Filipino Counselor Talks About Her Work in a Migrant Service Center in Korea

Trigger warnings: Mentions of death and sexual harrassment

Last year, she received a phone call. Kim Loida Degollado checked it, and it was from a Philippine migrant worker she knew was pregnant.

As the Filipino Counselor at the Siheung Migrant Service Center in South Korea, Kim Loida Degollado assists Filipino migrant workers assigned in Siheung. The pregnant Filipino woman who texted her that night was one of those.

“Ate (a word in Filipino language referring to an older female), my stomach is aching. I don’t know what to do…” the woman on the phone said. Loida asked if her husband was her. When they replied that they were together, she told them to go to the hospital and that she would meet them there.

As a Filipino counselor, one of her job’s responsibilities was this: accompanying Filipino migrant workers whenever they had to go to the hospital or the police. She acts as the translator for the migrant workers.

In an interview through ZOOM, Loida narrated one of the unforgettable experiences as a Filipino Counselor at the Siheung Migrant Service Center. Her answers were in Filipino and translated to English for this article.

She went to the hospital to accompany the Filipino couple, translating for them and the Korean doctors. However, she was not prepared for what came next.

The baby inside the woman’s womb came out lifeless.

And since the couple does not speak Korean fluently, Loida was the one who took responsibility for delivering the baby to the funeral parlor and the one who arranged the hospital forms and bills.

She cried a ton, days after. Even if the child is not her own, she felt like the child’s guardian because of the huge amount of time she spent arranging things related to the child.

“Why?” I asked. “What urged you to take responsibility for the child?”

She answered that because it was her job. “They both don’t know how to speak Korean [so], it would be my job to do it as the counselor.”

“How can you get by knowing that you may experience more things like this? Or much worse than this because of the job that you have?” I asked another.

“Because it’s not the worst thing that I have experienced,” Loida answered.

Photo from Kim Loida Degollado.

The most common migrant workers they assist in Siheung Migrant Service Center are the EPS workers. EPS or the Employment Permit System is a program established by the Republic of Korea in partnership with several countries in order for the Korean government to source people from those partner countries to safely work as factory workers in Korea. People who got accepted under the EPS are referred to as EPS workers.

One of the partner countries is the Philippines, where Kim Loida Degollado was born and raised. She first worked as a factory worker in Korea before the EPS was established, and in her work, she met her, now, Korean husband. And since the early 2000s, Loida’s been living in Korea for good. Even then, she never forgot her fellow Filipinos. She helps them in whatever way she can even before she got her job at the migrant center.

Now, at Siheung Migrant Service Center, she is the Filipino Counselor, assisting whatever the Filipino migrant workers may need. Other counselors like her at her workplace from different countries such as Vietnam, Uzbekistan, Thailand, Nepal, China, and Cambodia. Together, they all assist the migrant workers from their home countries.

There are two most common situations they deal with in their job as counselors. First is the unfair treatment or discrimination of Korean employers to migrant workers. Some Korean employers don’t follow the contract like their workers’ overtime pay and payment for the dormitory.

And the second situation that they commonly deal with is sexual harassment done by employers to the women migrant workers.

Many female Filipino migrant workers in Korea experience sexual harassment from their employers but go unreported for many reasons, as told by Loida. First, they are afraid to lose the job that allows them to earn 7x to 10x more than the minimum wage in the Philippines. Second, they are scared that the police will not believe them, given that they are foreigners.

Due to the numerous cases of sexual harassment that migrant workers experience from their employers or co-workers, the Korean government conducted several seminars for them about what they should do when someone has harassed/or is harassing them. The problem, according to Loida, was the seminars were in the Korean language.

One of the number one struggles of migrant workers is the language barrier. Even though EPS aspirants must pass a Korean language exam before working in Korea as factory workers, they still struggle with the Korean language.

“The people who attend the seminars lose interest because they don’t even understand. That’s why I hope the Philippine embassy creates these kinds of seminars for our EPS workers,” she shares, “It’s great if there are seminars at least three times a year because that would be a great help.”

Moreover, Loida receives many calls and messages from migrant workers asking how to register for certain services or fill up or renew forms because most sites are written in Korean. If they switched the website language to English, the translation would be inaccurate and harder to understand. Noticing this common problem, she started creating tutorial videos in her Youtube channel, Loi D Vlog, dedicated to Philippine EPS workers who need assistance registering for certain services or filling up forms in Korean. All in the Filipino language. This also makes sure that even Filipino migrant workers in other cities in Korea can access this information and not just those Filipinos she assists in Siheung.

Photo from Kim Loida Degollado.

One of the hardest parts of her job as a counselor for Philippine migrant workers was feeling helpless. As a counselor, she can only do so much, from translating, assisting them in taking action against unfair treatments, to accompanying them to the hospital/police. Sometimes, the best thing that she can do is listen to them as they share their struggles in their work.

“In the past, I used to bring all my problems from work to my home. I kept thinking, ‘how can I help them?'” she recalls, “It was really hard because you feel like you are the only person who can assist them. You want to fix their problems, but you can’t do anything. Sometimes, the only thing that you can do is to cry.”

“All of us [at work] get sick due to overthinking.” she continues, “But almost four years of working here, I learned now how to set up boundaries. If I am at work, I would think of what to do, but after I leave? I leave it at work as well. You can’t bring the problems at your work to your home, and you can’t bring the problems at your home to your work.”

At first, even when she’s at home or on her rest days, she answers her phone, which she now admits is wrong. Her mental health and taking care of her own family are also important.

But there came a time when Loida’s mental health went spiraling after an incident of an EPS worker.

She shared that the worst experience in her job was when she had to be the one to video call a wife of a Filipino migrant worker. The latter died due to an accident at the factory he was working at. A machine containing gallons of hot water exploded and ended upon him, and he died due to it. Loida was the one who went to the morgue carrying a smartphone where the wife of the man was on a video call. She showed the man’s burned body to his wife, meaning she also had to see it. She could not sleep for more than a month after it.

“How can you keep going at your job? Even after experiencing that?” I asked.

“I got used to it,” she answered. Although it took time for her to be able to sleep properly without it hunting her mind, she still kept going.

And what kept her going?

Whenever an EPS worker that she assisted arrived back in the Philippines after they had finished their contract and sent her a picture together with a thank you. Or when an EPS worker sends her their vaccination photo with a thank you because she assisted them during registration.

“Whenever EPS workers are going home [back to the Philippines], before they board the airplane, [they would message me], ‘Ma’am, I am now boarding the plane. Thank you very much.’” She shares, “That’s when it got me thinking that I would still do this job even if I am tired. It’s not that important, but their thank yous are a big thing [to me]. That’s what makes me happy.”

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“They don’t even know that we struggle a lot,” Loida answered when asked what the Korean government does to aid the struggles in their work or for migrant workers. “Every December, people from city hall talk to us and ask what are the problems that the migrant workers are facing. But that’s it. Only questions.”

“Meaning, they don’t have concrete plans on how to deal with those problems?” I followed up.

