Bryan Janier A56

Gerald Blasa Penaranda Dec 2, 2013

Vocational Discernment

Part 1a About the Interviewee

Mrs. Pamela Farhan is a 61 years old math professor in Technological University of the Philippines (TUP). Shes a friend of my mom who used to teach in TUP before working in Malaysia. She has a loving husband and two beautiful daughters, one of whom is a good friend of mine. I chose Mrs. Farhan due to her strong dedication in teaching, starting first as a high school teacher after graduating BS in Math Education. It was not difficult to convince her because she was willing to share her experiences as a teacher and hopefully, inspire others to become one too.

Figure 1 - Bryan Janier (left) and Mrs. Pamela Farhan (right)

Part 1b Interview Guide and Transcription

Preliminary Questions 1. What is your understanding of the word vocation? Ito ay ang pagtutulong sa kapwa Putting others before oneself. 2. When you were young, did you have any desire to serve other people, for the benefit of the society? Hmm, noong bata pako, tumutulong kaming magkakapatid sa paglinis ng barangay, especially pag katapos ng pasko o bagong taon, sobrang dami ng kalat sa kalye. Tapos, pagkagraduate ko ng high school, nagturo muna ako sa public school. Kaming magkakaibigan ay nagbigay ng tutorial sessions sa mga batang di maka-afford ng school Na libre Natutuwa naman kasi ako pag nakikita ko na may natutunan yung mga bata. For me, that is my salary. 3. Within the context of Vocation, did you feel a divine call, as if God was calling you to serve him in specific ways? (Laughs) Ay, parang wala e Para sakin naman kasi, sapat na yung serving others. Di naman talaga ako naghihintay ng tawag ng Diyos. Ginawa ko lang yung mga ginawa ko dahil gusto ko at ito ay nagpapasaya sakin. Kahit na walang sweldo (Laughs)

The Five Questions 1a. What do you count as gifts in your life? Para sakin, yung pinaka-magandang gifts sakin ni God is healthy at buo na pamilya. Swerte kami ng asawa ko kasi yung panganay naming, graduate na ng nursing at nasa Canada na. Yung bunso naman naming, kakasimula pa lang ng med-school this June sa PLM. So okay na okay, kinakaya naman naming ng asawa ko. Kahit papaano, napag-aral namin yung mga anak namin.

1b. How did you use them in responding to your vocation? After ng Christmas, siguro mga 27/28, pumupunta kami sa Old Folks Home at nagpapakain. Pati na din sa Elsie Gaches. The fact na maswerte kami, di naman ibig sabihin na magdadamot na kami Were sharing our blessings 2. What are you most passionate about? Teaching students, especially yung mga high school Kahit na challenging, rewarding sya para sakin. 3. What skills do you have and how do you use them to help others? Nagtuturo ako, minsan, napapagabi pa ako sa school kasi may mga nagpapaturo. Hirap na hirap sa math. E ako naman, go lang, go lang Effective naman e, mataas yung scores nila pagkatapos ng mga periodical exams. 4. What do you think is your purpose in life? Hala (Laughs) Parang mahirap sagutin yan ah Ummm, ah Siguro magturo, kasi buong buhay nako nagtuturo. 5. What are your deepest convictions in life? Which beliefs are you willing to stand for? Gusto ko sana na mag-organize ng mga free education programs. Para sakin kasi, right ng mga tao, especially bata, na magkaroon ng edukasyon. The Five Vocational Realms 1. Aside from earning money, do you also view work as service to God and humanity? Para sakin, oo, kasi hindi lang naman ako nagtuturo sa mga bata. Pero parang ako na din yung nanay nila sa school, pinagsasabihan ko sila pag may sinasabi silang di maganda, o pag masyado silang makulit sa klase.

2. How about in the family, do you see this as a venue where one can respond to Gods calling? Hmmm Pwede naman 3. What does it mean to be a part of Church? Being a part of the church and being a Christian in general is doing good to others, especially to those in need. 4. How are you engaged or involved in the community in which you live in? Nagffacilitate ako sa mga blood drive sa barangay namin. Tapos tumulong din ako nung last eleksyon sa pagbibilang ng mga boto. 5a. What do you think is your calling in the context of larger world? I think I am already living my calling. Ever since bata naman ako, ambition ko na yung maging teacher. Ngayon, na-achieve ko na yung ambition ko. 5b. Can you confidently say that, no matter how small in degree, your existence in the world is making it better? Para sakin, oo. 40 years na akong nagtuturo and masaya ako na nagging insirasyon ako sa mga iba kong estudyante. Yung mga nagttrabaho na nga ngayon, friends ko sa facebook eh (laughs) Tapos nag-papasalamat sila sakin, kasi kahit na mahirap daw yung mga tests ko, natuto naman sila.

Part 2 Reflection Paper

As I interviewed Mrs. Pamela Farhan, I realized that one should use his or her ambition to somehow help others. In addition, despite being well-off, I should not ignore those who are suffering around me. I should learn to share my blessings to others. To respond to Gods calling to serve humanity, I will improve my spiritual life by going not only regularly to church, but faithfully. That is, I should focus all my thoughts and energy to God alone. I should start by using my gift in being knowledgeable in Biochemistry to help others who are in need by teaching them. My passion is in research, and once I graduate, I will use this passion to take further studies to help increase my depth of knowledge regarding how diseases work and help people by finding a cure for them. My skills are concerned with Biochemistry and as mentioned, I would use them to teach those in need of tutoring as well as find cure to diseases if possible. For me, my primary purpose on this earth is quite similar to Mrs. Farhan, to teach. However, I believe that another purpose for me is research. My deepest convictions in life is that treat others the way your want others to treat you. I strongly believe in karma, which is why I help people as much as possible in their academics. I do not really view studying as a service to God and humanity. I study not because I was asked by God nor my parents, but because I want to learn. Similarly, I teach others not because they pay me or become better friends with them, but because I want to help. For me, I do not see family as a venue here one can respond to Gods calling. Being a part of the church for me does not necessarily mean dedicating ones life to the work of the Lord, but doing ones best to help others who are in need . As of now, I have not took part in any social projects ran by our barangay. Maybe, it is because I am unaware the current events in our community. Despite being only one person out of the almost 7 billion people in the world, I believe that I am making the world better by doing the good things that I do now as well as the good things that I will do when I reach my goals in life.