Featured LPU Davao Employee of the Month: Dr. Maribeth Q. Galindo
Dr. Maribeth Q. Galindo came from an ordinary family. She is the only daughter of Sarah, her mother, and Elpidio, her father. She only has one sibling, Roland, who is already married and has two kids. Both of her parents are not professionals, but she would describe them as “madiskarte”. Dr. Galindo shared, “At a young age, they started working to support themselves and their family’s needs. Hence, a typical Filipino family categorized in the social hierarchy under lower classes who cannot afford to sit down and relax because they have to work hard for us to have something to eat during mealtime. Despite this, I am still very proud of my parents, for they really tried their best to send us to school until we get our degrees. Whatever success my brother and I achieved right now, a bigger portion of that, we owe it to our parents.”
Aside from giving them a good education, Dr. Galindo’s parents raise them as good persons who are guided by values and principles. Thus, for Dr. Galindo, “responsible and good parents go beyond the parameter of one’s profession, how articulated they speak, how much money they have in their banks, or how smooth their skins are. It’s the ability to give love genuinely and wholeheartedly without counting how much they invested for their children, and it’s the kind of love that cannot be bought with money or any material things. As Dr. Galindo recalled, “there was one time when my mother shared that she wanted me to study in a private school in my elementary days because that’s her dream. She was mesmerized by those kids of our well-to-do neighbors wearing uniforms in a certain private school and how she wished that I could study too in such school but ended up enrolling me in a public school because life then was really hard for us at that time. Despite the situation, I do not feel any less being in a public school.”
“It is still vivid in my memory that I have enjoyed a lot during my elementary days. I participated actively in school activities and as a member of the dance troupe, I never thought that I could really dance those days. I think I did well in my academics because I am a consistent honor student, so every recognition day, that’s the only time I could wear a new dress bought by my mother. Meanwhile, in my high school days, I studied in a private school, but at that time, I could not sustain my academic achievements, especially in my last two years in high school because of my Math subject. I hate numbers and computations. It’s a struggle for me every time our Math teacher will call for board work or even doing individual problem-solving tasks. It seemed that my brain would not function properly in my Math subject every time I see my teacher. But then I just realized later on in my life that a difficult subject plus a terror teacher may be one of the contributory factors for stagnating student’s confidence. Honestly, I did not hate my Math teacher and I am thankful that I’ve experienced those things because it helped me deal with people with difficult personalities. In totality, I have so much fun in my high school days.”
After high school, Dr. Galindo went to a prestigious university in Davao. She shared, “We had a little argument with my mother during enrollment because I wanted to enroll in BS Medical Technology, but my mother told me that she could not afford the chosen degree program. She further said, using our dialect, “pang datu na na kurso, dili ta ka afford kay pobre ta”. My mother then insisted that I take up Education because it is the most affordable degree program the university offered. With teary eyes, my mother’s decision was followed at the end, which I just realized now that it pays to be obedient to your parents.”
In her college days, she recalled that she is not a diligent student nor a grade-conscious one. As for Dr. Galindo, “My goal is to pass all subjects not to fail, but I also managed to be exempted from some of my major subjects during the final exam and I wondered how my teacher came up with the exemption. Anyway, my struggle in Math still haunted me up to College. I have this professor of mine who loved to call students in front of the class and asked us to solve problems. Every time she uses the index card in calling names, my heart palpitates so fast and to me, it seemed that it is the end of the world. It’s an agony of attending Math classes but I don’t have any option. I have to conquer my fear with my Math teacher and the subject as well. Thanks to those ever-supportive close friends of mine, Imelda, Yelena, and others for through their assistance, I survived.”
Two months after graduation, Dr. Galindo was hired in a private school here in Davao and taught as a high school teacher for four years. Then, as per Dr. Galindo, “I accidentally met my former Dean of Education Program and asked if I am interested to teach in College where I graduated but with the condition that I have to study and finish my Masters. So, I grabbed the offer because I look at it as an opportunity for growth and not just everyone will be offered by such. To continue my study, I enrolled in San Carlos University, so I have to fly to Cebu every summer until I finished my Master’s. But this was possible because the university where I worked endorsed me as a PAFTE scholar, where the said scholarship shouldered all expenses related to my studies. As for my Ph.D. degree, I took it in the university where I rendered more than 22 years of my service as a teacher.”
“My previous school contributed so much to my professional, spiritual, physical, personal, and even economic growth. It paved the way for I was able to teach in Master’s and Doctoral programs. Aside from teaching, the school allowed me to serve as a Program Chair in Teacher Education, then designated me as a Social Science Coordinator, Advocacy Coordinator, and Ethics Committee member. There was also one school here in Davao, who trusted and got me as their consultant for their SH Program for three years. With all this experience, I realized that it is difficult to handle people, very exhausting at the same time challenging.”
“Moreover, I also had a chance to become an author and a co-author with other Social Sciences books like Sociology, Philippine History, and others. I am also involved in module writing supported by CHED Region XI and funded by Non-Government Organization from Germany to write about the “Peace Education” module. In addition, I have been an active member of the Philippine Association for Teachers and Educators (PAFTE) and became a member and executive officer of the Regional Board PAFTE Region X1. The PAFTE National recently designated me as one of the Evaluators/Monitors for the Continuing Professional Development for College in Teacher Education in Region XI. The challenge of this task remains to be uncovered as I go through the process.”
“Further, as others will tell, leaving from your comfort zone where you work for quite some time will give you a feeling of separation anxiety. This is not true in my case, for I do not have such a feeling. In fact, I feel at home in my new school, new environment, new colleagues, new staff and new administrators. These people that I work with imbibe with positivity. However, pressures are present which contributed to our stress in terms of our job assignments, for we do have a lot of jobs aside from teaching. Still, these are normal things to happen because LPU-Davao is a young school in its operation. I pretty understand with the situation that the school cannot just hire more people considering we have not reached yet our target number of enrollees. Who knows by this AY 2021-2022, a miracle might happen? But one thing I am sure of, I am happy with my LPU family, and I am proud that I belong.”
“In the case of our students, I hope you see and feel how much your teachers cared for you. Putting our best and provide you with quality instructions which you deserved is our number one priority. We will not let COVID 19 pandemic take away your dreams and aspirations. Life must go on by any means. If you feel tired in your academic life due to so many demands, requirements, deadlines, etc. Just take a deep breath, relax for a while, loosen up and acknowledge that these pressures are part of a student’s life and part of your responsibility is to respond to such pressure. Always remember, academic problems are just too little compared to the problems many of our young at your age whose parents lost their job, they have nothing to eat for the next mealtime, so they are forced to go out from home and look for a living despite the danger of being infected with the virus. Instead of complaining, be grateful for your blessings. Not everyone enjoys the life that you have. Nonetheless, I always believe that your position, intelligence, your economic status, your millions of money, your expensive clothes, shoes, jewelry, and cars do not define you as a person. These are just material things that any moment will be taken away from you. What is important is how you deal with others, how you showed respect to them, how you let them feel valued, and how kindness and generosity be felt by the needy. At the end of the day, people will remember our good deeds, not the position of any material wealth one has.”