On the 28th day of September 1996, I was born to my mom, Gemma Tibor, at Sibut, San Jose, Nueva Ecija. She named me Ma. Theresa Tibor.
My family and relatives used to call me Bebe or Tere. But my close friends rather chose calling me Cham. Please don't ask me why they call me that thing. It's a LOOOOOOOOOOONG story.
Nueva Ecija is not our home province. My mother used to live there with my titas and titos, because of her early pregnancy. Mom got pregnant when she was in her second year college. Yes, I know, she was very young that time. My mom and dad were not together then. I had not the chance to see my father while I was growing up. But I know, dad is in Saudi Arabia right now, and he still is not married. I have a half-brother though from my father's side. Today, I'm with my mother and she's married with another man. But they have no children at all.
A couple of months after my birth, my mom brought me home to my lola and lolo in our home province in Albay, Bicol. And I stayed there for 12 years. For all those years, when I was little, my grandparents took care of me. Early on, they enrolled me in a Day Care center, then transferred me to a Catholic School, St. Mary's Academy of Ligao where I graduated from pre-school and elementary grades. I got the 5th place during my elementary graduation in 2009.
Soon after my graduation, my dad gave me the opportunity to meet him. It was in the summer of 2009, at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport, that I saw him and hugged him for the very first time. We went to Boracay and spent some time there. We’ve got the chance to bond together and got to know each other. Yeah, I felt happy for a moment.
Just before I entered secondary school, my parents decided to transfer me to Makati for two main reasons. First, they wanted me to get the opportunity to have a better quality education. Second, they thought it would even be much better for me if I stay with my mom, whom I had not the chance to stay with constantly, due to her work in Manila, for many years.
In June 2009, they enrolled me at the Fort Bonifacio High School. However, I didn't finish my freshmen year there. It was because we moved to San Pedro, Laguna, where my mom had her own house. At St. Peter Academy in San Pedro, where I experienced a new school environment, I finished my first year high school and got the 2nd honor award during the recognition day.
Unfortunately, typhoon “Ondoy” affected much our home in San Pedro which made my mom, decide to go back to Makati. In 2010, I found myself, a sophomore then, at the Benigno "Ninoy" S. Aquino High School (BNAHS).
It seemed to me that, luckily, we were to stay here in Makati for good. At first, I found it hard though to adapt to a new environment. But then I easily learned to get along with my new friends. I was in a regular section last year, II - Onyx, under Mr. Jimmy A. Mariano, a math teacher.
At the beginning of the school year 2011-2012, I was surprised upon hearing that I was moved to class III–Platinum, the star section for juniors at BNAHS. I didn't know why. But I had doubts if I really belong to this section. I just couldn’t really imagine that someone like me had been transferred to the cream section. But I could not do anything about it now. I think I just needed to accept it and go with the flow.
Until now, I’ve been feeling that I couldn’t still adapt. They are fast learners, while I am just a medium learner. I wish however that someday I would be able to adjust myself with my new learning environment and with my new friends and classmates.
Glancing back at my 14 years of existence, I have realized that I have many things to do, many dreams to reach and many time and opportunities to fulfill them.
Yet, I still have a vague idea of what I will be tomorrow when I am grown up. Will I be a garbage girl? Will I be able to help my family and make them happy and proud of me? I don't know. But for now, I am doing all my best for whatever I will be in the future: lovin' photography. :)
