Inspiring Lives: Observing Life Many Facets

My name is Manuel L. Beronga; I am a retired Chemical Engineer.

I love life and I am fond of observing all its many facets. I can say that my education has enhanced this trait; an unbiased, scientific appreciation of things surrounding or affecting me.

My interest include an intense awareness of how people may be influenced by their perception and understanding of the way concepts are presented and how ideas are communicated. The interplay of words and the power of sentences are most intriguing to me.

My college years (B. S. Chemical Engineering, Mapua Institute of Technology, Manila) has helped broaden my perspective of life, giving me a strong foundation for realistic evaluation. It created a firm base for the curiosity generated in high school (Jose Abad Santos High School, Pasay City) by my fascination for science, english composition, physics, world literature, and math. All these enthusiasm for learning and the pursuit of knowledge were part of my soul ever since they were germinated in grade school (Pio Del Pilar Elementary School, Makati City).

When I was compelled to retire at age 60 by Social Security System requirements for pension, I was working in a call centre as a Technical Service Representative for TELETECH for more than a year. Prior to this, I did a much shorter stint as a Customer Service Representative at BIGFOOT.

Several years previous to this, I was one of the new breed of heroes: the Overseas Filipino Workers, employed in the water treatment facilities of the Royal Saudi Air Defence Corps for the Ministry of Defence and Aviation in Saudi Arabia.

Of course, before all these, I worked in various local companies, some with nationwide branches, others internationally based, in subsequently more responsible positions from operator, to supervisor, to technical engineer, to concurrent Quality Assurance / Research and Development Manager.

Beneath it all, it seems, complete freedom and independence was my destiny. Although I have sired a son and a daughter during my younger and wilder days, they both grew up with their respective mommies and away from me; consequently I presently live alone.

The former was in his mother's womb when she migrated to America; the latter was still three months when she and her mother were brought by the grandma, ironically enough, also to the United States. It was for the best interests of all that personal ties were severed, except for sporadic information.

Nevertheless, I have never turned bitter nor judgmental, and have not developed the character of blaming people. Each of us, in my opinion, does exactly what each believes to be the right decision under the unveiling circumstances. Freedom of choice, freedom of will, coupled with action not detrimental to others, has been my defining purpose. To me, the world is a mosaic of individuals, not clones.

So, to me, life is how it is lived, and I am living mine precisely the way the good Lord intended me to.