Lina is a newly retired employee of Ateneo de Manila University. MA in Guidance & Counseling and also in Industrial Relation major in HRD. Professionally, she served as high school & college counselor and a faciltator for 20 years. Taught in some schools & colleges and had handled grade school, high school, college, and graduate school levels for 15 years.
A mother of 3 (college graduates, 2 of them taking graduate school courses)and proudly married to a Seafarer for 30 years now. As a community worker, she has been serving her parish, San Jose Manggagawa Church and a volunteer guidance counselor for 12 years up to the present. Plans to render special service to senior
citizens on emotional, psychological and spiritual aspects.
Lina speaks Tagalog.
Icel is a daughter of a deceased seafarer. She had her own share of struggles dealing with an absentee father. The experience of living away from her father and awareness of the latter̢۪s joys and pains paved the way to volunteering her services to the seafarers and their families.
She strongly believes that the seafarers and their family members must address their own respective needs while struggling to keep their relationship intact. A deep awareness and satisfaction of these needs are vital towards building a strong support system as they go through adversities which usually afflict seafarers and their families.
She is a counselor for eighteen years who has served clients from the community, school and hospital settings. She earned her MA degree in Guidance & Counseling at the University of the Philippines . At present, she is taking her Ph.D. in Guidance and working as a college guidance counselor.
Icel speaks Tagalog.
Maribel is a single parent who used to work with duty free shops on board cruise ships for five years. She has been a counselor since 2000. She was a guidance counselor and teacher as well as a volunteer psychologist for DSWD. She has a Master’s Degree in Counseling Psychology. She is presently a volunteer at Ugat Foundation
Maribel speaks Bisaya and Tagalog.
Lyra practices pastoral counseling while in early religious formation. She is a volunteer ng UGAT and awaiting her final sem in MA Counseling Psych. She graduated with a degree on Chemical Engineering from UP Diliman.
Lyra speaks Bisaya and Tagalog.
Blessie was born in Sta. Barbara, Iloilo. She is 35 y/o and married to Herbert, 45 yo seafarer, a native of Lambunao, Iloilo. They have one son Lorenzo, who is now in Grade 1 at Ateneo de Iloilo.
Blessie shares:
I am the eldest of three children. Next to me is my sister (single parent). She left to work as Au Pair in Norway last January. She has a 7 yo son. Next is my brother who is now a 4th year nurses student. Both my nephew and brother are living with me.
My mother used to work as DH in Saudi. When her employer brought her to Paris, she went on TNT. It was a difficult time for our family. My mom, left in 1993, when my youngest brother was still in grade 1. A year later, I took the CPA board exam in Manila and stayed to work for 5 years. My father who was 60 years old at that time was left with a teenager and a toddler. She came home when I got married in 1999.
Aside from my mother, I was not exposed to the 'family' of OFW before I married my husband. My husband has 2 more brothers, both seamen and a sister who is a nurse in Saudi. The first 5 years of our marriage was an adjustment for both of us. We came from different family traditions and different industries. I am a CPA, he is a seaman.
My husband and I have a standing agreement: while we are absent from each other, we agree to TRUST that our individual action is for the best interest of the family and our marriage.
I graduated from UP Visayas. I previously worked with BPI Family Bank before I moved to Philamlife. As I became exposed to the financial needs of people, I became interested in Personal Financial Planning. We are not lacking in faith and in prayers, but it seems that we need to hone our financial skills. I found out that the way we handle our finances is a reflection of our emotional maturity. Most often I end up counseling my clients not only financially but also on family relationships. I am now working on my fellowship for Life Management (FLMI) and Financial Services (FFSI) Institutes. Two courses which are offered by the Life Office Management Association (LOMA).
Blessie speaks Ilonggo.
Fr. Nilo has been in the service of land-based/sea-based migrants and their family for more than a decade now. His priority is the family, how they can be helped to support one another in times of crisis. Fr. Nilo hails from Laguna.
Fr. Nilo speaks Tagalog and Bisaya.
Caloy has been giving seminars and counseling for land-based an sea-based migrants and their left-behind families for quite some time now. He finished his Masters of Arts in Theology, majoring in Pastoral Ministry at the Divine Word School of Theology, Tagaytay City. He is also a graduate of Bachelor of Science in Business Administration in Marketing.
Caloy speaks Tagalog.
Kay is the daughter of a land-based internal migrant and is currently a full-time counselor. She is a graduate of Bachelor of Science, Major in Psychology from the University of Santo Tomas. She is a candidate for a Master of Arts major in Counseling Psychology degree in the Ateneo de Manila University.
Kay speaks Tagalog.
Sandy is 26 years old and presently works as a Guidance Counselor and Admissions Officer in one of the universities in Metro Manila. She graduated with a degree in Psychology in CEU and has completed her academic requirements for her MA in Counseling Psychology at the Ateneo De Manila University.
Aside from counseling, she has been invited to give seminars and workshops on leadership, counseling skills and communication. She also has a passion for teaching.
Sandy is the eldest of 5 girls in the family. Her father is a military officer and presently works with the Presidential Security Group,he also used to be in Saudi Arabia during Sandy's younger age.
Sandy speaks Tagalog and a little of Pangasinensi. But she can understand the whole dialect.
