05/08/2025
𝐀𝐏𝐏𝐑𝐄𝐂𝐈𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 𝐏𝐎𝐒𝐓 𝐅𝐑𝐎𝐌 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐋𝐍𝐔 𝐒𝐎𝐂𝐈𝐀𝐋 𝐖𝐎𝐑𝐊 𝐈𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐍𝐒:
"𝐑𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝟐𝟒?" — 𝐸𝑛𝑑 𝑜𝑓 𝐵𝑒𝑔𝑖𝑛𝑛𝑖𝑛𝑔, Djo
As the song asks, we answer: “𝑤𝑒 𝑑𝑜…”
We remember — vividly — the 24th of February.
It was the day 𝐰𝐞 𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐨𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐝𝐞𝐩𝐥𝐨𝐲𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐖𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐂𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐧'𝐬 𝐒𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐬 𝐬𝐨𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐬. That afternoon, we stepped through the gates not just as students, but as aspiring social workers — ready to learn, to grow, and to serve. We became part of a rhythm already in motion — a symphony of dedicated and hardworking women who moved with purpose and compassion at the shelter.
On our very first day, we were honored to be handed our first fieldwork assignment already — to assist and observe a client on her medical appointment. There was no time for nerves or second-guessing; it was a swift splash into real service. One moment we were standing by the door, wide-eyed and unsure, and the next, we were already in it — listening, observing, doing service. It felt sudden, but somehow right. This was what we came for. That day, we were also delighted to meet “𝑩𝒂𝒃𝒚 𝑱,” along with “𝑺𝒐𝒍𝒆𝒏” and “𝑫𝒐𝒏𝒈” — the little sunshines of the shelter. Their presence gave the place a different kind of warmth — innocent, bright, and grounding. In their laughter and giggle moments, we felt not only welcomed, but graced. Somehow, they made the unfamiliar feel like something close to home. The staff were also warm and welcoming, and the clients met us with curiosity and beaming engagement. These are the moments we’ll always carry with us — shared memories from the very first day of our internship, etched in the way we were received, and in how quickly we felt part of the family.
Six months later, we’ve witnessed the shelter grow — not just in structure, but in spirit as well. We’ve seen the clients change, little by little — healing, learning, opening up. And in many ways, we’ve grown alongside them. How could we not, when we were with them every step of the way? For months, we became their 𝘼𝙩𝙚'𝙨 — present in their everyday moments, witnesses to their small victories and quiet struggles. Through this process, we didn’t just support their journey; we also deepened our own. We grew into the profession we aspire to be part of, learning not only the knowledge, skills, and techniques of a social worker — but the heart it truly requires.
This was made possible by the support, guidance, and expertise of those who are part of the agency. First and foremost, to our center head, 𝐌𝐚’𝐚𝐦 𝐌𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐥𝐲𝐧 𝐄𝐛𝐢𝐧 — how can we thank you enough? Your leadership created a space where we could both serve and learn with purpose. We will always hold dear our memories around "𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑙𝑜𝑛𝑔 𝑡𝑎𝑏𝑙𝑒" — our sacred place. It was where our meetings and case conferences were held, serious discussions took place, consultations happened, and laughter flowed freely. That table witnessed our dedication to our work, and just as importantly, the bond we built as a team for the past six months. We will definitely gonna miss our shared meals, the foods (kasi nag-gain weight talaga kami) and all the random conversations that came with them, that made even the busiest days lighter. 𝑻𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒌 𝒚𝒐𝒖, 𝑴𝒂'𝒂𝒎 𝑴𝒂𝒅𝒆𝒍𝒚𝒏!
To our agency supervisor, 𝐌𝐚’𝐚𝐦 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐬 𝐑𝐨𝐜𝐚 — 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑛𝑘 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑡𝑟𝑢𝑠𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑢𝑠, 𝑖𝑛𝑣𝑜𝑙𝑣𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑢𝑠, 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑔𝑢𝑖𝑑𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑢𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑟𝑜𝑢𝑔ℎ 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑤𝑜𝑟𝑘 𝑜𝑓 𝑎 𝑐𝑎𝑠𝑒𝑤𝑜𝑟𝑘𝑒𝑟 𝑖𝑛 𝑎 𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑖𝑑𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑖𝑎𝑙 𝑠𝑒𝑡𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑔. We truly value every moment you allow us to step in, serve alongside you, and gain firsthand insight into the field. You never looked down on us, even as students. Instead, you looked at us with trust and confidence — always believing in our ability to handle tasks and responsibilities. Your mentorship meant more than we can ever express. Ma’am Ebin and Ma’am Roca always made sure to include us in every step of the process. They gave us the opportunity to observe, to assist, to implement, and most importantly, to learn. We will always treasure the knowledge and experiences we gained — from intake and interviews, to case conferences, court hearings, home visitations, medical proceedings, and all the other important works we were involved in.
