The Tough Career of Yolie and John Patrick Aggabao…police officers and parents

The Tough Career of Yolie and John Patrick Aggabao

…police officers and parents

By Apolinario Villalobos

 

Yolie and John Patrick met in the year 2000 when they were classmates at the Philippine National Police Academy (PNPA) and got married when they were in their third year, as 2^nd class cadets. It was not a whirlwind love affair or a so-called “love at first sight”, but rather, one which was carefully nurtured resulting to a tightly bound commitment.

 

While Yolie is assigned at the Directorate for Logistics of the PNP National Headquarters at Camp Crame, as Assistant Division Chief for Supply Management, John Patrick is in central Mindanao, particularly, Tacurong City, Sultan Kudarat. He is the Officer In-Charge of the local PNP Force and his calm countenance contradicts the negative expectation on what it is to be assigned in Mindanao…which many Manila-based policemen dread. This is the reason why there was much grumbling from the ranks of Mindanao policemen when the national leadership of the PNP treated the region as a dumping ground for the scalawag policemen from Manila, and who need to be reformed as the move had an impression of being a threat.

 

John Patrick starts the day at the Tacurong PNP HQ with the formation of his Force during which a review of the previous day’s rounds is made, aside from his tireless giving of reminders on courtesy and honesty. Reports from the different units are given way for every one’s information, and if it is a Thursday, those with Islamic faith are reminded about their spiritual obligation the following day, Friday. After the formation, those on off duty stretch their muscles for several minutes of calisthenics.

 

With the onset of the Christian Advent season, he sees to it that those assigned at areas where the Misa de Gallo is held, are already in their posts not later than 2:30AM. And, as the PNP Headquarters is open 24/7, he has “quartered” himself in his meagerly furnished office. In so short a time, he has gained the reputation as a “soft spoken and a gentleman in uniform”. Effortlessly, in his very affable manner, he is changing the image of the police from “not so good” to “very good”.

 

Behind the gentle countenance is a disciplinarian father…that is according to Yolie. His love to their children, Kirsten (13 years old, Grade 8), Elianai (10 years old, Grade 4), and Kaithlyn ( 4 years old and in Nursery) is hinged on discipline. When he was yet with them, prior to his assignment in Tacurong City, he saw to it that the attention they got from him was not tinged with coddling.

 

On the other hand, Yolie is having a tough time as she is left with their three children. But being a woman with resilient character, she is able to properly divide her time between her career and motherly responsibilities. She tries her best to spend the best quality time with their children, aside from showing her equally best diligence as a career woman so that her bosses will not hesitate to grant her requests for emergency leaves as the needs would arise. This “compromise” more than makes Yolie a contented mother, wife, and a satisfied “lady cop”.

 

Finally, she confided that she and her husband were aware of the complications, especially, during holidays, that they would encounter while raising a family….they, being both in the uniformed service of the government.

 

Tough and  ideal couple, indeed, ….P/Supt. Yolie and P/Supt. John Patrick Aggabao, worthy of emulation!

 

 

TESDA Trainings should include Resourcefulness

TESDA trainings should include

Resourcefulness

By Apolinario Villalobos

The trainings of Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) are geared more towards jobs overseas. But there is one particular training that should be injected with resourcefulness – baking. The training agency should not only expect that graduates of the seminar are bound to fill up jobs in hotels and restaurants in the country and abroad, or embark on a business complete with baking equipment, but will also start a small home-based business, or just bake cakes and bread for the family. Regarding the latter option, trainors of the agency should include in their module how to be resourceful in case a “standard” sized oven is not available in the homes of these housewives.

This observation is based on TESDA training in the barangay level in which participants are simple housewives most of whom do not own a standard-sized oven, and whose interest is to bake bread for the family. The TESDA should have a module for this particular of group.

In the internet, some shares on baking are about those done on top of stoves using the iron pot. Another is even about baking cakes with the use of rice cooker. But since most wives do not even touch a computer or much more, have computer at home, these knowledge should be shared by the trainors, themselves in seminars. TESDA should get trainors whose knowledge on baking is not limited in the use of the standard oven.

The TESDA training programs are allotted with substantial budget. In this regard, the agency should see to it that the modules of their trainors are not coped within the western-type knowledge, but should also cater to what the Filipinos need aside from landing a job in big companies in the country or abroad, or a big-budgeted family business. Knowledge learned from the agency should also be geared towards its usefulness in the Filipino home.