“Yes.” she agreed. “But I also understand that it’s not easy to make laws or enact changes.”

One of the things she wishes is to allow EPS workers to pick jobs finally. Employers pick EPS workers depending on their exam results, skill test, and gender. In other words, EPS workers do not choose what industry they will work in as factory workers. Some are unlucky to be working in a factory that involves carrying large materials, which end up in them going back to the Philippines even before their contract ends due to how hard it is. But most remain even when, on most days, their bodies couldn’t take it. They endure it. For their families.

“What I wish to happen is for the EPS workers to be given a chance to seek their own factory work. That whenever they struggle with the factory work that they were assigned in, they don’t have to beg their employers to switch to other factories [where their bodies can take in the work].” she says, “Because there are EPS workers that are enduring the work [even if their bodies can’t handle it]. However, some just go back home to the Philippines. There are cases of people who breach their contracts because they can’t handle the work anymore.”

“These workers work hard, so why can’t they let the workers have the freedom to change jobs to where they are more comfortable?”

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Currently, Loida lives in Korea with her Korean husband and their children. She had seen a lot of things in just nearly four years of working at Siheung Migrant Service Center, but she continues to keep going. In the end, she hopes that the life of migrant workers in Korea will be easier and their problems addressed. She’s in it for the long run. She will continue to aid her fellow Filipinos in Korea until the end of their contracts and help them safely return to the Philippines.

“Think about your reason why you are here. There are many reasons why Filipinos join the EPS. The main one is for them to earn money for their family. So that’s what you should always think of.” she advises current EPS workers in Korea, “And just because you are here to earn money for your family, it does not mean that you will ignore the unfair treatment and discrimination of your employers. You have to seek help. You are here for your family, not for the Koreans. And you do not owe any debt to your employer or the company that gives you a salary because you work hard for it. That is what I always tell them.”

Filipino Migrant Shares Life in Korea as a Factory Worker

First published in Korea.net

Hearing and seeing his wife in pain as she delivered their first child, he couldn’t help but be sad. Dharnel Acebo, a Filipino-national and a factory worker in Korea, had been with her wife virtually throughout her labor and delivery journey. 

As a migrant worker abroad, this is one of the moments he had to miss, to make a living for his family. He had to take in the tedious and repeated work as a factory worker five days a week to achieve his dreams. One of those is so that he and his family could live more comfortably when he is finally back in the Philippines. But on most days, it’s not easy, especially in a country like Korea where you don’t speak their language fluently and a place far away from where your wife and child are.

In an interview, Dharnel shared his life as a factory worker in Korea. His answers were in Filipino and translated to English for this article.

Day in and day out. Same work. Same process. Different day. For 10 to 12 hours. That’s the daily work life of factory workers worldwide, and it’s not so much different for Dharnel Acebo, who’s working as a factory worker in Korea under the EPS program.

EPS or the Employment Permit System is a program established by the Republic of Korea in partnership with the Philippines and other nations so that Korea can directly source people in those participating countries to work as factory workers in Korea safely.

It sounds like a dream come true, especially for Dharnel, who watches Korean dramas even before knowing about EPS. Unfortunately, his expectations fell short.

The tourist spots were great. Dharnel even goes to a tourist spot at least once a month with other EPS workers, and it definitely met his expectations. But the work didn’t.

At first, of course, he was excited. Being in Korea, a country that he only used to see in KDramas and earning 4x to 6x of what he usually earns back in the Philippines, who wouldn’t be excited? But in exchange for all of it was that he had to deal with a lot of things that he hadn’t been prepared for nor even knew.

He hadn’t expected that he would struggle with Korean food. 

“Their foods are more on the spicy side,” Dharnel said. “Even the soup is spicy. The vegetables? Spicy. Pork? Spicy.”

“So you do not like spicy foods?” I asked.

“Not really. I like them just right. But if I eat spicy foods every day, I do not enjoy them that much at all.” He answered. 

And not just food. He also had to deal with the language barrier.

Before coming to Korea, EPS aspirants must pass a Korean language exam that only happens once a year. Dharnel had to take it twice before passing because he failed the 2017 exam. But even so, after studying Hangul for two years, balancing it with his full-time job back in the Philippines, he still struggled to speak Korean fluently.

“Most of the time at work, you are just quiet. But back in the Philippines, you are talkative. You just talk to anyone. When I was in the Philippines, I could just speak in my language to anyone, and we would understand each other. But here, you have to think of what you say first… You have to think of ‘’What is the Korean word for this again?’ Or you would have to search first on the internet for the answer,”

And to top it all, he also learned how to deal with his job.

Factory work can be soul-sucking for all the repetition you have to do day in and out and for twelve hours a day, five days a week. So, honestly, for Dharnel, he doesn’t enjoy his job. His job can be enjoyable through his workmates from the Philippines as well, but the work itself is not. However, he had to do it. For his dreams. For his family.

“The thought of ‘I can’t do this anymore. I’m so fed up and exhausted.’ will never fade away because there really are days that the work is extremely tiring, especially since it’s [constantly the same] over and over again.” he says, “There are also times when you don’t understand orders [of your boss]. There are times when your boss gets mad. But you get through it. It’s exhausting, but I keep going.”

“I just always remember why I’m here in Korea.” He said.

And his enduring bear fruit. In just seven months of working in Korea, he finally achieved one of his dreams: to propose to his girlfriend, now his wife.

“Back when I was in the Philippines, I wanted to marry my girlfriend, but then I said, it’s not enough. Until when do I have to work? It would take me years to achieve my dreams.” Dharnel said. “Here in Korea, in less than a year, I already did what I wanted to do: marry my girlfriend.”

In this article’s introduction, the woman is his girlfriend that he’s talking about and now his wife. In 2019, he surprised her with an engagement ring he bought in Korea by coming home to the Philippines earlier than planned. They got married last 2020, before the pandemic, and now, they have a child.

Even with all the struggles Dharnel faced, the repeated work as a factory worker, and the moments he had to miss out on, he is still grateful that he is in Korea right now.

“Good thing that I am in Korea right now because then I was able to marry my girlfriend. If I weren’t in Korea, I wouldn’t have been able to afford to pay the bills.” Dharnel says, “Good thing that I am in Korea because if not, then I wouldn’t be able to save up money and prepare for the future.”

In most cases, EPS workers in Korea are only allowed to stay in Korea for ten years. And he plans to keep going. He has more or less five years more before the end of his contract and he plans to make the most out of it—investing money for the future, sharing lessons and tips for EPS aspirants through his Youtube channel, and capturing memories through videos so that in the end, his child can watch what his father experienced.

Vlogging became his creative outlet and one of his sources of joy after half a day of unfulfilling factory work. In his vlogs, he shows the reality of working in Korea, both good and bad. He frequently shares tips, and as someone who did self-study Hangul, he uploads Hangul tutorials in Filipino for EPS aspirants in the Philippines. 

“The main reason why I started vlogging is for the memories. When the time comes that I come home again in the Philippines, my child will watch and see that I’ve been to Korea.” he shares, “Memories are my main reason why I started my Youtube channel. I’m happy that I get to share something with our fellow Filipinos.”

