My Life As a Michaelean

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Once a Michaelean, always and forever a Michaelean
MY LIFE'S STORY AS A MICHAELEAN
by Rafael A. Pulmano, CPA, MBA

I enjoy reading stories. Do you?

If yes, read on. This is the story of my life. That is, my life as a Michaelean.

Teaching was one of my first jobs in the Philippines. Shortly after graduating from Saint Michael's College of Laguna (Batch 1981), I remember working in the bank during the day, and then teaching accounting at SMCL during evenings and weekends.

Now, I teach accounting and business courses at the College of Micronesia-FSM, or COM-FSM for short.

COM-FSM is a two-year, English language speaking institution offering 34 certificates and degrees. It is located in the 27 year old country of the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM), a former U.S. trust territory comprised of 607 islands in the Western Pacific Ocean with a population of 120,000 residents from fifteen different and distinct traditional cultures and languages.

THE BEGINNING

Let's go back to the past.

1975. SMCL, formerly Biñan College, was founded as a private non-sectarian institution of learning and scholarship offering graduate, tertiary, secondary, primary and pre-elementary education.

Jump two years later, to 1977. My brother Rodelio (nickname, Jojo) had just graduated as first honorable mention from Lake Shore Educational Institution. Being good in Mathematics, he wanted to pursue a degree in Engineering. On his way to Mapua Institute of Technology in Manila to enrol, he decided to first drop by SMCL to see the newly-opened school and inquire about the courses offered.

Miss Milagros Limaco, who was then the Directress and one of the founding owners of the college, was very pleased to see my brother. After all, Jojo was Miss Limaco's former high school student in Economics class, back in the days when she was still teaching in Lake Shore.

SMCL offers free scholarship to enrolees who graduated with honors in high school. In Jojo's case, he qualified for scholarship of 25% off his tuition fee. But Miss Limaco, upon learning about his intention to study in Manila, right then and there offered him a 50% scholarship plus a job as laboratory custodian, for another 50%. In other words, he wouldn't have to pay a single cent for his studies. Deal or no deal?

That day, Jojo happily went home a Michaelean.

That was my brother's story. And that's where my story begins.

WHAT CAN YOU DO?

Over lunch, I listened as Jojo excitedly narrated the morning's opportune event to our parents. They were very happy. When I heard him mention the name of Miss Limaco, I too, became excited and happy. Alas, I thought, this might be my chance to go back to college!

Unlike my brother, my interest has always been in the arts. So when I finished high school, also from Lake Shore, I studied Fine Arts at the Far Eastern University in 1972-73. By the end of the first semester, my name was in the Dean's List. Unfortunately, my parents could not continue to support my studies financially. They could barely pay the installments on my tuition on time. And still, there were the daily bus fares and mostly imported art supplies to worry about. I carry unto this day some sad memories of those days, when we couldn't even afford to buy the cheapest brand of T-Square, which was a basic requirement in my Drafting class. Some of my grades began to suffer. After one year, I had to quit.

For four consecutive years, I was an out-of-school youth.

That's why I promptly requested, asked, pleaded, begged, implored Jojo to accompany me to Miss Limaco so that I, too, could apply as working student at SMCL. I really, desperately, wanted to continue my studies.

Miss Milagros Limaco,
former teacher at LSEI,
continuing her passion for providing
education to the youth
thru the establishment of SMCL.

Miss Limaco, by the way, was also my teacher in high school.

"What can you do?" asked Miss Limaco, smiling.

"I can paint," I replied.

By day's end, the Pulmano Brothers – as we came to be known later within the campus – were among the B.S. Commerce (major in Accounting) freshmen of SMCL for the school year 1977-78. We studied. We worked. Jojo, at the school's administrative office. I, mostly at home, painting promotional billboards for the college.

At home, working on the school's billboards during my free time.

FIRST IN SMCL'S YOUNG HISTORY

Although I was four years his senior, we became classmates and attended practically the same classes from first to fourth year. When we graduated in 1981, I had the honor of becoming the institution's first cum laude. I also received an award for leadership.

My brother Jojo, our friend and batchmate Gigi (or Maria Regina Milagros Castelltort Manabat, now Dean of School of Nursing and Midwifery), and myself, on graduation day.

Jojo and I attended the same review school in Manila and took the same Board Exams. The following year, we took our oath as Certified Public Accountants at the Philippine International Convention Center.

In just six years, Saint Michael's College of Laguna was able to produce its first batch of CPAs. There were four of us. The other two, both residents of the City of Santa Rosa, were Ma. Leonora Ulgado and Mena Caramutan, also from Batch '81.

