Got this from my yahoogroup and it touched my heart that's why i thought of reposting this. I hope you repost this/forward to friends. I pray this reaches those concerned/willing to help Mang Milton, a janitor from my Alma Mater, the University of the Philippines Diliman.
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A nice New Year's Day story (taken from a blog):
Paying It Back for Mang Meliton a.k.a "Mang Milton"
Posted by Mike on Dec 26, '08 10:06 PM
Meet Meliton Zamora, a retired University of the Philippines janitor
and my
hero.
For forty-five years, he swept floors, cleaned up trash, watered
plants and
did odd jobs at the University.
I met him when I was active with the UP Repertory Company, a theater
group based (then) at the third floor lobby of the Arts & Sciences
(AS) building. He would sweep and mop the hallway floors in silence,
venturing only a nod and a smile whenever I passed him.
Back then, for me he was just one of those characters whom you got
acquainted with and left behind as soon as you earned your degree and
left the university for some big job in the real world. Someone whose
name would probably ring a bell but whose face you'd have a hard time
picturing. But for many UP students like me who were hard up and had
a
difficult time paying their tuition fees, Mang Mel was a hero who
gave
them the opportunity to finish university and get a big job in the
real
world.
The year was 1993 and I was on my last semester as a Clothing
Technology student. My parents had been down on their luck and were
struggling to pay for my tuition fee. I had been categorized as
Bracket
9 in the recently implemented Socialized Tuiton and Financial
Assistance Program (STFAP). My father had lost his job and to
supplement my allowance, I worked part time as a Guest Relations
Officer at Sam's Diner (back when the term GRO didn't have shady
undertones) and took some odd jobs as a Production Assistant, movie
extra and wardrobe mistress.
To be eligible for graduation, I had to enroll in my last three
courses
and pay my tuition fee. Since my parents didn't have enough money for
my matriculation, I applied for a student loan hoping that my one of
my
Home Economics (HE) professors would take pity on me and sign on as a
guarantor for the student loan. But those whom I approached either
refused or were not eligible as guarantors. After two unsuccessful
weeks of looking for a guarantor, my prospects looked dim, my future
dark. And so, there I was, a downtrodden twenty year old with a foggy
future, crying in the AS lobby. I only had twenty four hours left to
look for a guarantor.
Mang Mel, with a mop in hand, approached me and asked me why I was
crying. I told him I had no guarantor for my student loan and will
probably not be able to enroll this semester. I had no hopes that he
would be able to help me. After all, he was just a janitor. He
borrowed
my loan application papers and said softly, "Puwede ako pumirma.
Empleyado ako ng UP." He borrowed my pen and signed his name. With
his
simple act of faith, Mang Mel not only saved my day, he also saved my
future.
I paid my student loan the summer after that fateful day with Mang
Milton and it has been 15 years since then. I am not filthy rich but
I
do have a good job in the real world that allows me to support my
family and eat three meals a day. A few weeks ago, a friend and UP
Professor, Daki, told me that Mang Mel recently recorded an album
which
he sells to supplement his meager retirement pay, I asked another
friend, Blaise, who's taking his Master's degree at UP to find out
how
we could contact Mang Mel. My gesture of gratitude for Mang Mel's
altruism has been long overdue. As fate would have it, my friend saw
Mang Mel coming out of the shrubbery from behind the UP library,
carrying firewood. He got Mang Mel's address and promised him that we
would come over to buy his album.
Together with Blaise and my husband Augie, I went to pay Mang Mel a
visit last Sunday. Unfortunately, he was out doing a little sideline
gardening for a UP professor in Tandang Sora. We were welcomed into
their home by his daughter Kit. As she pointed out to a laminated
photo
of Mang Mel on the wall, she proudly told us that her father did
retire
with recognition from the University. However, she sadly related to
us
that many of the students whose loans Mang Mel guaranteed neglected
to
settle their student loans. After forty-five years of service to the
University, Mang Mel was only attributed 171 days of work for his
retirement pay because all the unpaid student loans were deducted
from
his full retirement pay of about 675 days. This seems to me a cruel
repayment for his kindness.
This is a cybercall to anyone who did not get to pay their student
loans that were guaranteed by Mang Mel. Anytime would be a good time
to
show Mang Mel your gratitude.
Mang Mel is not asking for a dole out, though I know he will be
thankful for any assistance you can give. So I ask those of you who
also benefited from Mang Meliton's goodness or for those who simply
wish to share your blessings, please do visit Mang Mel and buy his CD
(P350 only) at No. 16-A, Block 1, Pook Ricarte, U.P. Campus, Diliman,
Quezon City (behind UP International House) or contact his daughter
Kit
V. Zamora at 0916-4058104.