Dharnel admits that he isn’t fluent in Korean and still struggles with the language barrier, but he is proof that you do not need to be an expert to teach things. The fact that you have something to share and are willing to help can make a big difference to people who would want to pass the Korean language test and earn a better living for their families in Korea as a factory worker, like Dharnel. 

“Don’t waste the days. It’s better if you learn something every day because the exam’s only once a year.” he advises EPS aspirants, “And to anyone who wants to work abroad, you should be courageous. You have to think of your dreams and your purpose; why you are here.”

One of the things that drove him to work abroad was his mom.

Last February 6 was Dharnel’s mom’s birthday. In one social media post, he wrote in Filipino, “If I were in Korea back then, you would have been alive today. (English translation)”

Asking him to elaborate on what he wrote, he shared that the same year that he went to Korea was the same year that his mom died. His mom had a heart attack that left half of her body paralyzed. Their hospital bills at that time were skyrocketing every day, and they had to sell some of their possessions and borrow money from people they knew to save her. But, it wasn’t enough.

“That’s why if I were just in Korea [back then], then maybe I would have fought my mama harder because the salary is much bigger here. If I were here then, my mama would have still been alive.”

His sister needed to undergo an operation a few months back, and he finally had done what they couldn’t do before. They can finally afford to do so without breaking the bank-it’s one of those moments that make him feel grateful that he is working in Korea right now. 

Dharnel Acebo’s daily life revolves around working for twelve hours, including lunch, coffee breaks, and overtime, and spending time with his family after video calls. And to break the monotony, he vlogs about his experiences. He visits a tourist spot once a month in Korea with other Filipinos. 

Dharnel admits that he doesn’t enjoy his job. Unlike many, he doesn’t have the luxury to just quit and find a day job that is his ‘passion.’ Throughout almost four years of working in Korea and missing out on the first few memories of his firstborn, there are many times when Dharnel just wants to pack his bags and go home to the Philippines. 

However, he doesn’t. Every time he thinks of it, he immediately thinks of his purpose. The reason why he is in Korea. The reason why he had to be a factory worker, in a country that does not speak the same native language as he does. Because ultimately, it’s for his wife and their child, the people that keep him going through everything.

Ukraine-based Fan Discusses Creating Hilarious Videos about EXO

First published in Korea.net.

It was October 2019 in South Korea when Anastasia, also known as yep4andy on Youtube, found herself standing right outside of SMTOWN Coex Artium waiting with fellow fans for the arrival of Chen, a member of EXO. 

Anastasia is known to many as yep4andy on Youtube with over 400,000 subscribers. For years, she had been making videos about EXO. Many EXO fans credit her videos as their gateway to knowing and becoming a fan of the popular boy group. 

Coming from Ukraine, Anastasia never thought she would ever see EXO in person, not even as she came to Korea for the first time in 2019. When she told her subscribers that she was in Korea, many asked her, “Will you be seeing EXO?”

“I was like, ‘No, guys, just because I am in Korea doesn’t mean that I’ll get to see them.’ ” She told me in an interview via Zoom last January 2022.

However, like it was fated, her trip to Seoul coincided with Chen’s comeback. She went to SMTOWN Coex Atrium after knowing that Chen would hold a fansign in the place.

She found herself standing outside of the establishment with fellow EXO-Ls at the dead of the night, waiting for Chen to arrive. And Anastasia almost missed her chance. 

She almost went home because she didn’t feel comfortable walking back to her apartment at night, especially since she’s a tourist. Luckily, several fans waiting recognized her from her videos and made her feel safe. If it weren’t for them, and ultimately, if it weren’t because she was making videos on her Youtube channel, she would have missed the opportunity to see a member of the group that she has been a fan of for years.

“I was kind of scared to go alone at night. But since people knew who I was, it made me feel safe, so I stayed,” she recalls, “So I saw him (Chen) just getting out of the car and just walked into the building, somehow that was still also memorable because you never think that if you became a fan of someone who lives across the world, you never think that I will actually see them someday and yet, I got to see them.”

For Anastasia, that moment—seeing Chen—made her think that it wouldn’t be possible if she were not making videos on Youtube about EXO.

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Anastasia’s content on her Youtube channel is mostly videos about EXO, added with her own jokes. She started her own content because she hadn’t found the content she wanted to watch, which was surprising. After all, around 2018, when she began, EXO had already been around for six years and is considered one of the top groups in KPOP.

“I used to see GIFs and little videos of Chanyeol (member of EXO) getting startled from like noises and fireworks. His reactions were always so funny, and I wanted to show my friend,” Anastasia recalls, “But when I went to Youtube and typed ‘Chanyeol getting scared or startled compilation,’ I couldn’t find a video. So I just started to make my own and show my own video to my friend. And yeah, that’s when I made my first video.”

What started as a gift for her friend became a gift to many. Many EXO-Ls and other non-EXO fans watch her videos and have a good laugh because of how her videos are structured. Anastasia emphasizes the funny moments of EXO in variety shows, interviews, live broadcasts, and dramas, then adds fandom inside jokes based on the members’ reactions and facial expressions. 

Anastasia’s process when creating is: she would have her Notes app ready wherein she would type timestamps from the video she’s watching—bookmarking the moments where she could add her own joke or EXO said something funny. Afterward, she goes to her editing software, beginning the long process of editing a video that she will publish on her channel.

“I’m glad that people like my content and that I can help more people see EXO and get to know them even though that wasn’t the plan when I started creating videos. I didn’t think that making funny videos would end up in a lot of people becoming EXO fans. I just thought [that] a bunch of people would maybe laugh at my videos.” Anastasia said.

With over 400,000 subscribers, she makes money from her Youtube channel, yep4andy, making EXO content and sometimes getting gifts from people who watched her videos. But the popularity is a double-edged sword.

Having large followers made Anastasia a little paranoid every time she posts something, knowing that an unintentional mistake could give her a lot of hate in return. But the good thing about Anastasia is that she doesn’t take criticism personally. 

“I try to keep in mind that a lot of people aren’t really trying to hate me. They are in a way just looking out for EXO,” she says, “I try to ask other EXO-Ls when I post something. I just show them a screenshot and ask, ‘Is this okay to joke about?’ like ‘is it visible that I’m joking, or is this sarcastic?”

“People helped me with that, and if something’s wrong, people let me know when I changed stuff,” she continues, “People are definitely helpful and not just hateful for just being hateful.”

What surprised Anastasia the most is the kindness she receives from people she doesn’t even know and people who do not even know her personally. 

In her vlog about unboxing EXO’s Kai Peaches album, she shared that a website in Ukraine where she ordered the album knew her and watched her videos. So they decided to gift her the album at no cost. Anastasia, also, had been receiving multiple DMs of people reminding her that it’s not the end of the world or that it’s okay whenever she makes mistakes.

