SEFI Testimonials

JULIANA ENCARNADO

Head, PLDT Media Division

When I entered STC in1979, my mom was a chicken vendor at the Dapitan Public Market and her stallhappened to be our residence as well. Home was a three feet space above theprobably 15 square meter stall, where we climbed up on fours when it's time tosleep. It had no comfort room. And the backyard was the dressing area for thechickens which got busy as early as four in the morning.

Surprisingly, as a littlegirl, I didn't mind the poverty that surrounded me. It helped a lot that STCcultivated an environment where SEFI scholars like myself would not bediscriminated.

In school, I was like anyother student and I was given a chance to excel. But we were not just trainedacademically. We were raised to become well-rounded women guided by strongCatholic faith and love of country, with a deep compassion for the weak andunderprivileged.

Hinubog kami ng STC upangmaging Makatao, Makabayan at Maka-Diyos.

Armed with these values,I entered the University of the Philippines in Manila with a burning desire toserve others. Thus, I joined the campus paper and ran for the student council.My fondest memory at UP was leading the students stand against the tuitionincrease when I was chairman of KASAMA sa UP, the national alliance of UPstudent councils. We staged the biggest rallies in all UP campuses and actuallygot a P1 tuition rollback.

After college, I became abusiness journalist before finally settling as a PR professional. The mostmeaningful campaigns for me as a public relations person were our advocacycampaigns for the passage of the anti-child labor legislation and thegovernment procurement reform law that sought for greater transparency ingovernment contracts.

Now at PLDT and raisingfour kids, I hope that I still continue to hold those values that make me aTheresian. I'd like to think that I still do. Even at this digital age, PLDThas kept its tag line - We're changing lives. And this is what I have alwaysaspired to do, to make a difference in someone's life, to make lives better forothers even for just a tiny bit.

Our batch just celebratedour silver jubilee last January 31 and we have pledged to become a SEFI endowerso that we'll have a scholar in perpetuity. This is our way of giving back toSTC. And for me, as a former SEFI scholar, it has become a personal advocacy.

American educator HoraceMann has said that education is the great equalizer. This has certainly beentrue for me. I hope that with our batch's contribution and all your continuedgenerous support to SEFI, more girls will stand before you in testimony tothese words of Horace Mann.

Ms. Mary Maylanie L. Precilla

Vice President for Sales and Marketing

Robinsons Residences and Luxuria

Robinsons Land Corporation

Good afternoon, St. Theresa’s College! Thank you very much for inviting me to speak this afternoon. It’s a truly wonderful feeling to be back home. I truly miss this warm welcome.

SEFI or Sambayan Educational Foundation, Inc. has been instrumental to my life and success. I am a proud SEFI Student from Grade School to High School and being one wasn’t a piece of cake. At a young age of eight, I know that I had to keep my grades at a consistent outstanding level both in academics and extra-curricular activities. My parents were the proudest when I was accepted into the assistance program. I grew up with six siblings, all of them girls and am the very first one who was given the opportunity to study in a private school through SEFI. I knew then that I will face bigger and bolder challenges.

Let me share with you what being a SEFI student had taught me. I’ve learned the true meaning of “HARD WORK”. I was awakened to the fact that there are no templates and shortcuts in achieving success but there is always “HARD WORK.” You can’t depend on anyone to bring you success; you must work hard for it.

I also learned the importance of “LEADERSHIP” – how to lead others. It is being able to influence and inspire others towards accomplishing a common goal. This is the key ingredient in achieving success. Being a SEFI student, granted me the virtue of being a leader which doesn’t signify that I need to be the president or the person in charge but rather setting an example on how to accomplish the tasks. Knowing how to be a leader also means being a good follower.

The SEFI student status molded me to begin my plans with an end in mind. I see to it that I make a list of my “things to do”; I assess situations in pros and cons and evaluate factors that contribute in achieving the goal.

I am grateful with all the doors SEFI has opened for me because through this I was able to know my strengths and weaknesses, where I need to focus on and what should I keep doing. With SEFI, I attained “self-awareness” which helped me in leading a team of over a thousand individuals now and inspiring them to push harder.

Working hard didn’t stop from graduating in school. I needed to stretch myself and discover new goals. I graduated with a course in Communication Arts but after six years in the advertising industry, I felt incomplete. I needed to do more than Promotions. I embarked on learning Real Estate Marketing in Ayala Land and after six years in the said company, I felt I needed to go beyond marketing high-end residential condominiums. After two more developer companies, I am on my fourteenth year in the real estate industry. Now heading sales and marketing under Robinsons Land. In this manner I have learned the philosophy of delayed gratification – it means putting off the immediate rewards in order to receive better prizes later.

By working hard, it also means to “WORK FOR YOUR COUNTRY” and that is what Real Estate can do. It is fulfilling to know that we have offered solutions to upstart families, young achievers and even OFW’s who want to upgrade the quality of their lives. My heart flutters when I know each sale means that I am giving back to people the goodness SEFI brought to me.

This perhaps is my end mind – being able to share the blessings and opportunities, being a light to my fellow SEFI Students and being able to contribute in making our country a better place to live in.

I couldn’t thank you enough for having me here, thank you to the Board of Trustees, thank you to St. Theresa’s College, thank you to Sambayan Educational Foundation, INC because of you, I am a better version of myself.

Links

I agree to the Privacy Policy and give consent to St. Theresa's College, Quezon City (STCQC) to collect, store, use and process my personal data for the purpose of my inquiries, application and any transactions with STCQC.