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Journalist at Heart, Public Servant in Deed
Success is not defined by gaining a lot of trophies, certificates, medals, and plaques. Success is not also equal to how many dollars one has earned or number of properties one has. It’s more than that. Success goes beyond the aspect of material things. Many are confused as to what the word success really means. For most, it is the state of achieving what they are expected of them. For one, success is simply the definition of happiness.
Public service has never crossed the mind of this inspiring-journalist before. He was just like any other students who would like to go to school- do tiring stuff, excessive home works, listen to professor’s lectures in a 4-walled classrooms, fill his innocent childhood up, and enrich his personal growth. Thinking that he loves to study and explore the world, he graduated With Honors during his elementary days and was announced as the 4th Honorable Mention when he was in high school.
Without second thoughts, he enrolled himself in the College of Communication (formerly the College of Mass Communications). Being asked, he really understands the students of today’s hardworks because he also experienced how it is to be a West Masscom student- write essays for an hour and a half, do numerous researches and create exhilarating newspaper, portfolios, and term papers. Not to mention the making of the very time-consuming thesis- which he considered a very challenging part of his college life.
The call for public service has started to tickle his senses when he was in College. He became the Senior Editor for The Mediator (The Official Publication of the College of Mass Communications) during his time. He also willingly admitted himself to become the Chairperson of Young Journalists’ Society (The Official Division of All Journalism Majors in the College of Mass Communications). Lastly, he decided to lead the entire College against any endeavor for being the Chairperson of the College of Mass Communications Student Council in his senior year, 2006-2007.
Because of his journalistic capacity matched with the right ingredients of leadership, he was awarded by the following titles which he did not expect or ask for:
Outstanding Boy of Iloilo- YMCA
Gerry Roxas Leadership Award
IWAG Award- PIA 6
PGMA Leadership Award
Youth Leadership Excellence Award- Philippine Jaycess, DepEd, Sen. John H. Osmena
Most Outstanding Delegate- Student Leadership Development Program- WVSU
Excellence in Leadership, Excellence in Service, Excellence in Journalism- WVSU
Outstanding Youth- Province of Iloilo
Most Outstanding Tourism-Oriented Campus Writer- DOT 6
Certificate of Merit- National Rizal Youth Leadership Institute
University Service Award- WVSU
He decided that his calling for public service is really meant for him when he took and passed the Civil Service Eligibility Exam for Professionals in 2007. His skills and wisdom garnered from the professors in the West Visayas State University especially his mentors from the College of Communication has thoroughly prepared him when became a writer in Sun.Star Iloilo/Sun.Star Weekend. When he decided to shift from his workplace, he became a Team Supervisor for the National Statistics Office’s Census for Population in 2007 and served the people for 2 years. In 2009, he joined Iloilo Provincial Office as he became the Population Program Officer I/Provincial Teen Center Coordinator.
As of the present, he is already the Information Officer II of the Commission on Population Region VI. He also render informative talks and seminars Peer Helping and Facilitating and Leadership Skills, Responsible Parenthood and Family Planning, Gender and Development, Population and Development Integration. Aside from that, he is also a Program Advocate and Peer Counsellor-on-air on Radio shows Tingog sang Pamatan-on sa Hutik sang Kagab-ihon in Bombo Radyo and Pautwas in MOR.
The man behind this success is Roilo Vincent Laguna who justified that not all success in life is defined by the things that we are expected to achieve. He was a graduate of Journalism and landed in public service and it’s a little bit far for the 2 dots to be connected. He is one solid proof that success can be attained in any way, as long as one is happy and contented of what he/she is doing. He is but a definition of the expression “Basta West Masscom, the best!”. His happiness is public service, his happiness is his success.
Roilo Vincent Laguna
Read more:
20 Reasons why you should Major in Journalism
8 Reasons Why you shouldn’t date a journalist
Reasons for dating a journalist
Advantages and Benefits of Public Service Work
Betrayal’s E-Generation
“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, and it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, and always perseveres,” as 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 would ever go. The world of today is full of temptations hard to resist, uncontrollable things that happened during the times when you expect the least, and experience betrayal that only time can heal. Things are inevitable today, even heartaches are digital.
