By Atty. Antonio P. Pekas
She used to work at the Department of Agriculture-CAR as information officer. She would also be contributing her time with us as a copy editor and columnist. Then she left the DA-CAR for whatever reason. Perhaps due to lack of professional challenge. Well, by and large, you don’t get that in government. What you get is the reverse, boredom if not professional deterioration. Or you get entangled in intrigues, backbiting, the effects of professional jealousy and politics which can end up in so many things like deteriorating heath—physical or mental, etc. But what do we know? She might have left the DA-CAR because of a broken heart.
Then for a while she was teaching English in a Korean school here in Baguio. Perhaps she didn’t find it there, so she moved on. She ended up teaching English in China. Whether in a Chinese school or a Korean school operating there, I really don’t know. Does it really matter? They look the same anyway. She once paid us an unexpected visit with a big cheese pizza when she came home for a break. That was great. We had a great gastronomic time with that pizza. It tasted really good even if it contributed substantially to my already high triglyceride level. You know, things taste a lot better when they are free.
When she appeared on our door that day, I almost didn’t recognize her as she looked a lot more beautiful with the almost blonde hair that was really becoming to her.
She studied at Saint Louis University and she also studied at Tacher’s College, New Jersey. That is a solid educational background that could earn her daily bread and butter anywhere in the world.
I thought she was happily “Englishing” her way around Shanghai when I received an email from her. Then I found out she had been sitting on her ass in Tabuk City the past 5 months. While she is from there, her parents trace their roots to Besao, Mtn. Prov.
That five months in Tabuk was such a long time, more so that 3 months of that was the time when the country was locked down. No wonder the wanted to write to forestall her being brought to the menatl hospital.
Then I got her on Facebook. I messaged her. What would we name your column space in the paper? Space for the landed? Millionaires row? For dollar earners only? While sitting on my ass?
She did not like any of those. The she said, you did not even ask the subject matter I will be writing on. I said, being a good writer, you can make something out of nothing. Does not really matter to me. Then she revealed that she wanted to be the voice of OFWs. Great. That is great. They really need a voice. Having said these, she now has to deliver. Huh!
She is A.C.C.Delen. Annie Candy Claire Delen.
For the name of her space she chose, look for her corner somewhere in the pages of this issue.
The message of this article is not just to blubber about one of our writers. It is to deliver the fact that with a solid education you can survive anywhere in the world. Education is the great equalizer. So the younger generation of Cordillerans must strive very hard to get a good solid education.
A shitty education means a shitty future anywhere in the world.**
