Tribute to a Teacher

[roberto "boy" parcon]

When I joined LCC Bacolod as a freshman in ’68, I was very pleased to learn that Ms. Elizabeth Calvez was going to be one of my teachers (She eventually became our Class Adviser and the HS Principal). This feeling was totally opposed to what I had felt for her when I first met her in Camp Brotherhood, Mambucal, several years before. At that time, I was deliberating on the most dreadful ways that my very young mind could imagine to get rid of her, permanently!
Camp Brotherhood was a 1 week summer camp program for primary school boys, ran by the American Peace Corps w/ some Pinoy/Pinay Stormtroopers (deceptively called Camp Counselors). I was double-crossed into joining the program every summer for 5 straight years, by my parents who wanted to get rid of my misdemeanors during summer school breaks, at least for a week.
I still remember that one fateful day in camp when our Darth Vaderly American Counselor, w/ the enthusiastic prodding of her young Pinay Lady Counselor, Ms. Beth, decided that we should all go up to the 7th waterfalls of Mambucal. I couldnt voice my objection, what w/ all the other elder campmates wildly agreeing to the outrageous idea while I was barely able to squeak that I didn’t want to go along! I was hardly able to reach the 1st falls two days ago and almost died on the way to the 2nd falls, the day before.
“No, no, no, no, no”…said MsBeth. “All campers must go…and I know you can do it again too, Roberto! The 7th falls is really beautiful.” I immediately wanted to run home and hide inside my endearing hamper.
After a while, my self-appointed tormentor Ms. Beth was dragging me through dismal thorny forest & rocky river trail, up towards the 7th waterfalls of Mambucal when my chubby, immature & un-trained 7 yr old body simply refused to go any further. After fainting several times, I felt I was gladly going to meet my creator that very day at that desolate riverbed, but unfortunately, Ms. Beth kept on reviving me. That was the 1st time that my uttermost juvenile limits were tested beyond human endurance. But Ms. Beth kept on encouraging me onwards; I still couldn’t figure out how but we finally reached that falls despite fatigue, agony, dehydration, cuts and bruises on my part, while she seemed to be having the time of her life!
How I even managed to go back to camp was even more miraculous. Ms. Beth almost half-carried half-dragged my spent body back. I felt I was a crazed zombie, just wanting to get it over with and get back to camp to prepare my revenge on my torturers.
That trek is now vividly etched in my memory but now I derive encouragement and inspiration from it. Whenever I find myself in a seemingly hopeless bind, I remember Ms. Beth’s encouraging words, then I get the guts to get up and keep on trekking, against all odds. I could still hear her voice prodding me onwards! “You can do it! Roberto”
Moral lesson I learned from that experience: “Roses are red, magnolias are yellow; reach for that waterfalls, however battered, black & blue!”
Thanks Ms. Beth!

[Andrea Lizares Si (HS'73,AB '78)]

Miss Calvez, AKA Mrs. Cabuguas should read this. Thanks for telling the story. All I can say is Wow, not for you, but for Miss Calvez. After LCC, she worked for a while with First Farmers Human Development Foundation, Inc. The foundation did community development work in sugar farms and communities that included those which could be reached only by carabao or by foot. Now I know she was the kind who really could climb mountains, not just run an office or teach a class. I hope your sharing triggers the telling of other stories about the teachers who helped shape us.

[Rayri (HS Batch 81)]

Mrs. Cabuguas was my teacher in Economics (third year). I remember her to be a person with very strong personality, one who would push us to do our best.

[roberto "boy" parcon]

Aloha Rayri, Andrea......Ua ao ka `ao`ao `upena nei, ua hiki mai la `oe.

(Tribute to a Teacher) EPILOGUE :
I met Ms. Beth (Mrs. Elizabeth Cabugwas) in Makati a year ago, over lunch, when I was vacationing in Pinas. Of course, the years had gracefully affected my former HS teacher’s looks and disposition, but she was still beautiful, energetic and exuberant as ever. She’s now very much involved in volunteer work for the upliftment of street children in Metro-Manila, among others.
She offered to drive me around Makati to take care of some personal matters and I thought I would really be convenient for me to be able to go around in what would probably be a small nondescript easy-to-handle lady-like car or something she could easily manage and control, what with all the devil-may-care suicidal Metro-Manila drivers that would be ganging up around us.
But no! Uhuh! Not for my dear Ms. Beth! At the parking lot, we went straight into a Raving Fiery Red Sport SUV Pajero, 2-Door, Fully Loaded! Flarings, big wheels, spoilers to boot. Wow, she was cool!… yeah, it was her very own no-nonsense everyday go-anywhere dont-mess-w/-me wheels!… Move over Lara Croft, Eli’s in town and she’s too hot to handle. She definitely made my day!

PS: that Hawaiian borloloy up there means: "Light comes to this webpage because you both are here!"

[Victoria de la Cruz - Penaflor]

I very well remember how chaotic our class was way back in third year high school. But, when someone shouts that Mrs. Cabuguas is coming, all of the sudden, the chairs are in perfect order and the floor are suddenly cleared with trash. How did we do it? I just can't explain. Mrs. Cabuguas mere presence could put order right away. So, she's one of the teachers that you just can't forget.

Rayri (HS Batch 81) said:

Mrs. Cabuguas was my teacher in Economics (third year). I remember her to be a person with very strong personality, one who would push us to do our best.