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
 

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