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Purisima Alvarez Sta. Isabel |
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She is the embodiment of the virtues of perseverance, determination and hard work which have carried scores of Caramoanons to the apex of their aspirations.
Purisima “Puring” Alvarez-Sta. Isabel had no choice but to strive hard because had she wavered she would have been left behind lamenting her fate in barangay Tabgon in Caramoan, Camarines Sur. In the first place, her parents Domingo Royal Alvarez of Tabgon and Maria Buenaflor Breis of barangay Oroc-Osoc also in Caramoan, now both deceased, marginal farmers that they were, could not have sent all their children to college.
No one thrives on self-pity, Puring said to herself, and after graduating valedictorian at the Tabgon Barangay High School in 1977 (she was also valedictorian at the Tabgon Elementary School), she braced herself for college at the University of Nueva Caceres. She knew she had to work while studying to support herself, even while two elder sisters who also supported themselves to finish college were helping her little by little. She pleaded with UNC Registrar Dr. Eliseo Palaroan to be allowed to work as student assistant at the UNC Registrar’s Office and partly because Dr. Palaroan also is a Caramoanon, Puring was given preference from a long list applicants. That relieved her of her worries over tuition fees and enabled her to finish her Bachelor of Science in Commerce, major in Accounting in 1981. In 1982 she passed the CPA Licensure examination and was promptly hired as permanent employee at the UNC Accounting Department until 1992.
That year she applied for a position at the GSIS Naga City Branch Office where she was given the starting position as Social Insurance Analyst III. An efficient and dedicated worker she rose from the ranks and now holds the position of Division Chief at the Legaspi City Field Office where she occasionally acts as officer-in-charge when the branch manager is not around. One more step and Puring will be holding a managerial position, too.
Such was Puring’s fortune that she married a man who like her, surmounted poverty and deprivation through sacrifice and hard work.
Danilo Alvero Sta. Isabel of Naga City is the youngest in his family of eight children but he is the only one able to finish college because like Puring he had perseverance and determination and he really worked doubly hard. He did odd jobs to be able to finish high school and college, enrolling only in the Night Department of the UNC High School to be able to work at daytime. It took him nine (9) years to finish high school because of the limited subjects in the Night Department but that did not faze him. After finishing high school he also took up Bachelor of Science in Commerce, major in Accounting and finished the course in 1980, just a year ahead of Puring. In 1981 he passed the CPA licensure examination.
After passing the CPA exam Danny was immediately hired by the Ajinomoto Philippines Corporation initially as regional internal auditor. Promoted later as branch manager he was assigned in Bicol, Southern and Northern Luzon branches of the company keeping him most of the time away from his dearly loved family. After 22 ½ years with Ajinomoto he felt he must already be with the family and decided to retired. He is now devoting his time to their own business.
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Puring with her family. Between her and husband Danny is youngest daughter Patricia Mae while behind are Daniel Patrick and Mark Anthony. |
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The couple is now blessed with three children: Daniel Patrick, 17, who is at the Ateneo de Naga University; Mark Anthony, 14, at St. Joseph High School and Patricia Mae, 10, who is grade IV also at St. Joseph.
It has not always been a bed of roses for Puring after the hardships of her student days. Already assigned in Legaspi City, before dawn on February 8, 2001 she boarded a van from Naga City to her work assignment together with other GSIS employees and commuters. On the way, the van collided headon with an overspeeding bus. Six of 12 persons on board the van instantly died, including another Caramoanon, Sharon Rosales Rueda, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Eddie Rosales who coincidentally also come from barangay Tabgon and who also are active CRANE members. Sharon was then just appointed to a permanent position in the GSIS Field Office when the nightmarish accident occurred. Puring survived the bizarre experience but the trauma continues to haunt her up to this day that she has been pleading with the GSIS management to allow her to transfer to the Naga City Branch Office. After all, she has served with the Legaspi Field Office since 2000 and there are some available positions for a Division Chief in Naga City.
But patience and perseverance remains to be a trade mark in Puring’s life up to this day. Perseverance has also been a common trait in her family to which she attributes their modest success. Her eldest sister Lita is also a CPA at Land Bank in Legaspi City and Nena who comes next teaches at UNC. Three younger sisters have also finished college with the help of elders and become professionals because they, too, have imbibed the virtues of perseverance, determination and hard work ------ the anathema to poverty and the nightmare of the past.