We also thank the amazing staff of the shelter — 𝙤𝙪𝙧 "𝙉𝙖𝙣𝙖𝙮𝙨" — for their care and guidance that helped us adjust and find our place in the work setting. 𝐓𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐇𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 — 𝐍𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐲 𝐀𝐲𝐞𝐧, 𝐍𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐲 𝐂𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐲, 𝐍𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐲 𝐑𝐨𝐜𝐞𝐥, 𝐍𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐲 𝐌𝐢𝐜𝐡, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐍𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐲 𝐌𝐢𝐚 — 𝑫𝒂𝒎𝒐 𝒏𝒈𝒂 𝒔𝒂𝒍𝒂𝒎𝒂𝒕 𝒉𝒂 𝒊𝒚𝒐! Thank you for your kindness, patience, and for always including us. We can’t thank you enough for extending your care and service to us — especially when it came to food (lalo na sa rice po🥰). You all not only put food on our table but also guided us in assisting in the needs of the clients. We saw the sacrifices all of you made — the long hours duty, the patience, and the responsibilities that came with serving others. You all truly showed yourselves as the mothers of the shelter .
𝐓𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐞𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐎𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐞𝐫𝐬 — 𝐍𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐲 𝐀𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐚, 𝐍𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐲 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐣, 𝐍𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐲 𝐀𝐦𝐲, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐍𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐲 𝐀𝐢𝐝𝐲𝐥 — the hawkeyes of the shelter. 𝑫𝒂𝒎𝒐 𝒏𝒈𝒂 𝒔𝒂𝒍𝒂𝒎𝒂𝒕 𝒉𝒂 𝒊𝒚𝒐! Thank you for always keeping the shelter safe and in order. We witnessed your service not only during the day, but also at night whenever we had our sleepovers. It gave us peace of mind knowing you were always there, looking out for everyone. We were definitely going to miss the greetings every time we would time in or out — especially the familiar “𝑯𝒊𝒏𝒂𝒚 𝒌𝒂𝒎𝒐, 𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒏𝒔!”
To 𝐒𝐢𝐫 𝐌𝐨𝐧𝐝 — it was always a relief to see the Child Protection van service arriving or waiting for us. Thank you for your patience, for waiting without complaints, and for always being on call for every fieldwork activity. The Child Protection van witnessed how our duty and service took us across long distances — from one community to another, from hearings to home visits — and your service, Sir, made it all possible. Each trip brought us closer to the realities of the work, and we are grateful for every safe ride that helped us fulfill our responsibilities. We also thank 𝐓𝐚𝐭𝐚𝐲 𝐑𝐮𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐨 for his service, especially during our first months at the shelter. Tatay literally taught us how to open the door of the van😭 first lesson sa first day of duty (dapat may power talaga). 𝑺𝒂𝒍𝒂𝒎𝒂𝒕, 𝑻𝒂𝒚!
To the shelter’s administrative staff — 𝐍𝐚𝐲 𝐌𝐞𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐚 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐍𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐲 𝐌𝐲𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐞 — thank you for your constant assistance and support. We were definitely new to paper management and printing, but both of you patiently guided us through it. Thank you for always answering our questions and helping us learn the ropes, one form at a time. We also thank 𝐌𝐚’𝐚𝐦 𝐒𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐤 for always being approachable and kind. We truly missed your bright energy at the shelter — your presence brought lightness and positivity to the shelter. We are rooting for you in the new endeavor you’re now pursuing. Fighting, Nay!
Of course, 𝐭𝐨 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐝𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐂𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 — 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐖𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐂𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐧'𝐬 𝐒𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐭𝐞𝐫. Six months have passed quickly. The time seemed to go by unnoticed, as meeting you each day became part of our routine. Thank you for letting us walk beside you, even just for a while. We are honored to have been entrusted with your stories, to witness your courage, resilience, and everyday progress. We will remember the every greetings, laughter during group sessions, the quiet nods of understanding, and even the occasional challenges that taught us patience and empathy. Those moments — both light and difficult — nurtured not only our learning, but also our hearts personally. May justice be served, for that is what they rightfully deserve. We are hoping for all your continued healing and recovery. Maningkamot ngan magpadayon ha kinabuhi! 𝑲𝒆𝒆𝒑 𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒊𝒗𝒊𝒏𝒈, 𝒅𝒆𝒂𝒓 𝑪𝒍𝒊𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒔 :)🌟
We guess 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑖𝑠 𝑗𝑢𝑠𝑡 𝑡ℎ𝑒 “𝐸𝑛𝑑 𝑜𝑓 𝐵𝑒𝑔𝑖𝑛𝑛𝑖𝑛𝑔.” It has been wonderful to experience a phase of growth, learning, and becoming. Though this chapter now comes to a close, it marks the start of something greater as we carry these experiences with us into the path ahead. More power to the shelter—to the strong women who work and pour their hearts into its walls, and to the resilient clients they uplift and serve.
𝐃𝐀𝐌𝐎 𝐍𝐆𝐀 𝐒𝐀𝐋𝐀𝐌𝐀𝐓, 𝐖𝐎𝐌𝐄𝐍 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐂𝐇𝐈𝐋𝐃𝐑𝐄𝐍'𝐒 𝐒𝐇𝐄𝐋𝐓𝐄𝐑!
From your Social Work Interns of Batch Broker,
—𝑨𝒕𝒆 𝑻𝒊𝒏, 𝑨𝒕𝒆 𝑳𝒂𝒊, 𝑨𝒕𝒆 𝑰𝒗𝒚, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑨𝒕𝒆 𝑲𝒖𝒎𝒊❤️
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