In the year
1991 and in the happiest month of the year, I, Astrid P. Rocha was born on the
20th day of December. I am second among the siblings and the only
daughter of four children of Miguel Reyes Rocha and Veneranda Sanchez Paradero.
I was privileged to have been born in a hospital in Quezon City, the Capitol
Medical Center. My brother who was born after me was also born in Quezon City,
at the Delgado Hospital. My youngest brother is the only one who was born in
Cagayan de Oro City. We all grew up together in this city. We grew up in the
house of my grandparents. My grandpa, being a Chavacano speaks Chavacano in the
house and that is how my mother learned the dialect. We understand a little Chavacano
but rarely speak it. It was customary for us to be speaking in Filipino inside
the house, rather than Cebuano.
I’m proud to
say that I’m properly raised by my goodly parents specially my mother who
single-handedly raised us for nearly 14 years now. My father joined our
Almighty Father in the year 1999 on the fifth day of December. I was in my
second grade at Lourdes Grade School and was seven years old that time. Even if
my father isn’t with us anymore, I know that families can be together forever
and we will see him again in the spirit world, after our earthly life is done.
I am blessed with
many gifts and talents from the Lord. I excel in sports and enjoy good health.
I have gifts in oral and written communications and being beautiful inside and
out. I see life as a gift from God. I’m
very thankful to Him for I belong to a very good family, with very supportive
parents and loving brothers. I know God loves each one of us because we are His
children. I know that He sent us here on earth for a purpose and that is to
become eternally happy by obeying His commandments and enduring to the end. By
doing so, we can go back and join our Heavenly Father in His kingdom.
My father, who was fondly
called “Mikey” was born in Tondo, Manila but grew up in the lovely city of
Zamboanga. He is a graduate of BS Political Science in Western Mindanao State
University, and took up Public Administration at the University of the
Philippines in Diliman, Quezon City. He spent his primary years at the Colegio
de San Juan de Letran in Manila. Later when their family moved out to Zamboanga
City, he went on to finish his grade school at the Ateneo de Zamboanga. Papa belonged to the elite Malacañang Press
Corp during the Marcos administration, and covered the Department of National
Defense for 10 years. It was then that he became a friend of ex-president Gen.
Brig. Fidel Ramos. He was at Camp Aguinaldo with Juan Ponce Enrile during the
fateful People’s Revolution. He would write articles both in the national
daily, the Gold Star Daily and Sunstar about the Revolution every year when
February comes. Later, he became the editorial consultant at the Malacañang
Press Office during the Ramos administration. My father enjoyed a colorful
career as a journalist. My father was a former editor of Gold Star and Sunstar
dailies.
It was during his years as Desk
Editor at the Manila Chronicle that my father met the most beautiful woman, my
mother Veni. She was at that time the executive secretary of the president of Capital
Garments Corporation and at the same time the Union president, and the editor
in chief of the corporate newsletter. She went to the office of my father to
have a press release for the Union published at the Manila Chronicle.
My mom was born in Santo Tomas, Candon
City, Ilocos Sur. She was 2 months old when she was brought to Manila where she
was raised and grew up. She earned a Bachelor's degree in Mass Communication at
the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila, as a government scholar. She also earns
the distinction of being one of the regional finalists of the first ever
National Spelling Bee Contest. She was in grade school at that time. Her most
vivid memory of that event was, being seated side by side with Imee Marcos.
Mama was not even aware that she was the daughter of the President.
My mother worked as a
junior executive at SM Makati’s advertising department. She also had been given
the opportunity to work with big corporations like Daewoo Cars, where she was
the executive secretary of the president. When we moved out to Cagayan de Oro,
my mother earned the not so savory distinction of being “Ms. Terror” at Liceo University
where she taught English at the College of Liberal Arts. She was also among the
advisers of the Liceo Theatre Arts and the College Newsletter. In Cagayan de
Oro, she had worked as a sales and marketing executive of the Canoy Group of
Companies, Dctech, Bayantel and Hotel Koresco. She is currently working at Duka Bay Resort as the Sales and Marketing Manager. In between, she is a great teacher, tutor, and
homemaker.
My paternal grandfather,
Attorney Fernando Bellapaz Rocha was married to my beautiful grandmother,
Thelma Naguio Reyes, Ph. D. Grandma took her studies in Education at the Far
Eastern University in Manila where she was Miss Education. She was a musician
and played the piano, violin, and banduria, and was a great dancer as well. She
taught in various schools in the city including Lourdes College, Cagayan de Oro
College and Capitol University.
I must say, I come from a family of educators,
as my maternal grandma, Agripina del Rosario Sanchez was a teacher until her
retirement in 1995. She is now residing in her hometown Santo Tomas, Candon
City, Ilocos Sur, where my mother visits her every year. Nanay as we fondly
call her, was married to the late Felix Dequilla Paradero who has roots in
Marinduque and Quezon Province. I never saw my Lolo Felix, but my mother has
very fond memories of him, my mother being a papa’s girl. Lolo Felix loved
learning so much that he spent his time reading everyday. He has read the Holy
Bible from cover to cover, and read important books in history, which makes him
an instant research reference by my mother when she was a student.
Grandpa wanted our family
to move here in Cagayan de Oro after my grandmother died in 1996. My family has
been residing here since 1997.
Since my father died, my
mother has been mother and father to us, 4 children. My eldest brother Miguel
Frederico now works as a seaman. He is now in Australia as of this
writing. My brother Diego is in 3rd year high school at Cagayan de Oro College. He is a band drummer of the Leap band and a terrific dancer. My youngest brother Carlos
Miguel, whom we fondly call “Khalil”, joins me at Xavier University taking up AB Economics. Khalil enjoys sports like me, and he plays a lot of basketball. He
used to play soccer at Xavier Grade School.
As a Latter-day Saint
family, mother enjoys going to church every Sunday and encourages us to stay
close to the church, where we find refuge from all the worldly challenges. We
enjoy family home evenings every Monday nights, and work hard to make our home
a little bit of heaven here on earth.
