By Jovit D. Caballero

In a fast-food restaurant, Nea, an energetic young girl, steps in and orders a mouthwatering burger. Seated by the window, she eagerly takes an exciting first bite complete with facial expressions, transforming an ordinary dining experience into a cinematic delight. “CUT!”, the director says, then repeatedly calls for retakes to capture the perfect shot – until Nea finishes the whole burger.

This was Nea’s childhood dream, to be a commercial model of a popular fast-food chain restaurant in the Philippines in order to have a taste of its yummy burger. This Corporate Benefits Sr. Specialist of the Human Resources and Administration Division from Guiguinto, Bulacan is known for being a fun and enthusiastic colleague. But just like the rest of us, behind those smiles and laughter is a heavy weight of responsibility with unspoken worries and personal struggles.

Contrary to her current personality, Nea is an unapproachable grumpy young girl during his childhood days. She believes that this was caused by an early challenge she faced as the middle child among the three children. She took on the duties typically associated with being the eldest sibling. Except for the “ate” roles and household chores, Nea also excels academically as she is always consistent with being a part of the star section. Despite these accomplishments, she felt that her achievements were somewhat overlooked.

Transitioning to high school posed additional challenges for the family. Both of her parents, who worked as factory employees, experienced a prolonged period of unemployment. As much as Nea wants to find a job and help financially, her parents do not agree with it since Nea has been restricted by her asthma attacks since her formative years. During that time, the family relied solely on selling their possessions, including her mother’s jewelry, as their primary source of income, often resorting to the pawnshop.

Experiencing these difficulties made Nea realize that life is already challenging, and there’s no need to make it more difficult. It was during this period that she embraced her naturally cheerful personality, finding joy in every situation. Continuing with her positive outlook, there was a particular moment when she prayed for her crush to ask her to dance during the prom night. As the event was concluding and her father waiting outside to pick her up, she stepped out of the school only to find her crush extending an invitation to the dance floor. “Fate has a way of playing tricks,” she thought.

During her college days, she further cultivated her jolly personality as she found herself immersed in a diverse circle of friends. It was a pleasant surprise for all of them to discover that they not only clicked but also shared similar wavelengths. Adding to their college adventures, there was a peculiar incident when they observed one of their professors consistently dozing off during class presentations, specifically after eating a banana. In response, the group devised a clever plan: they started gifting bananas to the professor. This way, they only needed to prepare the introductions for each report, skip the body, and pretend the presentation was already finished when they woke up.

Following her college graduation, Nea secured a position in Human Resources in Tarlac, where she eventually crossed paths with her future husband. After eight years, Nea underwent a job reassignment, taking on the role of secretary in the Facilities department. Here, she found herself immersed in the banter of her male colleagues for another three years. As her boyfriend approached resignation, it was Nea who initiated a pivotal conversation, casually asking him about his plans for their relationship. Subsequently, in a nonchalant manner, they decided to take the next step and became engaged.

After their wedding and having their first child, Nea wanted a more convenient work setup and opted for a job in Makati. During this period, she encountered a colleague who had previous experience at MPTC. Recognizing the demands of her current job, she made the decision to resign and subsequently applied for a position as an HR associate in the tollways industry.

From that point forward, Nea earned a reputation as a friendly colleague who brings sunshine into everyone’s day. At home, she always makes sure that dinner time will always be the bonding time they will all look forward to as they exchange jokes and laughter while sharing God’s blessings. As a wife, she remains steadfast in offering support and cooperation to her husband, while also being a lively and affectionate mother to their two children. Despite her fun nature, Nea understands the importance of balancing it with being a firm but loving wife and a disciplinarian mother when the situation calls for it.

Nea consistently imparts to her children the importance of embracing joy in every situation. She emphasizes that life is imperfect, but it’s up to each of us to shape it into a happy and more memorable one. Truly, it’s all about being the lead character and finding joy, with Nea – bida and saya!

---

---