I graduated from college at the age of nineteen years and immediately started looking for a job.
I applied to the multinationals dominating the local economy then in terms of stature, resources, influence, training and promotions potential, and high compensation package.
I wanted to take advantage of my so-called exclusive school education and honors achievement.
However, these multinationals required at that time that the new management trainees to be accepted must at least be 21 years old. I was 2 years away from the requirement. At the same time, I entered Law School.
I had both personal and educational expenses which I did not want my parents to shoulder. I needed a well paying job to justify my status as well as the sunken and future costs.
Dr. Vin Valdepenas, Chair of the Economics Department of the Ateneo and future NEDA Director- General and Monetary Board Member, came to my rescue. He offered Ed Fajardo, our class valedictorian, and me teaching positions as Instructors in the Ateneo Economics Department.
This was a big compliment to us, being fresh graduates at a very young age, being asked to teach a major subject as regular faculty of a very prestigious university, to students who were at our age level and some of whom were friends just a while ago.
The salary was also competitive even with the starting pay in the corporate world. And we would be doing what we really love to be doing, studying and learning.
After the initial nerves, Ed and I settled down in a regular comfortable mode, style and pace. We, by the dint of hard work and preparation, were able to get high ratings for our teaching performance.
Of course, we would still get the shakes and red faces and bowed heads whenever we would meet Fr. Michael McPhelin, S.J. , PhD economics from Harvard, reputedly the classmate of Samuelson, an economist of stature and high repute, our former professor and very aristocratic in demeanor, greeting us poor instructors in his booming voice, “ Hi there, COLLEAGUES!”
We did not know whether to return the greeting or to bury ourselves in the cement floor of the Kotska corridor.
That is how I got into the teaching profession. Since then, for the past 45 years, I have been involved in teaching although no longer on a full time basis.
I had to work in the corporate world as a investment and trust banker, sugar cane planter, real estate developer and marketer, appraiser, government economic analyst and consultant, freeport executive and airport executive, among others, for various periods in my career.
Throughout all these periods, I managed to insert teaching assignments during some weekday evenings and Saturdays. I taught again at the Ateneo, University of Sto. Tomas, University of the Philippines College Clarkfield, UP Extension Program in Pampanga, University of the Assumption, Angeles University Foundation, Holy Angel University and the Asian Institute of Management as the resident guru for the Masters in Entrepreneurship in Clark.
I was both a practitioner and a teacher in the economics and management field, which, to my mind, synergizes the best elements of both worlds.
During these periods, I managed to finish my MBA and PhD. I think this is due to my involvement in the academe.It involved some sacrifices in time and family interaction.
However, my family knew that whether I taught or not, I will still do the reading, research and strive for the various knowledge because these are there to be done and enjoyed. Therefore, I reason, I might as well do them formally, within an academic institution and framework and get paid for it, even humbly.
It is, of course, a sense of achievement to be able to measure one’s progress in academe by the degrees one may attach after one’s name or the academic ranks before one’s name, Professor Romeo N. Dyoco, Jr., AB,MBA, Ph.D. That does look and sound nice.
The corporate world also provides these titles like Engr., Atty., Dr., President, Vice President and others. A combination of both would be better.
This is not ego tripping but may be a good tradeoff as a benefit to the low compensation generally given to teachers. However, let us not forget the psychic income of teachers.
It is a great feeling to be able to impart knowledge and see the “ aha” light of knowledge and understanding in one’s students.
During all these years of teaching, you may not be able to remember all of your students.
But they will all remember you. When I meet former students whom I can not remember, I tell them I usually remember two groups, the best and the worst students. If I do not remember you, then you must have be average, which is neither good or bad.
September 5 to October 6 is National Teachers Month. I would like to thank all of my teachers. I remember all of you, both good, bad and average.
Thank you anyway for I still learned from all of you. And I offer a prayer for all of us, to the Great Teacher Himself, our Lord Jesus Christ.
