THE boy who used to go to school wearing a hand-me-down uniform is now an accomplished young man. He and his father used to share a pair of shoes. Now he has traveled to many places around the world. In March this year, Stephen B. Alayon of Pan-ay, Capiz spoke in front of parents, students and his former teachers at the Capiz State University (CAPSU) in Roxas City. An alumnus of the then Capiz Institute of Technology, he shared his inspiring story to the young achievers as guest speaker during the university’s recognition program. In high school, his daily allowance was P10 – P5 for his fare while the remainder was for his food which was rice with either pancit bijon or spaghetti. He only had one pair of white polo shirt during his junior and senior years. It was given to him by a neighbor. “We had a term for that sole uniform,” Alayon shared, “uba-laba-suksok-mala.” He washed the shirt after arriving from school, dried it overnight, and pressed it in the morning. It had a lot of sulsi or patches, too, he said. “I also had a spare white t-shirt, a hand-me-down from my brother that I used since science camp in second year high school,” said Alayon. And his school bag, aside from being too heavy with textbooks, T-square, drawing kit and materials used in his shop class, was already worn and torn. It was also given by a relative. “We ‘recycled’ that bag. Ginatahi-tahi lang so I can still use it the following school year,” he said. These hardships, however, never deterred Stephen’s spirit. Inspired by his hardworking parents, a janitor and a beautician, he studied harder and maintained high grades. “Daddy pinned my medals during my elementary graduation, but Mama pinned my medal every recognition day in high school. There was a reason to that. Daddy and I had the same shoe size, and we shared a single pair of shoes. But during my high school graduation, he was able to borrow shoes from someone. So, he pinned my first honorable mention medal.” BLESSINGS In college, Stephen obtained his Bachelor of Science in Computer Science degree from the University of the Philippines in the Visayas (UPV) in 2001 as a Department of Science and Technology (DOST) scholar. “Earning my degree as a DOST scholar was really a blessing. It was hard to maintain the grade requirements but I just gave it my best shot. It also helped that I had my parents and my family as my inspiration,” said Stephen. He then pursued his post-graduate studies: Master of Education (Mathematics) from UPV, 2005; Diploma in Teaching (Secondary – Mathematics) from the West Visayas State University, 2007; Bachelor of Library and Information Science from the University of San Agustin, 2008; Scientific and Technological Information Management for Universities and Libraries – An Active Learning Environment – Edition 9 (STIMULATE 9) from the Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Campus Jette and Etterbeek in Brussels, Belgium as a Flemish Interuniversity Council – University Development Cooperation (VLIR-UOS) – International Training Program (ITP) Scholar, 2009. He is currently pursuing his Master of Library and Information Science at Central Philippine University. He worked as an encoder for a cola company for four months until he was offered a position as a databank assistant at the Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center/Aquaculture Department (SEAFDEC/AQD). After more than a decade, he still works for the research institute as officer-in-charge of the Library and Data Banking Services. “Working in SEAFDEC/AQD has been a very fulfilling experience. It was through joining this agency that I was introduced to the wonderful world of libraries and the myriad of knowledge and information they bring. It also opened many opportunities,” said Stephen. His job as a databank specialist brought him to seminars and trainings in some parts of the country, as well as abroad – in Bali, Indonesia; Singapore; Bangkok, Thailand; Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; Tokyo and Hokkaido, Japan; Brussels and Leuven, Belgium; Vancouver, Canada; and Florida, USA. NEVER STOP BELIEVING “As I shared with the young achievers from CAPSU, I was able to get to these places because of sheer hard work and dedication to my job. Of course, it also helped that I dreamed big – that I did not limit myself to the young dreamer with the hand-me-down school uniform and bag, the determined and diligent student who shared his only pair of shoes with his father.” And the blessings did not stop there because he “never stopped praying and believing.” Just recently, Stephen was given the Asian Librarian Award 2014 that was sponsored by the IEEE and Special Libraries Association (SLA) Asian Chapter. He received it during the SLA conference in Vancouver, Canada held from June 8 to 10. Apart from this, he also received the Award for Research Excellence from the Association of Special Libraries of the Philippines (ASLP) in 2013, and the Outstanding Academic/Research Librarian from the Philippine Association of Academic/Research Librarians (PAARL) in 2012. Furthermore, he has published a paper in an international peer-review journal, which was titled “Program: Electronic Library and Information Systems, An ISI Science Citation Index (SCI and Current Contents (CC) Indexed Journal”. He also presented papers at the Special Libraries Association (SLA) Conference 2014 in Vancouver, Canada; at the 39th International Association of Aquatic and Marine Science Libraries and Information Centers (IAMSLIC) Annual Conference and 2013 SAIL Meeting at the Nova Southeastern University – Oceanographic Center in Florida, USA; at the 3rd International Conference of Asian Special Libraries (ICoASL 2013) in Manila; and at the 15th Congress of Southeast Asian Librarians (CONSAL) Meeting and General Conference in Bali, Indonesia. “Thankful. Very thankful for these accomplishments. Or should I say, fruits of my labor? The work is not yet finished, and there is plenty to achieve and accomplish,” said Alayon. But more than these, he said, “I share these awards and opportunities with my fellow librarians who are even more hardworking than I am. They are unsung heroes.” Aside from his full-time work at SEAFDEC/AQD, Stephen shares his love and knowledge of library science and information to his students at the University of San Agustin and Central Philippine University./P
Posted on: Mon, 04 Aug 2014 00:58:44 +0000
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