“Mama!!!
Papa!!! Michelle!!! John Cris!!! Help me get out of here!!! I’m trapped, I can
hardly move. Please shed some light!!!” “Mama, Papa,” I screamed out loud but I
could not hear any reply except for the wrath of the strong typhoon”… Strange
sounds from the window kept bothering me. “Mama, I’m scared!!! Huhuhuhu
(sobbing). “Oh Lord, please keep us safe.” Bang, bang, bang!!! Strong winds
have crashed our humble abode. Thunder and lightning are like enraged
dinosaurs, with sounds so disturbing and life threatening. “Oh my God, forgive
me for all my sins. If I die any time now, please cuddle me in your loving arms.
I offer to you my Mama, Papa, brother and sister.” Huhuhuhu. I slowly opened my
eyes, trying to recognize things. “Our Sovereign God, thank you for keeping me
alive. I pray that my parents and siblings are equally alright.” Then, with all
my might, I looked for my loved ones from where I stand, combating the pain in my
whole body. As I explored our wretched home, I saw someone lying on the floor.
“Michelle? Is that you?,” I whispered. But there was no reply. “Hope she is
just into a deep slumber.” So, I moved closer and reached out. “Michelle, wake
up, we need to find John Cris, Mama and Papa.” But there were no signs of her
consciousness. “Michelle!!! Oh my God, my sister has left me.” Huhuhu. As I
stepped further, I saw my mother embracing my younger brother, both of whom
are…….dead… “Huhuhu, Mama, I’m sorry I wasn’t able to protect you. If only I am
stronger than the typhoon, I could have saved you both. Huhuhu.” A couple of
meters away is a sight of my father, breathing in and breathing out uneasily.
“Father, please hold on! Help, we need help! My father is dying!” I tried
helping out my Father from the trap but I was so weak. Then, before my father’s
one last breath, he uttered, “Yolanda, pursue your dreams and never give up.
God will be with you.” “Yes Papa,” was
all I could say. Huhuhuhu… “Oh God, please help me deal with these challenges.
I cannot do it alone. Huhuhuhu.”
Then,
someone said, “Landa, Landa, Landa, wake up!!! It’s already 8:00 o’clock in the
morning. Hurry, today is the last day of enrolment. Get yourself fixed and
we’ll catch up.” I paused for a moment and reminisce the days when everyone in
the family shared happiness – enjoying every bit of a second. “Now, I am all
alone. What is left in me is a set of memories – of struggles, sacrifices and
solitude. “Landa, there you go again,” my roommate interrupted. “Don’t worry,
everything happens for a reason.
We
were then ready for enrolment. Like a thousand hopefuls to get enrolled in a
prestigious university, I was worried if I will be admitted in the department I
love to belong, specially so that it is the last day of enrolment.
“Mindanao
State University Main Campus gladly welcomes Freshmen, Transferees and Old
students!” Wow! I love that warm welcome message reflected on the tarpaulin. “I
am getting more excited.” Then, we went to the College of Business Education because I wanted to take up BS
Accountancy. As soon as we reached the door of the department, “ADMISSION
CLOSED” signage was already posted. I tried requesting the enrolment officer
but to no avail. We then proceeded to other colleges with the same signage that
ADMISSION IS ALREADY CLOSED. Huhuhuhu, how can I get a college degree if all
colleges no longer admit freshmen. The day was about to end and I felt hopeless.
Then I remembered what my loving father told me. “Pursue your dreams and never
give up. God is with you!” My hope is revived and I made my last attempt to the
College of Social Affairs. I took a glance at the Department of Society
Management with the same note that ADMISSION IS CLOSED. But it never
discouraged me to try. As I entered the department, one of the faculty welcomed
me by saying, “Yes, what can we do for you?”
“Sir, I would like to enrol in your department. I am Yolanda Dimatarug
from Samar and I dreamed of getting a college degree so I could realize the
aspirations of my family. I am the sole typhoon survivor from our clan and I
just would love to pursue my dreams no matter what. I just arrived yesterday
and hoped that even in this very last day of enrolment, I would be given a
chance to enrol. I searched almost all of the courses but ADMISSION CLOSED
signage hindered me from pushing on. I’m giving my last try this afternoon so I
could begin my college education.” The faculty closely listened to me and
eventually said, “Welcome to the Department. You will now be taking Bachelor of Science in Society Management.
I hope that you will do well in your academics and be able to graduate in due
time!” “Thank you so much Sir! You are God’s instrument for me not to give up
on my dreams. There are indeed kind hearted people on earth! Thank you, thank
you.”
Because
it was the last day of enrolment, I was also falling in line with a group of
old students trying to pay for the tuition fees. The Macarambon Hall was still
crowded, each student waiting for his turn. “Huh, enrolment has always been
exhausting,” one student said. “I’m still underloaded,” the other student said.
The
challenges of being an MSUan do not end up in enrolment because there are many other
unimaginable circumstances that happen.
Boom!
Bang! Bang! Bang! “Oh my God, what is it?” I slowly moved from my bed and
immediately closed the window. Bang! Bang! Bang! The firing of guns continued,
as if it was targeted to me. “Oh my God, I should not be hit. I’m not prepared
to die. I still have mission to accomplish.” Bang! Bang! Bang! “Ate Shane!,” I
shouted but she was deeply asleep. Bang! Bang! Bang! I hurriedly ran out from
my room and asked for protection from the management. “Yolanda, it’s a
manifestation that the Ramadhan Season has commenced,” she explained and I
sighed. “Huh, I really thought there’s an encounter between the rebels and the
military. Thanks Ate Shane, at least now I learned one of your traditions.
“Thank God, I am safe.”
One
night, while I was on my way back to Ararat Cottage, someone attacked me and
forcefully insisted, “Give me your phone!” “Ha?” I exclaimed. “Oh no! Please
don’t get this.” The culprit immediately striked my left shoulder with a hard
muscled fist and a weapon on it. I was petrified for a moment because blood
flew from my shoulder. And then I begged, “Oh no, please give it back to me!” I
thought he would not even think of snatching my Nokia 3310, a phone gone
obsolete, but he had escaped with it! I
tried chasing him but to no avail. I reported the incident to the landlord and
they tried to search the thief but couldn’t find him.
These
are just some of the many unimaginable happenings in the campus. Every now and
then, a boy killed, a girl raped, a student wounded, and a lot more. Oh no,
these occurrences are life threatening, mind boggling and emotionally daunting.
Nevertheless,
I still hold on to my dreams in this world class university. I am not easily
discouraged. Despite these struggles, is a glimmer of hope that everything will
be well. After all, I am Yolanda Dimatarug, a survivor from one of the world’s
strongest typhoons. Now I understand how it has made me stronger in facing
challenges in life. It was indeed one of God’s purpose to let me survive that
fateful night when Haiyan typhoon hit our place.
Ladies and gentlemen, the candidates
for graduation from the College of Social
Affairs! Bachelor of Science in
Society Management, Yolanda Dimatarug, Magna Cum Laude! Thank God!!! After
all the struggles, here I am receiving a great honor. Papa, Mama, Michelle and
John Cris, this is all for you. Wherever you are now, I know that you are also
happy with me. Thank you so much. And to everyone in this all, have the courage
to face life’s difficulties because one way or another, it will help you become
more resilient in the tests of time. Indeed, every struggle, heartache and
disappointment has a seed of an equivalent or greater benefit.
The
journey doesn’t end during our graduation and let it be that we join our hands
in helping our beloved Mindanao State University realize her vision as a world
class institution in 2020. Thank you everyone. God bless J
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