Golden profiles: Ofelia Gigante-Aganon

OFELIA GIGANTE-AGANON

Born in Rosales, Pangasinan to Maura dela Pena-Gigante and Enrique B. Gigante on  January 14, 1939.  This fragile baby was baptized Hilaria Ofelia dela Pena  Gigante, fondly called by family members and friends by her nickname, Fely.

Fely, whose paternal  grandfather had more than fifty percent Italian blood and maternal grandfather had seventy-five percent Spanish blood grew up with a very fair skin.  During WWII, the American soldiers showed extreme liking on this tiny tot thus Fely would always come home with bags of chocolate candies from American soldiers whose camps were nearby the evacuation village of Fely’s family.

After WWII, Fely enrolled in Rosales Elementary School, Rosales, Pangasinan, as first grader and stayed at this school till her fourth grade.  In school, she was always recruited by her school teachers to dance or recite/orate during school functions.  Thus at an early age Fely developed the love for dancing and the stage.  She acquired self-confidence which became very handy to win medals and trophies in school literary contests.

Before Fely could graduate in sixth grade her father, a school teacher at the Rosales Elementary School, was  promoted Vice-Principal at the Albay Trade School in a far away Bicol region.  Fely was in a big shock as she was thrown in an entirely new environment.  The natives speak Bicol, an entirely different dialect from Ilocano which was the dialect in Rosales, Pangasinan.  She learned the Bicol dialect in a few weeks and in a short period of time, she was mingling with the rest of the fifth graders at the Albay Normal Training School, Albay, Albay.

During the summer of her fifth grade, the family was again faced with a big decision, Fely’s mother decided to go home to her parents in Gerona, Tarlac to deliver her baby.  Fely had to move with her mother to Gerona, Tarlac.  Fely and her mother returned to Albay, Albay in March of 1951 in time for the school opening so Fely can enroll at the Albay Trade School.  Fely stayed at this school until third year high school.  Fely received various awards declamation (both in English and Tagalog) and oration.  On her fourth year high school, again the family had to move to Lingayen, Pangasinan as her father was transferred to the Pangasinan School of Arts and Trades.  Fely graduated with high grades but could not be recognized as an honor student due to lack of residency.  Anyway, one of her fond memories was that she was crowned as one of the beauty queens of the school.  Also, she was sent to Bacolod City to attend the annual conference of young high school writers.

Fely and her family decided that she enroll at UPLB to take Home Technology in the second semester of 1955-1956 school year.  Fely by then had become Ofel to her friends and colleagues at UPLB.  She joined the Sigma Delta Phi Sorority (Society of Arts and Dramatics).

After becoming a full-pledged Sigma Deltan, Ofel once again exhibited her love and skills for dancing, arts and theatre.  “Mabuti maawain ang Panginoong Diyos sa kanya at grumaduate pa rin sa college”.  She was always on rehearsals for stage drama performances jointly sponsored by the Upsilon Sigma Phi Fraternity and the Sigma delta Phi Sorority.  You know during those years, the Upsilon/Sigma Deltans were always in competition with the Betans.  Ofel is proud to be a Sigma Deltan and always “palaban sa sorority activities.”  Ofel was also active at the women’s dorms various activities.  In 1960 Ofel was very grateful to God because she graduated with B.S.H.T degree despite her time-demanding extracurricular activities at U.P.L.B.  Her life at U.P.L.B. was so blessed both in love and etc.etc.  I’ll do it again if there is a repeat performance!

Soon after graduation, Ofel landed a home economics teaching job at the newly opened Santa Maria Agricultural High School, Santa Maria, Pangasinan.  Ofel feared that she might become an old maid if she continued to be a school teacher.  After all, this is a popular saying “na ang mga teacher ay old maid ang final destiny.”  Certainly she did not want to be single for the rest of her life so she knocked at the door of U.P.L.B. asking if there was any job opening that Ofel may apply for.  In short, she was hired as the Women’s Dorm Supervisor as Mrs. Roldan, the longtime women’s dorm supervisor was promoted to be in charge of the Student’s International Housing.  Ofel managed the U.P. Women’s dorm for two years until some executives from J. Walter Thompson Company, an advertising company, knocked at the women’s dorm looking for Ofelia Gigante.

The arrival of J. Walter Thompson Company representatives was a total surprise to Ofel.   Ofel was recommended by the home technology department to be one of the radio announcers of the radio program that P.R.C. was going to launch in the entire Philippine Islands.  Auditions were performed in Manila and Ofel was assigned to take care of the Manila program based at the ABS/CBN radio network stations.  Other Home Technology graduates were hired to take care of the local programs broadcasting in their respective dialects.  Ofel was also in charge of the script materials used to run the program.  The radio program was titled “Amihan.”  The format was to give advice to home makers mothers on how to manage their families.  These included tips on first aid, recipes, balanced diet, sewing, handicrafts and many others.  Ofel’s knowledge in home technology was very useful in this venture.  Ofel had a chance to go to remote barrios, attend fiestas, and crown their local queens.  It was a great and wonderful experience.  While running the radio show, Amihan, she was also hired to run some commercials for P.R.C.  This was another unforgettable experience.

