Thursday, May 2, 2013

Ma. Rhona J. Pelasol: A Super Achiever




Ms. Ma. Rhona J. Pelasol: A Super Achiever
by
Melchor F. Cichon, RL
May 2, 2013

I first met her while I was attending a department head meeting at St. Therese-La Fiesta Site, Iloilo City. She was silent almost throughout our meeting except when she was asked by our presiding officer, Dr. Ma. Teresa S. Sarabia to talk about the results of her recent research.
Dr. Sarabia is the president of St. Therese-MTC Colleges, La Fiesta Site, Molo, Iloilo City, the college that produces champions.
It was then that I knew that she is the Research and Development Coordinator of St. Therese-La Fiesta Site. She was then presenting her findings on Managing Iloilo River Towards Biodiversity and Sustainability.
I was amazed by her presentation that I thought I should someday write about her.
My interest on her grew stronger when I learned that among the faculty and staff of St. Therese-MTC College, she received the most number of awards for the School-Year 2012-2013 in the recent Foundation Day Celebration of the said college. She received 12 awards. I repeat, 12 awards for her researches and presentation of researches in various national and international conventions.
Looking at her curriculum vitae, I noticed that in 2012, she wrote alone or with her colleagues the following papers which she read in various national and international conferences :

1. Igcabugao: A Potential Tourist Destination in the Southern Part of Iloilo, Philippines presented in the 5th Regional Scientific Conference and Annual General Assembly held at John B. Lacson Foundation Maritime University, Arevalo, Iloilo City, Philippines, January 27-28, 2012.

2. Igcabugao: A Potential Tourist Destination in the Southern Part of Iloilo, Philippines presented during the 6th Global Business Conference held at the Philippine Trade Training Center, Manila, Philippines, February 4, 2012.

3. Level of Awareness Towards Solid Waste Management Among Residents of Five Coastal Barangays in the Municipality of San Joaquin, Iloilo presented in the 5th Regional Scientific Conference and Annual General Assembly held at John B. Lacson Foundation Maritime University, Arevalo, Iloilo City, Philippines, January 27-28, 2012.

4. Managing Iloilo River Towards Biodiversity and Sustainability presented during the 5th International Conference and Scientific Meeting held at John B. Lacson Foundation Maritime University, Molo, Iloilo City, February 15-17, 2012.

5. Awareness and Practices on Waste Disposal Among Restaurants Along Iloilo River presented during the 5th International Conference and Scientific Meeting held at John B. Lacson Foundation Maritime University, Molo, Iloilo City, February 15-17, 2012.

6. Level of Awareness Towards Solid Waste Management Among Residents of Five Coastal Barangays in the Municipality of San Joaquin, Iloilo presented during the 5th International Conference and Scientific Meeting held at John B. Lacson Foundation Maritime University, Molo, Iloilo City, February 15-17, 2012.

7. Iloilo River Eco-Park and Sustainable Development: Inputs Towards the Full Rehabilitation of Iloilo River presented during the 20th Annual Philippine Society for Educational Research and Evaluation (PSERE) Conference held at John B. Lacson Foundation Maritime UIniversity, Arevalo, Iloilo City, May 10-11, 2012.

8. Loom Weaving in Oton, Iloilo, Philippines: Awakening the Awareness of the Local Folks and Its Economic and Tourism Benefits presented during the 10th Asia Pacific Council on Hotel, Restaurant and Institutional Education (APacCHRIE) held at Diamond Hotel, Manila, Philippines, June 5-8, 2012

9. Public-Private Sector Participation in Managing Iloilo River Towards   Biodiversity and Sustainability presented during the International Research Conference for Globalization and Sustainability held at Sarabia Manor Hotel and Convention Center, Iloilo City, Philippines, August 14-16, 2012

10. Iloilo City:  A Potential Convention Destination presented during the World Research Festival 2012 by PAIR and IAMURE held at Marco Polo Plaza Hotel, Cebu City, Philippines, August 22-25, 2012

11. Defining and Redefining the Graduates: The STMTCC Thrust on Institutional Development presented during the Research Seminar and Forum organized by Research Educational Development Training Institute (REDTI) held at Capis Mansions, Roxas City, Capiz, Philippines, August 29-21, 2012.

12. Quality Assurance Monitoring and Evaluation: A Program for Institutional Excellence presented during the 12th Annual South East Asian Association for Institutional Research (SEAAIR) held at Promenade Hotel, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia, November 6-8, 2012

When I looked at her list of seminars/workshops that she has attended in 2012,  I noticed the following:
1.       Strategic Planning Workshop, April 13, 2012, Multi-Purpose Hall, St. Therese-MTC Colleges, Molo, Iloilo City, Philippines
2.       Seminar Workshop o Digital Technology: Its Application to Qualitative and Quantitative Research, September 6-7, 2012 at Casa Pilar, Boracay Island, Malay Aklan, Philippines
3.       International Training on the Management of Journal Publications, Performance of Editorial Boards, and Scientific Writing for Journals, December 6-7, 2012 at Grand Men Seng Hotel, Davao City, Philippines.



The above lists triggered my interest on how she was able to write 12 scientific papers in one year.

The BS students of St. Therese-MTC Colleges, La Fiesta Site, Iloilo City, are required to submit  research papers as a partial requirement for their respective degrees with the help of their research advisers.

These submitted researches can be elevated by their research advisers into full fledge researches. Because the research's data, related literature and analysis of the data are almost complete, it would now be easy for the research advisers to develop these student researches into scientific papers. All he or she has to do is to improve its presentation of objectives and problems, revise its review of related literature, improve its recommendations and add its impact on the focused area of study.

That could be the reason why in one year, Mrs. Pelasol was able to produce and present 12 scientific papers in various scientific conventions here and abroad. She is indeed an epitome of a person who works while the others are sleeping. She told me that her motto is: work and work.

Ms. Pelasol was born on February 14 in Zarraga, Iloilo where a lot of farmers are culturing catfishes.
As a child Ms. Pelasol joined the Legion of Mary, a religious group whose main objective is "to give glory to God through the sanctification of its members, who offer their services to their pastor to aid him in the performance of spiritual works within the parish community."
As she grew older, she joined cooperatives. Her knowledge on cooperative was improved when she took her Bachelor of Science in Management and her Master in Management, major in business management degrees at the University of the Philippines in the Visayas, Iloilo City.
During her spare time, Ms. Pelasol would play badminton together with her friends, or she would tender her vegetable garden.

"I prefer vegetable garden than flower garden", she said, "because I love to eat fresh vegetables."

That could be the other reason why Ms. Pelasol is a super achiever.

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