By Grace Felizardo
Irene Jo Arzadon shares her special relationship with her mother, Ched Estigoy Arzadon. Ched is an assistant professor at the College of Education at UP Diliman, and has assisted in making Mother Tongue-Based Multilingual Education (MTBMLE), a component of the K-12 which is being implemented nationwide.
Irene, what makes you say your mom is “out of the box?”
First of all, we had a unique educational experience. We were home schooled for quite some time. She allowed us to study what we wanted to study. If we wanted to go to the zoo, or the museum, she would take us. Or if we wanted to ride our bicycles or play with friends, she would allow us to do that. That was how we were brought up. We have a joke about her. Because she was not constrained with a certain curriculum, nor did she follow the norms of society, she was called kunsintidor na nanay. When my parents decided it was time for us to enter formal school, we were required by DepEd to take up an advance placement test to know if we were ready for the grade level we’re supposed to get into. When the results came out, our levels were higher than the other kids our age. Secondly, mom was willing to give up some material things to keep harmony in the home. When we were young, my brother, Cocoy, and I used to fight almost every day over the computer or which TV channel to watch. One day, mom got so angry that she cut the power cable of the television!
Your mom’s educational approach was unusual. How does she treat her relatives and friends?
Mom is so good at communication. She’s the kind of person that you can ask advice from when you have a problem with your husband, family, or kids. She recommends what is practical and the right thing to do. She is the eldest in her family. She is the one her siblings run to. But she has a tendency to be straightforward. She’s the kind of person who sometimes tells you what you do not want to hear, but you have to listen nonetheless, because deep inside, you know that she’s right.
So your mom is a good communicator and friend. What about her role as a wife?
I feel that my parents are soul mates that they’re meant for each other. Corny, but it’s true. They complement each other. She challenges Dad to excel. They don’t run out of things to talk about. Mommy is very long, very sweet. I was told that when Mom was single, she appeared tough. It was hard for her to get “kilig”. But with Dad, she’s cheesy and clingy. She’ll call Dad just to say “I miss you!” Or, when she wants to go out with Dad, she forbids us to tag along. Sometimes, she brings her work to Dad’s office so they can have lunch together. I can’t imagine myself being cheesy when I have a husband. I’d go “kadiri!” But she says, “When you’re in love, you’ll be like this.”
Has there been a difficult time in your family? How did your mom cope?
We were in Bicol when Super typhoon Reming hit. Even though my mom was traumatized, she attended to our needs first. She encouraged us to draw or write about our experience when we were too traumatized to talk to our parents. When we moved to Manila, she made sure that we saw a therapist.
Mommy has done a lot of things. I feel blessed whenever I meet people who tell me that my mom has inspired them to accomplish things. I feel so proud. I always say, “That’s my Mom!”
