Life is a Cause and Effect: A Profile of Ms. Aiza Ballesteros

Life is a Cause and Effect: A Profile of Ms. Aiza Ballesteros
by
Melchor F. Cichon
July 29, 2013

"A life without a cause is a life without an effect."

This is the philosophy that Ms. Aiza Ballesteros has been holding on.

For two consecutive times, she failed to pass the licensure board examination for librarianship.

But she did not give up. Instead, she reviewed alone for almost a year. So when she took the same exam for the third time, she passed it.

And she cried like she did when she did not pass in the last two board exams she had taken. But this time, it was a tear of joy.

" I did not break the pencil that I used when I took the third board exam. I gave it to my friend as a souvenir," she told this writer. She said that when she took the first two board exams, she immediately broke those pencils she used in the board exam.

"Swerte kuno kon balion mo ang lapis nga gingamit mo sa exam, kag dasun ihaboy, pero indi gali ni matuod, " she revealed.

So now, she is one of the librarians of St. Therese-MTC Colleges Library, La Fiesta Site.

But she has to move out to work in a government agency starting in September 2014.

Aiza was born in Oton, Iloilo. Her mother is Mrs. Dulia R. Ballesteros, while her father is Mr. Lucio E. Ballesteros. She said that her name was taken from Aiza Seguerra, the Filipino singer. "It's good," she said, "I did not follow the height of the singer."

She graduated at the Lambuyao Elementary School in 2001. Then she proceeded to Oton National High School and graduated in 2005.

It was there where she met her beloved, Bryan.

"I was told, I was still young to fall in love," she confessed. "But I managed to divide my time," she said.

"Bryan was my inspiration, although there were times when we had some disagreements, but I was persistent."

In fact, they almost broke up.

But then, love keeps them together, always.

Until now.

This August 2, they will celebrate their 10th year of togetherness.

After her graduation from high school, she enrolled at the University of San Agustin for her Bachelor of Information Science degree, although at first she did not like the course. She wanted to take up a commerce degree because she wanted to work in a bank.

But through the encouragement of her Aunt she proceeded with the course and graduated in 2009.

Immediately after her graduation, she was hired by the St. Therese-MTC Colleges La Fiesta Site as a library staff. Immediately after she passed the board examination, she was promoted to Librarian.

She said she enjoyed her work as a librarian. Beside meeting different people with different personalities, she is also given a lot of opportunities to grow professionally.

From time to time, she is sent to attend seminars and workshops, either within the college where is working in or outside of her school, where she meets her former classmates, and those library personalities in the Philippines.

In May 2013, she attended the 2013 PLAI-WVRLC Summer Conference held in TID,Conference Room, SEAFDEC Aquaculture Department, Tigbuan, Iloilo, where Hon. Arabella M. Ananoria, of the Board of Librarians, confirmed that there is a great shortage of librarians in the Philippines.

On July 27, 2013 she again attended the Seminar on Information Management and Information Technology at Central Philippine University, Jaro, Iloilo City, where Mr. Michael Pinto and Dr. Ryza Alenzuela were the resource persons.

And when I asked her if she will encourage her daughter, Kiss, to take up library science degree, she said yes. But if she will not like it, I have to follow her wish.