Our Tatay and Nanay, very happy as the names of their two sons appeared together in the list of successful examinees when the major newspapers announced the results of the CPA Board Licensure Examinations.

ON THE JOB

My first full-time job was that of Bookkeeper at a development bank in our town. Within six months I was promoted to Corporate Planning Head, and eventually concurrently assumed the post of Administrative Officer.

At the same time, I taught part-time at SMCL. It was also during this period that I began my studies at the Philippine Christian University in Manila for my M.B.A. degree.

Then I went abroad.

My first work overseas was that of Research Associate, and about a year later, General Manager, for two business consulting firms in Saipan, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.

After five years I went back to the Philippines, helped a group of Japanese businessmen set up a film coordinating company in Manila, and served as its General Manager. Based in Tokyo, Japan with another office in Saipan, our firm assisted foreign TV-CM producers and advertising agencies to conduct TV commercial filming in the Philippines. Part of my job was to travel to the Marianas and transfer to the computer, in English language, the company's accounting records that had been manually recorded in the journals in kanji and katakana characters.

That's right. Kanji and katakana. I taught myself how to read, write and speak basic Nihongo.

FIRST LOVE

Despite the demands of my job, I continued to indulge in the arts, which is my first true and enduring love. I painted pictures, drew cartoons, wrote poems and plays, even sang and recorded my own songs and musical videos. I have uploaded to the world wide web many of these works. In the internet, I have discovered and taken advantage of a new and powerful kind of art in digital format that allowed me to share my talents with other people, unrestricted by geographical borders.

With PC for my work in the office,
and MacBook for personal
creativity at home.

The first personal web site (http://maxpages.com/bagongbayani) that I put up in 1999 as an OFW had visitors that already exceeded the 350,000 mark, and still counting. Encouraged by these online visitors' positive comments and reactions, I have recently worked on improving the page design, with plans to upgrade to premium web hosting services to accommodate more viewers. You are invited to visit my newly-designed site at http://www.rafaelpulmano.com and read the comments at http://geocities.com/rafaelpulmano/i-komento.html.

No, I didn't study about computers nor the internet in school.

Computer courses, which became popular only some years after we graduated from SMCL, were not part of the school's curriculum during our time. But that didn't stop me from studying on my own, through constant reading, research and experimentation. After all, a teacher like me, as purveyor of knowledge to young students, does not, and must not, stop learning.

I'M NOT ALONE

Although I taught myself many things, I didn't become successful on my own and all alone.

Former Laguna Scout Master Onofre I. Camarillo, who is both friend and father to me, once gave me this advice: "Paeng, no matter how high you have reached or how successful you have become, always remember that you stepped on someone else's shoulder in order to get there." Very true.

To all the Limaco's and relatives, but most especially to Tita Liling ang Tita Puring, Jojo and I are eternally indebted. We will never tire of telling our children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren of their BIG part in our story and our deep appreciation for their benevolence.

We also give thanks to all our beloved teachers and the administrative staff, the unsung heroes behind every alumnus' success. Of course, to our parents. Above all, to God.

ALWAYS AND FOREVER

In January last year, I went back to teaching. As mentioned earlier, in Micronesia.

I regard teaching as an art. No wonder I enjoy my job very much. I'm an artist, remember? I also enjoy sharing the fruits of my talent, knowledge and experience, especially with our young students who are eager to listen and learn.

And that's just what I was lucky to do during my short vacation in the Philippines late last month, when Dr. Lourdes Almeda-Sese, SMCL President, invited me to be resource speaker in the school's continuing series of special lectures for BA students. Thanks to Dr. Sese, and generous support from Dean Victor Manabat and Director Zanaida Algaba, I was able to share my experiences and offer tips and inspirational advice to attendees on how to succeed in their studies.

Lourdes Almeda-Sese, Ed. D.
President of Saint Michael's College of Laguna

A Michaelean is always and forever a Michaelean. He must constantly reinvent himself to keep up with the times and stay relevant as a productive member of our global society.

Following the steps of his alma mater, he must – to borrow from Dr. Sese's message – embrace "a new mindset and sensitivity" in order to ride "the winds of change." It is for this reason that my life's story as a Michaelean is a continuing saga that will not end here and now.

But I must end my article now.

I hope you enjoyed reading my story.

---------
Credits:

SMCL official web site. http://www.smcl.edu.ph

College of Micronesia-FSM Midterm Report, presented to the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges, Western Association of Schools and Colleges (March 15, 2007). http://www.comfsm.fm

Rodelio A. Pulmano – Personal interview (July 7, 2007).
http://360.yahoo.com/profile-6WyjvkQ7dKyE.2zgrHHwHaZ0vw--?cq=1

Last update: 11 July 2007

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