BEHIND THE WRINKLES
THERE STOOD THE LADY OF AN AMAZING TOUCH
She was as woman we hardly see walking by the lobby. With her high-heeled leather shoes, head slightly bent sideways just to emphasize her straight hippie hair, we cannot help but notice the features of a true bloom Dumalagnon. And when you take few steps leading to her pallid office garnished with pure and green curtains, she’ll be sitting there with a cheerful look at you. Then lowering back her head, ones attention could as well gaze at her usual mannerism, fond of writing on a piece of paper as if somebody who loves improving her one and only signature, a unique identity of none other than Dr. Perry.
Dr. Peregrina P. Franco was a graduate of a Degree Major in Psychology and Guidance Counselling at Collegio de la Purisima Concepcion (CPC) in the year 2004. She took up her PhD. Scholarship carrying a year residency at the said school. She had surpassed her Master’s Degree major in Administration and Supervision on the same school while she was having her practice teaching in High School, Kindergarten and Elementary. She also acquired her Bachelor of Arts major in English and minor in History at Central Philippine University (CPU) ye, personally rejecting the Theology subjects. Since it is a strenuous activity for her part to study on regular days two thick references the whole night until 3:00am.
Dr. Peregrina P. Franco was indeed a hardworking dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. Hence, many students and other strangers tend to utter comments on her age. Yet, apart from those concealed humiliations one might definitely failed to notice how hardworking, intelligent and benevolent lady was possessed by her real nature. At a young age, Perry’s father was proclaimed deceased due to a certain incident. Thereby, she was forced to halt her elementary years and remain contented of attaining an education from grades one to four at Dumalag Central School. The young girl needs to endure that kind of disaster and spent the rest of her hours attending to here one year old brother at home.
She was a daughter of a workaholic couples, Mr. Fernando and Mrs. Dolores Franco. Her father was once a skillful school bus driver at Astoria Sugar Central while her mother takes good care of their piece of ricefield and sugarcanes. They were seven in the family. Two of her older brothers had finished their third year in High School, one middle sister who suddenly passed away and the eldest who stopped her last years in Secondary level and decided to pursue his father’s profession as a steadfast driver. Perry was the fifth born child among the family and at an early age, the rest of her siblings were nursed according to her care. However, her six years void of necessity for education was not consumed unto waste. Since their family was known of a unique gift, she enrolled her potential on dressmaking at Miraflor Fashion Academy in Iloilo City. She had driven a brilliant profession; she could make four maximum garments a day and earned more than what she had expected. But the praises does not end there, she was so proud of herself to get a chance of teaching young people at a place called Amaga wherein, she was recognized as the First President of Capiz Provincial Baptist Youth Federation Union. Probably those she had attained at a younger age paved the means for her to pursue her fifth and six years in the barrio at Duran Elementary School. That was how exciting and fun her six years of stay out of school during her primary level days.
Due to her determination and perseverance, she was granted a four year scholarship in High School at Filamer Christian College in the year 1962. It was a big deal of convenient for her since she does not need to work hard to gain an amount for her needs in school. The Php 100.00 was a very convenient treat for her tuition fee which covers Php. 80.00 and the remaining Php 20.00 for her book allowance.
Her motivation as a privilege woman was strong enough to resist what she calls an amiable feeling. She was more decisive to choose a man who can be more intelligible than she was. Perhaps, this was a great technique of Dr. Franco to stay single and available until now, after 64 years of service and success.
Behind all the laughs and comments to her, for seventeen years many could evoke her benevolence as a Guidance Couselor. While her summer years was spent for her educational units at Capiz Colleges, still her position never became a hindrance to offer any assistance she could unto several students, relatives and neighbors for several chances of having a good education. Now many of those guarantees do became professionals of the present era.
On the other hand, speaking of her unforgettable memories in her College days. She would boast to say she had never been asked to pick out Amorseco leaves, polish the surroundings nor scrub those disgusting odor and wastes of selected comfort rooms. That was her price of being a consistent early bird in school. Another thing she emphasized was the achievements of their batch. They were the ones who sponsored the Avenue gate of our Alma Mater and even the first songbirds who sung its signature theme, The Halls of Filamer.
But if one will ask her seriously if this was what she ought to be in the past, she would absolutely answer without any means of deceptions, a triple NO’s on once face. “Wala gid ko ya magbinag-binag nga mangin dean ako. Gusto ko ya sadto social worker o kun mag-missionera ako,” she sighed. But later when she was about to Graduate in High School, she announced her second No to the one she calls “Dad”, the late Pres. Agustin E. Masa. “Hindi ko ya sang guidance counselling Dad ah, gusto ko ya nga mangin Dean gid ako.” And when the opportunity calls her to be the year 2k CAS Dean, still she cried for a week ignoring those wet clothes she worn. “Naghilibiun gid ako ya sa sulod sang isa ka semana, daw sa wala lang sa akon pay gabalalasa lang akon bayo ah. Siling ko, indi ko ya mag-dean si Ma’am Vito nalang bala.” But then the Lord and opportunity did not free her from her third and last “NO”.
After a petition made for the previous Dean, she was made to stand for the position due to fear of being accused of insubordination. One could say she is an amiable Dean who takes good care of not only her office but ofcourse the welfare of her faculty members. She made the workforce firm and competent of their so called Compensation Position Schemes (CPS). This regards to the field of their inductive salaries and probable position enhancement. This was a very effective contribution to her first and ever successful CHED Accreditation on each Department which was held two months after she was proclaimed Dean last October 1945. Aside from the Compensation Position Schemes (CPS), were the people who motivated the woman behind the achievements. This involves God, her supportive family, her so called “Dad” (the late President Agustin E. Masa), and her professors who nurtured the knowledge which God bestowed upon her and one of them was Engineer Bernavez. He was known to be the mentor of free mathematics tutorial at what we see now as the present Roblee Hall, obviously different from the past built-in classroom. Dr. Franco was as well grateful to the previous High School Principal Mrs. Abanco, together with Ms. Secretary Ocumas for their kind-hearted offer of an office to work for the papers in contribution to the first upcoming accreditation, though she had never expected to arrive so early as her deanship promotion. And ofcourse her suitors that tickled her heart with those mesmerizing love tapes originally made that served as a unique courtship style during their time as according to Dr. Franco.
The clock’s now ticking, the bells now ringing and the teachers are now taking steps totally ready for a new class discussion. It was already 2:20pm when everyone noticed that it was about time to leave a jaunt yet very earnestly whim conversation though both still craves to dig the ground deeper. After further pictures sharing and those revealing memories, one last striking question almost sipped the boiling pot. The final words of a benevolent, one of a kind Dean goes like a sturdy torch one can barely ignore such eternal flame of virtue and truth. “Magpakabuot kamo kag magplano sang bwas damlag. Because, Liberal Arts was not just a preparation for skill but it is a modification for transforming a person’s maturity.” This was a means of enlightenment and realization for us, AB students, that our life, experiences, struggles and pains in this kind of environment isn’t just a preparatory stage nor a simple trial and error joke. Thus, it should never be treated as a filthy hanky we can just throw away every time we are not in the mood to pick it up and clean up our own mess anymore. It is a matter of value and pride of who we are with and where we are now because who knows it is they that will mold us to what we will be in the future.
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