“Even whenever I get hate, I have people in DMs, just dm-ing me to make sure that I am okay and just telling that ‘not everyone hates you and if you make a mistake then that’s not the end of the world. We still see you for who you are.’ ” Anastasia shares, “I really appreciate that from people ’cause they don’t have to do that. They are strangers, and yet they are over there making sure that [I’m okay].”

She continues to create videos about EXO because she enjoys doing so even when she sometimes feels anxious. The fact that there are strangers who send her encouraging an appreciation message even when they aren’t obligated to do so allows her to keep going.

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Four years have passed since she started making content, and Anastasia has no plans of stopping even when EXO will not have a full group comeback for a few more years since some members are still/will be enlisting.

“A lot of people tell me ‘while EXO is on hiatus or enlisting, you can just make content about active groups’ but I don’t feel like that’s an option for me, ” Anastasia says, “I feel like you have to be really invested in the group to make the type of content that I want to make. I’m definitely going to keep creating content about EXO. I don’t know for how long I will be able to, but for now, I don’t plan on stopping.”

To fellow EXO-Ls who plan to create videos as well or to anyone who has plans to create videos for their favorite KPOP group, Anastasia advises that it’s going to be okay, and just as she said previously, there will be people who will criticize your work. Still, ultimately, most of them are just only looking out for their favorite KPOP groups.

“I’m really honored to be the one to help people become EXO fans and any fan that is creative and is kinda hesitant, just start posting, we really need more people to make content about EXO,” Anastasia ends, “Even if there are a lot of hates, I think we can still make content guys. Don’t hesitate. If you have any creative bone in your body and are thinking about it, it’s going to be okay. Don’t worry.” 

Korean-National Discusses Her Work As A Live English Translator for Twitter Blueroom and More

You may have seen her real-time English translations during Twitter Blueroom and SM Entertainment live broadcasts. That translation is from none other than Kim Soyeon, a Korean National.

Although she was born in South Korea, Soyeon’s first language is English. Her family moved to Canada when she was just four months old, and that’s how she had English as her first language. They moved back again to Korea and stayed for two years. Eventually, they moved to Myanmar, where she studied at an international school for 13 years before staying for good in South Korea starting in her college years. “I’m actually not very good at Korean,” she jokes.

Her interest in KPOP led her to work for After School Club, a television program of Arirang TV that focuses on KPOP. From there, Soyeon began translating scripts, among other things.

Her work as a live translator began when last September 2020, someone from SM Entertainment called her, who knew her from Arirang, and asked if she could do live English translations for SuperM for their Twitter Blueroom live broadcast

Twitter Blueroom is a space in Twitter where idol artists, actresses, and actors go live to promote their latest works (examples: their new album or movie or drama). The broadcast is mostly an hour and a half long and comprises artists talking, discussing their work, or doing Q and A with fans.

Up for a new adventure and challenge, Soyeon agreed, and during Super M’s broadcast, people from Twitter saw her work and asked if she could continue to do live translations for other artists going live on Twitter Blueroom. And that’s when it started. Since then, she has done live translations for SEVENTEEN, SOMI, 2PM, ATEEZ, SHINEE, AESPA, GOT7, fromis_9, TWICE, CHUNGHA, HWASA, and many more! 

It had been more than a year since she started, and she discussed her work in detail with me

Before the live

“So the most basic thing-since my work is shown on the screen-the spelling and capitalization of group names, members’ names, fandom names; this is the most crucial,” she states, “And 90% of my broadcast is about album releases. So I try to study, not only their new album, but also their previous albums and previous title tracks, b-sidetracks. I also try to watch their other contents and videos to try to know their personalities.”

One thing that worries Soyeon in her current job is translating for a group that she is not familiar with. Every group has their own inside jokes, so if she doesn’t know that, she couldn’t translate it well for overseas fans watching the live broadcast. And so, she makes sure to watch other content and do her research days before the live broadcast.

The Hardest Ones

Until now, she still works regularly for After School Club—translating scripts.

Sometimes, she gets a call from Twitter for Blueroom and lately, in SM Entertainment to do live translations for the broadcasts and comeback showcases of their artists like AESPA, KAI, NCT, and more.

Recently, Super Junior held their 16th-anniversary live broadcast where Soyeon did live English translations for overseas fans. And that broadcast with Super Junior is what she considered the hardest show she had done yet. 

People think that the more people there are, the harder it is. However, Soyeon said that is not the case.

In the case of Super Junior, there may be many members during the live broadcast, but what made it hard for Soyeon was because they all talk fast and are talking simultaneously during the live broadcast. “It’s physically impossible to translate every single sentence that they are saying. So what I try to do is at least, try to summarize it really well at that moment so the fan can at least understand the context of the joke or the situation.”

Fun fact: Soyeon, aka ‘the translator-nim,’ was mentioned by the SuJu members a lot during that broadcast because many real-time comments from fans had been sending her encouraging and supportive comments. They knew that it’s not easy to translate for a group like Super Junior, where many members are talking at once.

Seeing Idols

Working closely with idols led many people to ask her the question: “How are they? Were they good-looking?” ‘They’ pertaining to idols or actors that she does live translations for.

Well, to answer the question, she doesn’t know. “For these live shows, I’m so hectic getting ready. I’m so hectic during the live show that most of the time, after the show, I don’t even remember if I saw them or not,” Soyeon says. “Most of the time, it’s just like that.” 

Memorable experience

Like any job, she has her share of memorable experiences while working.

Topping the list is when artists mention her, in which she shares to me: “I think anytime when the artist mentions me during the live broadcast is interesting because then I have to translate about myself and a lot of the times since they never seen live translating right in front of them, I think, they think that it’s kind of cool. I think they are kind of fascinated by that, so they mentioned it during a live show, and when that happens, I’m kind of startled.”

And another memorable moment is during Bambam’s live broadcast on Twitter Blueroom. BamBam is a member of the group GOT7 and knew how to speak both English and Korean, so he spoke in both during his live. Soyeon found it funny when suddenly BamBam asked her the English translation of the Korean word that he wanted to tell.

In short, the memorable experiences for her are the ones where she felt seen or acknowledged. It is where she is treated as not just a means to an end but rather as a person. She is usually just doing her job-typing, translating, typing, translating, and typing. And so, when an artist mentions her, she finds it fascinating that they acknowledge that she’s there.

Working backstage

As part of the hundred or thousands of people working to make the artists shine, Soyeon feels grateful for all the loving comments after a live broadcast.

During the live show, she can’t see the comments in real-time. After the broadcast had ended, she would scroll on her Twitter to see fans’ reactions to the live broadcast.

“On my Twitter, they leave so many comments, thanking me, which I’m extremely humbled about. I feel like I don’t deserve all this love and support; I just did my job.” she mentions, “And sometimes, I’m not really good at my job. But the comments that I have read are so nice, so I really feel the love. I’m just so thankful.”

It’s not all the time that people thank the staff working behind the scenes. But whenever we do, they always reply with, “I just did my job.” I hope that they will continue to know the value of their job. 