At the end of the second anniversary of Amihan radio program, Ofel faced another challenge in her life.  U.P. College of Forrestry called on Ofel to launch a radio program sponsored by the extension department promoting the conservation of our country’s forests.  Ofel consulted her father who advised her to go back to Los Banos and serve her alma mater once again.  It was not easy for her because her papers for immigrating to the United States were in progress.  She could leave the Philippines any time soon.  She was convinced by Professor Nap Vergara, U.P. College of Forestry, Chairman, Extension Department, to take the job anyway.  Ofel packed her personal belongings and moved to U.P. College of Forestry to launch the radio talk show of the department.  This was  in 1968.  Ofel traveled from Pangasinan to Cebu to Bagiuo, to Bicol, and other cities to promote the local program in the local ABS-CBN broadcasting network.  Luckily, Ofel was successful in getting a free thirty minutes per week to broadcast the U.P. College of Forestry “PRESERVE OUR FORESTRY”.  This public service program, sponsored by U.P. College of Forestry and directed by Ofel went on the air for almost a year.  This chapter in Ofel’s life came to a close but another opened when her U.S. visa was granted to her in 1969.

Tears of joy and sorrow fell from Ofel’s eyes when she boarded a Philippine Airlines for the U.S.A. on November 20, 1969.  Upon landing in Omaha, Nebraska, she first saw the real snow all over the grounds of Omaha International Airport.  “Wow!  The scenery is like the scenery in a Christmas Card.”  Within the first week of Ofel’s arrival in Omaha, she sent applications for employment at the local businesses, schools, and hospital cafeterias. Before the end of November 1969, Ofel was hired as the assistant supervisor of the Omaha Medical Center Cafeteria Department.

This time, now that Ofel is in the U.S.A., she is no longer Ofel.  She is now, to many Americans she meets every day, Ophelia!  To her it really did not make any difference.  Omaha is an extremely very cold place.  Ophelia needed more than one blanket and she did not have the second blanket, which is the “human blanket”.  In the spring of 1970, Ophelia’s friends urged her to move to San Francisco, CA. She could not bear the below-zero temperature in Omaha so she resigned from her job and flew to San Francisco, CA.

Ophelia was advised to work on her teaching credential so she could teach.  In September of 1970, Ophelia found herself teaching in a secondary high school.  She dedicated twenty-three years of her life here in the U.S.A. as a teacher.  She found this job the most challenging responsibility as being a foreigner in this country to teach high school students was quite a “Task”.  While in the teaching force, she helped the Filipino students develop pride in themselves and their roots.  She gathered all the Filipino students and organized them into a Fil-Am Student Club.  Ophelia introduced the Filipino cultural heritage such as Filipino folk dances, harana, tula or talumpati, and singing.  Filipino parents were delighted and proud to see their children perform on the stage as it had never happened before.

Ophelia completed her Master’s degree in Secondary Education at San Francisco State University. Ophelia’s life here in the U.S.A. was not all grandeur and happiness.  She had her share of sufferings.  She is a cancer survivor.  In 1994, she was diagnosed with abdominal lining cancer!  Doctors told her that this was a very rare kind of cancer.  Her prayers to God was “I guess I will Meet You Lord sooner than I expected, but I have no regrets.  You have made my life as blessed and complete.  I am fortunate that among my sisters and brothers here on earth You’ve chosen me to meet You soon.  Lord, my only request is to take care of my only child, Venus, who is yet to graduate from college.  If she tumbles down, please pick her up.  I leave her to you for guidance and protection.  Amen.”  I called upon my deceased grandparents, parents, sisters, and brothers that soon I’ll be seeing them in heaven.

Ophelia’s primary doctor, Dr. Edgar Nolan, was very aggressive and compassionate and very determined to heal the illness of fragile Ophelia.  She underwent 18 chemotherapy (once every 28 days).  After her 18th chemo, she begged Dr. Nolan to please stop the chemo as she had no more strength to absorb the chemo chemicals.  Her doctor was really a dedicated physician as after her fourth chemo all of the cancer cells were gone and dead.  Her physician was just making 101% sure that Ophelia is free of any cancer cells in her body.  “Thank You Lord for giving me this doctor who with Your help and protection, you gave me a second life.”

Another one part of Ophelia’s life for which she is very thankful is having a truly loving daughter, Venus Myra Cenizal, a school teacher, her caring husband, Engr. David A. Cenizal, their two beautiful children, Isabella Nicole Cenizal  (7 years old) and Alexander Joseph Cenizal (4 years old).  Together, they have seen and visited several parts of the world.

Amen!  Alleluia!

Today, Ophelia, Ofel, or Fely is a contented, happy and retired APOSTOLIC worker.

Warm greetings to everyone!