Housewife tops training for guards

CEBU, Philippines - A housewife and mother of three is set to take on a new journey in her life as a lady guard after she graduated at the top of her class for the security guard training course sponsored by the Department of Social Welfare and Development.

37-year-old Sheryl Sala of Barangay Barrio Luz, Cebu City took to the stage with pride yesterday afternoon during the graduation ceremony of the 131 trainees that completed the three-week security services training held at University of the Visayas-Cebu City campus.

Sala was declared the top performer out of 131 passers, garnering the highest rating of 96.25.

"It never occurred in my mind that I will reach this far in this training. Out of 132 students ania ako karon sa inyong atubangan isip valedictorian…  When our training officer informed me to prepare a valedictory address, na-shock gyud ko kay para nako daghan man sa akong classmates ang deserving sad," she said.

She was earlier selected as one of the participants of the three-week training that was offered for free for the marginalized members of society, especially for beneficiaries of DSWD's Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4P's).

Her husband is a construction worker and their daily income could not sustain the basic needs of their five-member family, despite her being a 4P's grantee, as two of her oldest children are already attending high school.

The emotional Sala dedicated her achievement to her mother who had recently passed away.

"I offer this to you Mama. She was my inspiration. Wherever you are now, Mama, I love you and I miss you," she said in her valedictory address.

Her family, to whom Sala also dedicates her recent achievement, was present during the ceremony.

Out of 132 candidates who were selected for the third and fourth batch of security services training, 131 were able to pass the course.

Sala also thanked the DSWD-7-partnered training center which she said, has molded them "to become good, honest and responsible security guards."

The Lancer Security Training Center for Guards, Inc., having Gerald Anthony Gullas as the training director, was tapped by DSWD-7 to train these two batches of trainees this year.

The training began on October 24 and ended with a graduation ceremony on November 20.

Expenses for the training were shouldered by DSWD-7, including tuition fee of the participants, their new sets of uniform, food and transportation allowance.

"Dako ang akong pasalamat sa Ginoo nga gitagaan mi aning programa sa goberno… nga nihatag og dakong higayon kanamo nga mga pobre nga maka-training," she said. "To my fellow graduates, this is our opportunity nga makatrabaho ta ug makab-ot ang atong mga pangandoy." (FREEMAN)