Live English translations aren’t really a thing before the pandemic. And actually, Soyeon reveals that she had gotten into the live English translations because of SM Entertainment and the pandemic. The pandemic forced the staff to consider how their artists could connect with their fans overseas without offline concerts. The answer: live English translations. With that, Soyeon, armed with her years of experience in English from living abroad, used it for overseas fans to connect with their favorite celebrities from the comfort of their homes.

Today with shows like Street Woman Fighter (SWF) and The Manager, the focus is also on people who work hard behind the scenes. Showing us how much work is done for an artist’s comeback, whether it’s an album, film, or drama. Soyeon is one of them. So anytime your favorite artist goes live on Twitter Blueroom, you may say hi to Soyeon on her Twitter account: @ringmybella7

Another fun fact, Soyeon was a former dance student of Honey J (leader of HolyBang, the winning crew of SWF)

“Since the fans give me so many great comments, it motivates me even more to just try harder and to translate better since they are so nice and supportive, and they say that it really supports them because they haven’t had live translations before, ” Soyeon ends. “So I just try to work hard for the fans.”

Falling Forward: Climbing Again for the Second Time

Credits to The Freehand for the photo.

“Oh, Berdos, ikaw top one,” IDr. Arlene said.

Darrel Berdos didn’t know how to take in the news when the chairperson of the Department of Interior Design announced that he had the best thesis. Actually, he never expected to be awarded the best thesis of his batch after everything that happened.

This wasn’t the first time that Darrel Berdos did his undergraduate thesis.

In fact, it was his second take.

“Noong una, bumagsak ako sa thesis pero hindi ko naman ine-expect na magt-top 1 ako ngayon,” Darrel says, “Kung meant for you, maghahanap talaga ng way ‘yung tadhana para mabigay talaga sa iyo kung ano ‘yung para sa iyo.”

Darrel Berdos ranked himself the least in terms of drawing skills in their class. Throughout his journey as an Interior Design student, Darrel says that he only made it to where he is right now, neither because he is a great artist nor an intelligent student but because he is diligent.

“Yung pagiging top 1, hindi siya nasusukat sa pagiging matalino. Lagi kong sinasabi na daan mo lang talaga sa tiyaga. Sipagin mo. Kasi since first year, ganun yung ginagawa ko.”

From his first year, Darrel would wake up at 4 am just to arrive at CEA early. “Parang ako pa nga nagbubukas ng CEA girl!” he jokingly says.

His first to third year passed by similar to most interior design and architecture students—getting plates done, going to various design firms for internships, socializing with his classmates, and participating in various department events.

Then came his fourth year, what ought to be his final year in the university, unfortunately, wasn’t his last.

Darrel’s first thesis was a terminal in Bulacan. And mostly due to the constant travel from his home in Taguig to Bulacan, he had gone exhausted, and ultimately, decided not to care about his thesis. He did not drop the subject. He just abandoned it altogether.

“Hindi ko talaga nakikita yung sarili ko sa thesis na ‘yon. Nung una, parang hesitant pa ako. Pero wala eh, nagising lang ako one day tapos sinabi ko na ayaw ko na,” he recalls, ”Ayun nung sinabi ko na ayaw ko na, mas maganda sa pakiramdam. ‘Yung akala mo sa sarili mo na importante to, pero kung alam mo talagang hindi para sayo, wala, bitawan mo na, mas madali.”

But of course, letting go of the story that he will graduate on time did not come easy for him, especially when he only had a few months left before graduation.

A beacon of hope came to him through the form of award-winning writer and journalist Ricky Lee. On the 8th of May 2019, Ricky Lee gave a speech to the PUP Class of 2019, and his words are Darrel’s guiding light during those trying times that he faced onward.

“Sabi ni Ricky Lee, kung mabigo ka, huwag ng mag alala kasi hindi daw ‘yun sukatan ng worth mo bilang isang tao. Sabi niya, ‘Di mo kailangan maging perpekto. ‘Di mo din kailangang labanan ‘yung sarili mo o pantayan ‘yung iba. You are never worthless. Just be yourself.’”

Darrel remembers those times as clear as the day as he felt like Ricky Lee was directly saying it to him. “Kaya hindi ako nastuck dun sa depresion ko kasi nung binitawan ko yung thesis ko, medyo nadepress ako kasi ikaw ba naman nag aral tapos magdadagdag ka ng another year. Pero nung narinig ko ‘to sa kanya, parang for me talaga ‘yung sinabi niya.”

“Sabi niya pa nun, ‘Langoy lang ng langoy. Lipad lang ng lipad. ‘Wag kang matakot magkamali. ’Di baleng malunod ka, ‘di baleng malaglag ka, kapag bumagsak ka, doon mo mahahanap ‘yung sarili mo. Sa paulit-ulit na pagkabigo ay matututo ka. Para kang sinusulat na nobela na paulit-ulit na nire-revise hanggang sa kuminang.’ ”

Ricky Lee’s words are Darrel’s primary inspiration as he ventured to another year in college and doing a thesis once more.

Due to the constraints brought upon the pandemic, he had to leave Taguig and went back home to his hometown in Aklan, which became a blessing-in-disguise for him as that is where he found a new space that he used for his award-winning thesis. Unlike his previous thesis, Darrel’s thesis, now, is related to social advocacy. He used Missionaries of Charity in Aklan, a private orphanage for neglected elderly and orphans, as his space.

“Papasok ka pa lang, ramdam mo na ‘yung bigat ng feeling. Kapag nakita mo yung mga nakatira dun—mga matatanda at bata—alam mo ‘yung parang feeling ko magkakasakit din ako talaga. Sobrang bigat sa pakiramdam,” Darrel recollects, “Yung orphanage na yun, hindi masyadong napapangalagaan; makikita mo sira-sira na yung bed. As an ID student nakikita ko na walang proper ventilation, cluttered at magulo.”

However, as Darrel researched and researched about neglected elderly and orphans for design solutions, he had realized something: “Kahit anong research ko, kahit anong proposal ko, no one can fix the trauma that overwhelms once life lalo na yung mga orphans na ‘yon and neglected elderly. However, we, aspiring designers, architects, can take part in creating spaces that will help them to nourish one’s body, mind, and soul.”

Hence, his design solution wasn’t focused on “fixing” the occupants. “I tried to segregate them pero hindi ko pinabayaan na mafi-feel nila na isolated sila kasi diba ang mga elderly kailangan nila ng love from their children, mga anak nila kasi nga iniwan sila,” he explains, “Tsaka dun sa orphans, kailangan nila ng pagkalinga, na mahahanap nila dun sa elderly.

And this design solution is one of the many things that let him clinched the best thesis in Interior Design of his batch.

To current students who are just about to take their own thesis journey, Darrel advises to (1) connect with occupants, (2) research, and (3) invest in sustainability.

“My aim talaga sa thesis ko: una, makatulong sa occupants. Pangalawa, siyempre, kailangan ko pumasa,” he laughs, “Pangatlo, kailangan ko mag create ng job opportunities lalo na nung pandemic kasi nga [maraming] nawalan ng trabaho. Kaya gumamit ako ng sustainable materials. Napakita ko pa sa mga juries ko kung ano ba yung culture ng Aklan. Sa tatlo na yun, yung mga realizations ko, it will make a difference sa aspiring designer.”

