Golden profiles: Vismina Gomez Ortega

VISMINA GOMEZ-ORTEGA

Vising worked at the Mandaue Experiment Station (MES), Bureau of Plant Industry in Cebu from 1961-1984. Her first assignment was conducting trials for adaptability of solaneceous crops for seed production. Later, she was leader of Mango Research since the commodity ranked first among fruit crops grown in Cebu. The province was also one of the few places capable of off-season mango production and mango was emerging as a top dollar earner. Her work involved trials on chemical induction for off-season flowering and fruiting vs. the traditional method of smudging, foliar fertilization and bagging of fruit using various wrapping materials against fruit flies.

Meanwhile, she married a hometown neighbor, Tranquilino V. Ortega (Trani), a trial lawyer. A charismatic person, his passion apart from family and work was in giving legal services pro-bono to those in need. Between 1961 and 1972, she and Trani were blessed with seven boys. Trained by her late husband, the older three children were local and national kiddies chess champions.

Vismina and Tranquilino

The Philippine Carabao mango is the world’s best. With the discovery by Ramon Barba (BSA Class 58) of KNO₃ as an inexpensive but effective inducer of flowering, it was now possible to produce more mango all the year round. Mango growers needed advice and a national writing panel which I co-chaired prepared the Techno Guide on Mango for Cebu Growers. The publication was designed to provide integrated location –specific technology to improve and maximize production and expand area of production. The Techno Guide was very successful and was translated by PCARRD into other dialects for national distribution.

In 1975, Vising was awarded a 4-month fellowship at Wageningen Agricultural Institute (now Mageningen University and Research Center) in Netherlands. She attended a series of lectures, paper presentations, forum discussions which were reinforced by educational trips to Belgium, Paris, London and Germany as optional programs. All these were part of the 5^th International Congress on Vegetable Growing. Vising represented the Philippines with 25 representatives from other countries. Topics of glasshouse, temperate and tropical vegetables were discussed by speakers from other countries. In one of the evening sessions, she presented the Profile of Vegetables Growing in the Philippines and the Country Profile as well.

A special night was held for everyone to showcase one’s country. She put up a Philippines booth using her own and borrowed materials from the Philippine Embassy in Hague. Everyone sampled the country’s chicken and pork adobo, cassava cake and heard from her a broken rendition of “Dahil Sa Iyo”, from one who never sang before an audience.

The night was made more festive with some help from local Filipino residents and those attending other fields of training in the Institute.

One final note to her short but educational and unforgettable journey – requested to speak during the graduation in behalf of the participants, it was a joy for Vising to see her audience chuckle in delight and amazement when she began by saying “ I am a mother of seven boys” – given her small built.

In 1983, she was awarded outstanding national employee for Mango Research at MES, a small recognition for others but otherwise meaningful for one who joggled motherhood of seven boys and work while supporting her husband who was passionate not only in his career but other numerous activities that enriched not only their family lives but others as well. Both understood that “to whom much is given, much is required.

After 24 years in the service, Vising opted for early retirement in 1984. The family has grown and to support four boys in college and three more in high school, she decided she can help more by working abroad. Upon the invitation of her sister, she went to USA later that year. In the USA she started a new career by studying for a year acute care work specializing in geriatric care – a scientific and personal care given to patients. Passing both the California state lecture and practical exams, she readily found employment in the care of the elderly.

As member of a health care team, her duties were myriad – to name a few; planned and organized care for patients to attend activities and therapies; assisted in mental rehabilitation programs, reported observations and gave recommendations during patient care conference including psychological aspect of care giving.

During the next few years she came regularly back to the Philippines to visit her family during special occasions and holidays. Four children were in college; Cyril – Electronics and Communication Engineer, Hubert – Accounting, Tranquilino Jr. – Civil Engineering, Vincent – Business Management. The three younger ones, Anthony Pete, Travis Lawrence and Raymond Pneuma were still in high school.

Her husband Trani was then the Regional Director of the Citizens Legal Assistance Office (CLAO) in Region 7 under the Department of Justice as public defender with 35 lawyers working with him. His committed representation of indigent defendants earned him accolades from legal peers and the community/. His untimely death in 1990 was a shocking loss to the family and legal community.

After 18 years of working in the hospital, she retired in 2002. Ten years back in 1992, Vising met Kenneth Hahn who was a BS Chemistry graduate from the University of Illinois and a retired stock broker. After 13 years as a widow, they were married in 2003. That same year, 3 of her unmarried boys arrived and lived with them for a while. Currently, Raymond Pneuma is a physician in Wisconsin, Tranquilino Jr. Civil Enginner for 20 years is studying to be a medical doctor, and Travis Ortega is an Associate in Walmart. The rest of Visings’ 4 boys, all married, live in Cebu with her 10 grandkids ranging from ages 3-18 years old. Ken and Vising currently reside in Mountain View 30 miles south of San Francisco with her son, Travis.

The wonderful years of her youth in Los Baños; memories of good friends some of whom have gone beyond; the fulfilling years in mango research, comforted by the thought that perhaps she contributed a little in making Cebu the country’s mango capital; memories of her late dutiful husband who spent the best years in life in making sure that those who had less in life have more in the law; the many caring years of attending to the needs of the elderly; the loving companionship of my husband Ken and all the while watching her seven boys grow to become responsible citizens and fathers – all these come to mind as I reminiscence our fifty years after Los Baños. They make up a collage of memories which enable me to have a deeper appreciation of the sweet ironies of life’s different twists and turn and realize how much one had been blessed by the Lord.

Congratulations to UPCA, Class ’70 Jubilarians!!!