One could possibly sell the world if he/she has the assurance of what is presumed of a lifetime partner. Women can endure more pain, stress, and hardships, both mentally and physically, than a man could ever do. The emotional demands on women are great, quite a woman is solely responsible as the emotional support for her family and friends. In this instance, one’s integrity has been degraded and thrown off.
In the early quarter of the year, a couple (boyfriend-girlfriend) of 5 years, Ris and MR were enjoying their meals in one of the restaurants along Jalandoni road when a girl, in her teens, approached them. The girl, familiar to both coupled, projected a genuine smile to both of them. It took a little time for the couple to determine it was Jasmin, MR’s high school friend. She was not a total stranger because MR and Jasmin exchanged good vibrations for a long time already and that they treat each other as sisters separated by schools.
Considering that Jasmin is already a Medical Technology student in one of the best schools in Iloilo City, she always insists herself to go with the couple wherever they go. MR is a Masscom student while Ris is just starting his career. The three of them always go out, exploring new restaurants and window shopping, as long as the hectic schedules of them would permit them.
The tripping of the three went stronger for a couple of months. Until MR had the chance to go abroad to attend an intensive seminar/workshop. Before MR left, her heart beat is running after the other because her instinct says that there is something wrong. She trusts her 5-year relationship, so she left her wild instinct and set her mind to enjoy the country where she’s heading to.
When MR came back after 5 days, her instinct strengthen that something is really wrong- something is going on between Ris and Jasmin. MR fathomed her suspicious feelings and thoughts and connected the dots. She drawn from her wide vocabulary that all the times, Jasmin wouldn’t text or contact her if it wasn’t about Ris. For her, it was so obvious that Jasmin is after him. Without any material proof, she confronted Ris and told him to stop seeing Jasmin- to avoid temptations and any other conflict that may lead to destruction of a 5-year foundation.
Without second thoughts, Ris agreed. The couple has stopped seeing Jasmin. The two enjoyed each other’s company- like what they were doing before. Go to movies and found themselves crying because of the film, walk through the Esplanade and talk about future plans, and of course, have fun with each other as team mates in computer games.
One Sunday evening, MR was fixing herself to go to bed when Brylle, Jasmin’s boyfriend of 5 years messaged her. Upon having a short conversation with Jasmin’s boyfriend who happened to MR’s classmate since school grade, MR was jailed in silence. Ris and Jasmin was having an affair. Brylle said that it wasn’t his attention to ruin both relationship but considering they were classmates and childhood friends, Brylle told her the betrayal.
“Gintaga-an ko na sila MR sang chance nga i-stop, galing wala gihapon, so ginsugid ko na sa imo”- Brylle
At first, MR wouldn’t believe because there were no other signs of betrayal. She has an access on all the accounts of MR, online and offline. His phone is locked but she knows the password. She can go crazy thinking how the two can communicate.
His statements were not yet as far as MR has thought. Brylle has said that Ris has a another facebook account named Alladin De La Cruz and that account is being used by Ris to communicate with Jasmin. MR wasn’t able to hold her emotions so she called Ris. He rushed to her house and attempted to explain. Because MR’s parents was there and that MR still don’t want them to know about it, she entertained Ris but never did she listen to the explanation.
The following day, MR had the access to Alladin’s face book account and upon seeing the conversation, her heart died. There were pictures of the two, Jasmin and Ris, going out with each other, kissing on the cheeks, talking about creating a family of their own and worst, they were backstabbing MR. It was hard for MR to digest all of these things. It was the account which enlightened her. She could not bear the extent of betrayal.
For MR, trust is peculiar resource. What happened to her and Ris is a lesson in life. The chance being asked by Ris is not just a candy easily given, considering that it wasn’t the first betrayal. Technology of today can be a tool to either make or break hearts. For MR, it broke hers.
The very definition of Cheating.
Read more:
A Real Story Of Love And Betrayal
The Betrayal (A Secret Draco Malfoy Story)
Sphere 