By the end of our conversation, Darrel added, “Sana may natutunan ka,” a sentence he had repeated several times throughout our conversation.

With this sentence, I realize that he wanted to make sure that the people he connects with will bring something from their conversation that they can apply in their lives. Like Mr. Ricky Lee, Darrel Berdos hopes that he can use his achievement to make a difference to others, and this article is his first step in that path.

Diverse Ways of Preparing Rice From People Around the World

Rice is a staple food for millions of people around the world. However, rice preparation, as well as its taste, varies from culture to culture. The diversity of this process shows how cultures are different from each other. And that—our differences—is what makes the world so interesting.

A lot of people today use a rice cooker for cooking rice. However, even with the rice cooker, the way people prepare rice is still diverse as we see further into this article. 

Several Honorary Reporters for the Korean Culture and Information Service (KOCIS) of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism coming from various parts of the world shared interesting insights into how their culture or their family prepared their rice. Ultimately, we will learn how our personal method in terms of preparing rice differs from other cultures. At the same time, we can discover how a simple action such as preparing rice can mean many things to people of different backgrounds.

Europeans are not primarily known to have rice as their staple food, unlike Asians. Surprisingly, I’ve interviewed people who do eat rice frequently as much as Asians do. But, some did share that they only eat rice occasionally, which may sound strange to Asians who consider rice as part of their everyday meal.

Terry Alsiong from the Czech Republic shares that historically, people in the Czech Republic had potatoes—not rice—as part of their everyday meal. Potatoes can quickly be grown in their respective gardens, while rice needs to be processed. She mentions that when her mother was young, there was no rice available in shops. And according to Terry, their country has begun importing rice only for the last 30 years; thus, they can now prepare and eat rice.  “We just put the rice into a pot with water and bring it to boil with nothing additional to it. And then serve it as a side-dish for the main meal,” she states. Though for Terry, she thinks rice is not a staple food for them, but instead food that people only eat for variation.

Similar to Terry, Cristina Trifanov from Moldova says that rice cannot be cultivated in their country too. They do not eat rice frequently but being a multinational country, some of their rice dishes have Asian and European roots. She shared Sarmale, a food composed of rice, meat, and spices wrapped together using grape leaves, similar to the food Kimbap in Korea. 

Interestingly, Linda Beruti from Italy shares that they fry the rice first before adding water and boiling it. “We usually start putting oil, onion, and garlic (sometimes also pieces of carrot) in a pot, then we make it [to] almost fry. It flavors the rice, which is added to the pot and cooked for 2 minutes. After that, we add some wine and make it evaporate. Finally, we put water in the pot and cook [it] altogether for about 15 minutes.” This process makes the rice less sticky by reducing the starches before boiling and, as she mentioned, adds flavor to the rice. 

Melinda Mucsi from Hungary fries the rice as well before boiling it. The process that she shared with me is something that their family practices for more or less a hundred years! Their approach goes: first, washing the rice well to remove a lot of starch. Fry the grains in a pot until it becomes slightly transparent. Add water that is twice the amount of rice, with salt and chopped up Persil leaves. They stir it once the rice has absorbed most of the water to ensure that the rice will not stick to the bottom of the pan. Soon enough, they place the rice in the oven, baking it until it absorbs all the water.

Still, like Terry and Cristina, Melinda from Hungary and Linda from Italy do not treat rice as a staple food. They mainly eat pasta and vegetables. Throughout my interview with them, they mentioned potatoes as the food that they eat frequently. 

Alexandra Andrienko from Russia, a country spanning from Europe to Asia, prepares rice the same way as most Asian cultures: they use a finger to check if the water level is proportional. But unlike Asian cultures, Russians do not eat rice traditionally. Similar to the Czech Republic, it’s only recently that they began eating rice because it’s cheap and accessible. 

The most common rice dish to them is the Plov. “Plov is a southern traditional dish with fatty meat and vegetables,” Alexandra shares, “It is common for CIS countries (former USSR), but people here love it regardless of their nationality.”

The following honorary reporters from Japan, Thailand, and Indonesia, all use rice cookers or pressure cookers when cooking their rice.

Eri Choi from Japan uses electric pressure cookers. Electric pressure cookers are different from rice cookers as the former can be used in cooking a variety of food other than rice, while rice cookers are for rice only. One can use rice cookers for cooking vegetables, but they do not recommend it because it’s slow. On the other hand, Suthida Chang from Bangkok uses a rice cooker to cook rice berry rice (a.k.a purple rice) which is “chewy and mildly sweet” than the regular rice.

Tifa from Indonesia uses a rice cooker as well, but when her rice cooker is not functioning, she prepares her rice this way, “Boil the rice for like 15 minutes until it’s softer. And then put in the steamer to make the rice cooked well.“

When asked why she still has to put the rice in a steamer after boiling it, she says, “If you skip one step, you’ll not get well-cooked rice.”

Lastly, born and raised in the UK, Deena Mistry’s family practices how the Gujarat culture prepares rice. Deena’s family originated from Gujarat in northwest India and moved to the United Kingdom by the 1960s. More than 50 years later, her family still eats rice and practices their culture’s way of cooking rice despite living in a European country for decades.

“We cook our basmati rice in a steel pot. We don’t use a rice cooker. Boil in water. As soon as the rice starts to get fluffy and rise through the water, we rinse the water and clean with cold water to get the starch out, “ Deena writes, “We then leave a little bit of water in the bottom of the pan and put on low heat with the lid on. A few minutes later, we stir the rice (we use a knife to stop the rice from getting lumpy) and then leave again for a few minutes. This then gives us loose and fluffy rice.” She clarifies that this process is only for ordinary rice, and their culture has various ways of preparing rice. 

Our differences

There are hundreds of ways of preparing rice. We had seen that even cultures in European countries, who don’t even eat rice as much as Asians do, have their own way of preparing rice. These differences open up a whole new conversation on what we can learn from each other and how a single word-rice- says so much about one’s country. 

Most countries lying in Northern Europe cannot grow rice because of their climate- either too cold and too dark or too dry to grow rice. It is only recently that they added rice to their diets due to rice imports. On the other hand, we have South Korea that produces rice despite having a winter season. However, because of their climate, rice is harder to cultivate and hence making it more expensive. One kilo of rice in South Korea costs about 4,523 won (~4$ US dollars), while here in the Philippines-where our tropical climate makes it easier for us to cultivate rice-, one kilo of rice costs only a dollar or less. 

It’s fascinating how we can learn so much of one’s culture on something that seemed so small, and yet because it had been part of human lives for centuries, it became one of the ways of getting to know one’s culture. 

The more we learn more about cultures different from our own, the more interesting the world is. And when things get interesting, we pay more attention; we become more curious, more alive. And during these times, we need people who are alive. 

So, how do you prepare your rice?

The Historical Narrative Behind Some of the Most Famous Foods in Busan, South Korea

First published in the Korea.net website.

