How far can you bottle up your emotions just to fulfill your dream when two of your loved ones were lying in caskets, waiting for you to come back home?
For Leslie Palulan of La Paz, Abra, she still showed up at the testing center in Baguio City on March 19, 2023 to take the Licensure Examination for Teachers(LET) while she goes through one of her toughest time.
On May 19, Leslie, 34, was announced to be one of the 48,005 out of 102,272 examinees who passed the LET – secondary level.
Her success however is a bittersweet moment as the people whom she is sure are so proud of her achievement are no longer here to celebrate with her.
"Pa, ma, sorry po kasi hindi niyo na naabutan ang pagpasa ko,” is what she could say in between joy and grief.
While she was busy reviewing for the exam on March 9, Leslie’s dad, the only parent she had after losing her mom at 21 passed away. He had asthma.
Seven days later, on March 16, as she was on her way to Baguio for the March 19 exam, she was informed her paternal grandmother died.
She told GURU Press Cordillera that her grandma along with her grandpa was the one who took care of her apart from her parents. The two elderly were also the ones who sent her to school.
Leslie narrated she had to stop her studies before due to financial difficulties but she decided to go back after the implementation of free tuition fees in college.
She described her father and grandmother as proud parents, recalling that the former hugged her in glee when she finished her degree in August 2022.
“Ang saya saya ng papa ko niyakap niya po ako at sinabi niya sa wakas po nakapagtapos ako, di rin po siya nagpaospital dahil baka daw po madamay ako at hindi maka-exam,” she recounted.
Leslie added her grandmother’s wish was also for her to pass the board exam for teachers.
‘Wag niyo na akong alalahanin’
At her father’s wake, Leslie was still persistent in going through her review notes and books. When she was about to travel to Baguio for the LET, however, she didn’t want to leave her dad.
But with the support of her husband, kids, and kins, she mustered the strength to go and finish the test.
“Halos di ko na kaya ang sakit, naiiyak na lang po ako noong exam dahil naaalala ko po silang lahat,” she said.
Her father and grandmother were laid to rest on March 25.
Now that she is a Licensed Professional Teacher, she dedicates this accomplishment to her loved ones, especially her late parents and grandma.
“Huwag niyo na po akong alalahanin dahil magpapakatatag po ako para sa inyo. Sana po nandiyan na po kayo sa kanlungan ng ating Panginoon, masaya, may kapayapaan, wala ng hirap at sakit,” she conveyed.
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