I come from a military family, so it is no surprise that I am
now serving the country as part of the military. However, I am not in the same branch of
service as the rest of my family because of physical requirements that I did
not meet. With my experience in
education and teaching, I began by giving lectures, doing researches, and
writing articles for the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP). Their need for applicants to the Corps of
Professors reached me, and I had to decide if I could leave the comforts of my
civilian life to answer this gnawing call of duty.
The decision was hard to make because the working hours I had
before this opportunity was ideal. I was juggling part-time jobs and enjoying a
flexible schedule. The pay I received
from these jobs was not bad, either. Another
factor that I had to consider was that we (my husband and I) were (and still
are) homeschooling our children. Given this, I felt restless about my career
path. Still, I felt something was
missing.
It was not easy, but I pressed on towards my call to join the
AFP. I had to pass a variety of medical
and physical fitness tests which proved to be a feat for my civilian
lifestyle. While I struggled through
this, promotions and job offers from other places were falling on my lap like
an avalanche. I felt as if God was
testing my heart – to know what mattered most to me. I chose to join the military.
Most people were surprised at my decision. However, I can say
that being in the AFP’s Corps of Professors gives me an opportunity to merge my
two passions: teaching and loving my country. I belong to a Corps that serves
as the permanent faculty of the AFP. We
serve the Philippine Military Academy and the educational training units of the
Philippine Air Force, Philippine Army, and the Philippine Navy.
Being a uniformed woman brings a sense of pride, even if I
simply belong to a long line of women in the military. The AFP has given us equal opportunities for
career growth and has given us considerations for our personal concerns. I am empowered as a woman in the military. It
is really difficult to balance this career and my role as a mother and teacher
(though my husband shares the homeschooling load now). My family has to adjust
to the demands of my profession, which includes transferring residences nearer
to my assignment.
I am happy that young as they are, my children respect my
being a soldier, as they know that this is a childhood dream of mine. Time and again, my kids are reminded that if
they work and pray hard for their dreams, their own dreams will come true. My
kids see me and they see all the things they want to be. God knows the desires of our hearts, and His
call of duty on my life has allowed me to reach mine.
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