Busan, also known as the second capital of South Korea after Seoul, has diverse foods and attractions that one can enjoy, similar to other cities of South Korea. 

But what struck me the most while I was attending the Busan Night and Food Virtual Tour by the Local Travel Lab is the narrative behind these attractions and foods that will ultimately tell you the history of Busan.

Going back to the 1950s, Busan, the only city that North Korean soldiers didn’t attack, was once a place of refugees during the Korean War that lasted from 1950-1953. 

The famous Gamcheon Cultural Village became the home of the refugees. The colorful houses of this village were once houses that had no kitchens and even toilets. Dissimilar pieces of wood once decorated the facade of these houses. Now, these homes make up the Gamcheon Cultural Village and radiate a bright and joyful village despite their tough beginnings. Residents turned their homes into cafes, restaurants, or even souvenir shops. 

After the war, a lot of people went back to their respective cities and provinces. However, many North Korean refugees in Busan stayed because they cannot go back to North Korea. And hence, it gave birth to one of the most popular noodle dishes in South Korea, milmyeon. Milmyeon was a dish made by North Korean refugees as a counterpart to naengmyeon, a local noodle dish of North Korea.

Also, during the Korean War, there was just not enough food to feed thousands of refugees. And what food can they make, given that there aren’t enough ingredients to provide all of them? Soup. 

Hence, the birth of dwaeji-gukbap or the pork and rice soup. Contrary to milmyeon, dwaeji gukbap isn’t filled with ingredients. It’s simply made up of pork and soup– a tangible historical narrative of what happened to the refugees during the Korean War. Today, in restaurants, it is served together with usual side dishes.

Milmyeon and dwaeji gukbap are only some of the famous local dishes of Busan but these two dishes contain parts of the narratives of what Koreans have been through in the past. Interestingly, these foods are still enjoyed even today and not locked up in a museum where people can just see them rather than eating them. 

Also, as long as these dishes are widely available, the future generations of Koreans will continue to remember what their country and their ancestors had gone through for them. 

For future generations of other nationalities, just like me, they will continue to be amazed at how Korean foods with great historical narratives such as milmyeon and dwaeji-gukbap can continue to co-exist in these modern times despite the abundance of modern foods.

[FEATURE: Architect Ferdinand de la Paz] Journeying Into Unpredictable Paths

Ar. Ferdinand de la Paz, also known to his students as Sir Nandi or Sir DP, had been teaching for almost 24 years. He started teaching at the University of Santo Tomas where he graduated with a BS in Architecture, and went on to De La Salle-College of St. Benilde in 2014, and Polytechnic University of the Philippines in 2018. 

For his years as an educator, Ar. de la Paz had also been continuously pursuing various master’s programs, working various jobs outside of designing and teaching, and actively participating in cultural immersion and volunteer programs which resulted in a unique set of life experiences that only he, alone, could have.

Ar. Ferdinand de la Paz

Polymath

Under the JENESYS (Japan-East Asia Network of Exchange for Students and Youths) Program, Ar. de la Paz got the opportunity to experience Japan as the student’s faculty supervisor. It is where he practiced his Nihongo lessons that he once took a course on in UST. A few years later, he got in on another cultural immersion program in Italy. For four weeks, they studied Italian in the morning, and the rest of the day was for applying the lessons by exploring the country. Moreover, during his early years in teaching in DLS-CSB, he also got the opportunity to learn Filipino Sign Language. De La Salle-College of St. Benilde is the pioneer school in the Philippines for deaf studies, and being a faculty of the said school can learn how to sign for free. He would not miss out on the chance to learn how to sign, especially since he has a passion for people with disabilities.

“Ang dream namin is sana meron na kaming deaf student sa arki,” he fondly shares the hope of he and his friend, ”To be able to welcome the deaf community in studying architecture kasi nga para mas maging inclusive and at the same time, marami kasi silang potential and its really opening up the opportunity for them.”

Aside from his love for learning languages, Ar. de la Paz just loves to learn in general. He studied both Master of Arts in Urban and Regional Planning and Masters in Archaeology in UP Diliman, which he, unfortunately, did not complete due to thesis. Essentially, because of the things that Ar. de la Paz learned in his classes, he can deliver deeper discussions on the subjects that he is teaching, like History of Architecture (HOA), to his students. 

“Kung si Urban Planning, palagi siyang forward planning, anong mangyayari?, Archaeology naman [is] anong nangyari? It will really teach you the science of explaining history.” he explains, “Mas naapreciate ko si HoA kasi nga, mas lumalalim ‘yung explanation ko na hindi lang basta what you see above, but makuha nila yung story of below. ‘Yung mga lost civilizations. It makes it more interesting.”

The stories behind lost civilizations and ruins are what makes Archaeology interesting to him wherein he frequently asks the questions: “Bakit siya naging ruins? Ano ‘yung original state niya? Siya ba yung original o meron siyang hidden stories or buried stories?”

And now, he is currently studying Masters in International Business at DLS-CSB, a program that is at first-sight far from architecture, unlike the previous two master’s programs. 

Business in terms of Architecture

He got his first exposure to the other side of the architecture business at Palafox Associates, wherein he worked various jobs from Project Architect, Technical Assistant, to Executive Assistant to the CEO. He mentions that architects usually enter as a designer and seldom it is that they got to do administrative work in an architectural firm. And for that, Ar. de la Paz is extremely grateful that he got the opportunity to work on the administrative side. 

“Before lumabas itong consciousness natin sa business of architecture, nauna na sa akin yung learning through experience,” says Ar. de la Paz on the importance of his experience at Palafox Associates, “Kakausapin ko sila, makikita mo yung mga ginagawa nila, re-reviewhin mo yung mga proposals nila and basically, you would really interact with them. Malaking tulong ‘yun dun sa naging experience ko so hindi lang basta yung nagde-design ka lang, kundi you get to really meet a lot people and through that, see how architecture is done by different nationalities.”

This experience is one of the factors that led him to enroll in Master in International Business at DLSU-CSB. Another factor is the CHED Memorandum Order (CMO) last 2017 that requires higher education institutions offering BS Architecture to include two subjects of Business Management & Application for Architecture in their curriculum. Currently, Ar. de la Paz is preparing himself to teach students in this new subject as someone who is an architect with a business background.

“Kapag magtanong ka ngayon sa architects na nagp-practice, at tinanong mo tungkol sa business or the business side of running the practice, that’s where you will discover na maraming mahina doon or hindi sila conscious na, importante ‘yung aspeto na yun when running the practice,” he explains the importance of teaching business in terms of architecture, “I think it is important especially to those who are still studying it na you have to remember na when you practice, you are going to run a business enterprise. Otherwise makaka-design ka nga ng magagandang projects pero kung nalulugi ka naman, parang walang saysay.”

His interests in business and the narrative of the future and past prepared him for the opportunity to be part of ACIIID, a design platform that creates content focused on trends in a design setting, in 2020. 

