Reneal Team Philippines: Meet Rhog Sampan! [2016-10-22]

Reneal Team Philippines has been blessed to have many wonderful supporters over the years.  Our newest members come to us through long-time Reneal intern Jade Reyes, now a high school computer teacher at Arcelo Memorial National High School.  Jade also taught part-time for a while at Cebu Technological University in Danao City.  Two of his students at CTU, Rhog Sampan and Lloyd Tuñacao, are doing their on-the-job training in their final year of college with Sir Jade at Arcelo.  Part of their responsibility is supporting the Reneal projects in Cebu.  It’s been a delight to work side-by-side with these two young men, and we’ll be featuring each of them in a blog article.  It’s time to meet Rhog!

Hi Good Day!  I’m Rhogiemel Barriga Sampan from Taboc Poblacion, Danao City, Cebu.  I was born on November 24, 1995 – I’m 20 years old.  I will share to you the story of my life, and it will begin with my family.  My mother’s name is Joselita Barriga Sampan.  She is a housewife only, and my father’s name is Antonio Pilapil Sampan.  He is already dead, on February 8, 2007.  We are 10 siblings including myself but two of us are also dead.  We are so young when he passed by, I think I’m in Grade 5 when he left us.  It was very difficult for our family because he is the one who sustained us.  My father drank alcohol and smoked cigarettes, maybe it is the cause that he has heart disease.  All of us are not believing that our father is gone.  We cannot easily accept what is happening in our life.  We are so depressed at that time, we don’t know where to start.

My aunt is the one who helped and sustained our needs.  If we have something to request like “buy me shoes”, and then she gives us money to buy with no doubts even if we are not a good person, but she is still helping us. 

When I was in second year high school, my classmate wrote a name for his crush on the wall of our classroom, and then our teacher saw it.  He asked my classmate “who wrote that name?”  And he answered Rhogiemel B. Sampan and pointed at me.  Then the teacher told us that is vandalism.  I was shocked about what happened then accepted the sin that I’m not the one writing it, and I have no strong feelings to defend myself.  To be honest, I should take cutting classes together with classmates climbing on the gate and walls.  I’m not a good student at that time, so I decided to stop school.  I can hang out now with my friends, stand by, but I didn’t learn bad things that they did like smoking cigarettes, drinking alcohol, and having nothing else to do.

I realized all of my mistakes and that we are so lucky to have an aunt like her.  She is not giving up to continue helping us.  One day I went to my aunt and asked her if she can give me another chance to go back in school, and I promise to her that I will be a good student.  She has no doubts giving me another chance to continue my dreams.  When I go back to school, “naningkamot ug naninguha” [I endeavored and strove] so I tried to be a driver of trisikad [a bike with a side car], fisherman, helper of a carpenter, and helper at a small eatery (tapahan).  All of that work I experienced so that I can pay for my projects and personal needs.  I graduated from Sabang National High School (SNHS) year 2012. 

I had no plan to go to college because it is so expensive, but then my aunt wants me to continue.  My aunt, another sister of my mother, she is working at Cebu Mitsumi Inc.  She suggested that she wants me to take a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Technology (BSIT) with a major in Electronics.  The sad thing is, I don’t like that course because I’m scared of electricity.  When we went to a university together with my aunt (the sister of my father) and also her son, she wants us to take Marine Engineering but when she knows the cost of the uniform her reaction is “oh my God that is so expensive!”  Then the coordinator of the school [Cebu Technological University in Danao City] suggested the BSIT with a major in Computer Technology because it is the lowest tuition of all the courses that they offered.  We had no idea or knowledge about computers but I was thinking it was interesting for me and we had no choice to choose another course.  In our class, my instructor had a roll call attendance for his class.  Then when he called my name, he read it “Rhog” instead of “Rhogiemel”.  I was thinking why he called me like that, I have my own name.  At first I was angry with him but later on it is ok for me because my classmates call me that name.  One day I wondered "why not, I will use this name" and that’s it.  Until now I used that name because it is unique and no one can copy this.

I have also been a working student in college.  I help with campus security, watching the security cameras.  I also collect the DTRs [time cards] of the security guards and deliver them to the supervisor.

In my second year college life, Sir Jade Reyes taught me a lot about computers.  For me, he is expert about computer hardware and also software.  I know now why sometimes he is late in his class and that’s because he is the one helping the Reneal International Education Outreach program that aims to help Filipino people through donating computers to schools in Cebu.  He has a lot of knowledge about computers, and he wants to share with other people.  He is a very good teacher.  He is the cause of why we are part of RIEO.  Lloyd and I are very thankful to him because we can experience this kind of OJT, traveling in other places in Cebu, trying other international foods, snorkeling in the island.  Those were memorable moments that happened in my whole life.

My advice to young people is work hard, focus on your studies, don’t do anything bad, and be an inspiration to your family.  College is okay if you listen and study.  My goal is to have a computer shop to apply my knowledge, and to be a help to my mother and aunt.

To Ma’am Rene and Sir Neal, you are both kind and warm-hearted.  We learned a lot of knowledge that we can apply to our future works.  I hope God gives you a long life and good health to you, not only the two of you and also for your family.  We hope soon if you will come back in the Philippines we can meet again.

In March 2017 we will grade as a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Technology with major in Computer, ha ha I’m so excited.  I pray that you are there in our graduation.  Puhon! [hopefully]

Thanks for reading my story.  I hope you can get some lessons.  For more info about me, just add me on Facebook, ha ha “Rhog Sampan”.  Thank you very much.