrate 99 Caregiver Graduates, Opening Pathways to Employment and Transformation

BCFI and PSFI recently celebrated the graduation of 99 caregiver scholars under the MetamorphoCare 2025 program, held at Eastwood Richmonde Hotel in Quezon City. The ceremony highlighted powerful stories of second chances, from working mothers and sidewalk vendors to determined breadwinners who turned challenges into opportunities through education and skills training.

Through the Technical Vocational Caregiving Scholarship Program, part of a five–year partnership between BCFI and PSFI, scholars are equipped with NC II certification, career readiness, and direct access to employment opportunities through career talks and a linkages fair with hiring partners. Beyond certificates, the graduates carry renewed dignity, hope, and purpose as they step into their roles as caregivers, ready to uplift their families and serve communities with compassion.

Anchored by Love: The Story of Bong Fernan Tumanda

For years, former seafarer Bong Fernan Tumanda crossed oceans to provide for his family, spending more time at sea than at home. When the pandemic hit and his wife was pregnant, he chose to come home for good and start over through PSFI’s SKIL program in Electrical Installation and Maintenance. Today, Bong works close to his family, helps grow their small business, and treasures simple moments with his children, proving that with courage, faith, and the right support, a father’s love can chart a new course home.