“Wala namang masyadong nag aaral ng trends. And it’s important to us, also in the design field, to appreciate and see the value in looking at trends. In fact, its just a terminology, eh tayo nagaaral naman tayo ng history pero ito ibang usapan kasi dito papasok si business,” Ar. de la Paz highlights how relevant businesses are to the design industry, “Si business ang pinaka-common thread sa lahat kasi industry ang pinag uusapan so we are not merely talking about on what is to come na trend, hindi pwedeng mawala ‘yung aspeto ng cost, business or industry. Yun yung pinakamahalaga dun kasi nakikita yung value ng understanding the business side of everything especially since naka focus kami sa creative industry. We want to focus on business trends not just for business sake. It’s about the balance of understanding business trends within the context of design.”

Interdisciplinary learning and teaching

And while he is working in ACIIID and completing his master’s degree, he left PUP, in the meantime, to focus on another opportunity: Coaching + Capacity Building Coordinator in the Center for Educational Technology at De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde. Moreover, for the next fiscal year starting 2022, Ar. Ferdinand de la Paz is the incoming District Director for Area B3 of the United Architects of the Philippines.

Ultimately, Ar. de la Paz seldom says no to an opportunity that is outside of his comfort zone which is shown evidently from his time at Palafox Associates, to now in ACIIID and his future plans in UAP. There is always something new to learn, and as Steve Jobs once said, “You can only connect the dots looking backward. But you have to collect them going forward.” 

When Ar. de la Paz started, he surely did not know that years later CHED would release a memo regarding the addition of business in the curriculum of BS Architecture or that he would be part of a design platform called ACIIID. But he went on where his interests and desires direct him even if it’s outside of what he usually does. And this is how, now, he can integrate various disciplines whenever he teaches and creates content. Most importantly, Ar. de la Paz contributes to society in many ways than one.

Ar. Melba Andalecio-Paual to Students: Manage Yourself Instead of Managing Time

First seen on The Freehand’s website

One night, Ar. Melba Andalecio-Paual’s 16-year-old daughter asked her, “Mommy, how do you manage your time? Bakit hindi mo nakakalimutan yun mga gagawin mo kahit ang dami-dami mong kausap tapos ang dami-dami mo pa pong ginagawa. Bakit nagagawa mo silang lahat?”

A wife and a mother of two wonderful kids. A deacon at their church. A professor at CADBE. Currently, a Ph.D. student writing her dissertation. An architect freelancer working on construction projects outside Metro Manila. How does she manage it all?

“Sabi ko, syempre si mommy marami nang experience. Ikaw, bata ka pa. You’ll be learning a lot as you grow old. Ako, natutunan ko yan (managing my time) for a long time,” she recalls what she answered to her daughter’s questions, “Hindi ko siya natutunan na agad. So sabi ko, I’ve learned that for a long time na dapat pala may mga bagay na dapat mauna at pwedeng ipagpaliban. You are being taught by your experiences. You learn from your experiences.”

Trained by life

Ar. Melba Andalecio-Paual had and is still being trained by life when it comes to learning how to balance things. During her undergraduate years, her traveling time to and from PUP-Manila takes up around 4-5 hours of her day, which she could have used to draft. “Kung pwede lang mag-drafting habang bumabyahe, gagawin ko,” she remembers as she reminisces about her college years. While it may seem like a disadvantage to most, it became an advantage because it is those challenges that shaped her.

Now, she loves to plan. She plans and organizes her days and weeks ahead while also being aware of circumstances that may pop out anytime that may derail her planned schedules. She arranges her tasks to what are urgent-and-not-important, important-but-not-urgent, and finally, important-and-urgent. This categorization allows her to know which she should do first and make most of her time now.

However, even with all her planning, there are still things outside of her control that give her stress. In those times, she prays. “Minsan, I just sit down, kakausapin ko lang si Lord. Kaya ko pa ba? Please God give me more strength?”

It is through her faith in God that she can stand strong every day. “When I wake up in the morning, I talk to God. I pray. I acknowledge that I cannot do all things on my own. Kailangan mo ng tulong ng Diyos.” she shares, “Like for example, maraming mga mental [health] issues dahil sa stress and pressures. ‘Yung mga ganun, syempre hindi tayo exempted doon. Pero I believe na when you have time to talk with God and lift up all your concerns to Him. Kaya kahit minsan hindi lahat ng plans ko nangyayari, meron pa rin akong peace and joy kasi I learn to trust God.”

Managing yourself

When it comes to managing things that she has to do, Ar. Melba Andelacio-Paual believes that managing your time is more of managing yourself rather than managing time itself. “It’s basically managing yourself, not the time. Kasi ang time nandiyan lang, it can be wasted away kung hindi mo ima-manage yung sarili mo using that gift. Time is a gift, hindi mo lang siya basta it-treasure but you have to manage yourself para gamitin yung oras na yun.”

The way she values her time can be seen and feel through how she teaches her students and her kids. During classes, she reminds her students now and then to avoid messaging her way during holidays and weekends because, she says, those days are for my family and for personal life. She needs to spend time with my children while they are growing up. On the other hand, Ar. Melba and her husband make it a point to avoid commitments on Saturdays and Sundays.

How her students and daughters use their time is beyond her control but, through living her principles, she hopes her kids and students learn that there is a time for work, school, family, and for everything.

She quotes Ecclesiastes 3:1 during our interview, “‘There is time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens.’ So kapag yun ang iniisip mo, hindi mo sasabihin na kulang pa ang 24- oras. Hindi mo din pwedeng sabihin na kulang ang seven days in a week, kasi si God, when He created the world, He rested on the seventh day.”

“Work and time are both gifts from the Lord. We just have to learn how to treasure them and to use them wisely to give glory to the Lord. Kasi everything naman has been given by Him, so you have to give it back to the Lord. Ang labor is very important kasi you will always eat the fruit of your labor. Lord enables us to work. So kaya tayo nakakapag trabaho, it’s because of the God,” she adds, “Ganon din ‘yung oras, kaya mo nagagawa ang mga bagay na dapat mong gawin, kasi nga, the Lord has given us ability and time. Ang kailangan lang talaga natin gawin is to manage ourselves. Hindi ‘yung manage your time kasi time fly fast. Kapag lumipad ‘yon, paano mo siya ima-manage? Hindi na ito babalik. So ang pinaka [time] management [tip] talaga is managing yourself.”

Time to discern

Today we celebrate Labor Day to honor the people who had fought for our workers’ rights today. Among those rights are prohibiting child labor and the standard eight hours of work instead of the previously 16-18 hours. There is still more work to be done, and a lot of people around the world are still treated poorly, and their poor working conditions are intensified further by the global pandemic.

With that, may we not forget to give ourselves time to manage ourselves through reflecting, discerning what is important, and making time for things that give us joy. And by doing these, we can then learn to overcome our negative emotions, which leads to helping each other and dealing with a lot of things in our lives more effectively.

For Ar. Ar. Melba Andalecio-Paual, what gives her joy is spending time with her kids, praying, and doing her job well.

“Time and work are gifts from the Lord. Whatever the Lord has entrusted you, kailangan you put your heart on it.”