Marietta Latonio (first row, second from right) during the Community Weave Orientation with UPJA members and Brother Paul (second row, extreme right).
photo from UPJA organization.jpg
Behind a present successful career is a mother longing for those times when her three children were growing up.
“I’m guilty, regretful, inadequate and unfair as a mother to my three children,” Marietta Latonio said as if trying to convince someone that she had forgiven herself.
“I’m happy where my children are right now: Lord, the second child, is doing humanitarian work; and Phoebe, my youngest, earns while she prepares for her architecture board exam.”
I thought she would stop and not say anything about her eldest son. She looked uneasy as she gathered words about Philip. “He did not finish school. I tried to convince him then, but he did not want to. I could blame him. There was a time when my presence was needed in school because of his misbehavior. I refused to be there for the reason that I was embarrassed. It was ironic as my work at that time was to care for delinquent children,” her voice cracked. She pulled back, smiling to changed the topic, telling that she just came from a discussion with prostituted women.
Latonio, cheerful and composed — a woman, who at first glance could disarm you with her charismatic personality combined with simplicity and kindness.
I first met her at an orientation hosted by University of the Philippines Justices Advocates. It is an organization in UP Cebu that fights against human trafficking through community mobilization and raising awareness. She was there to talk about her book “I Have a Voice: Trafficked Women in Their Own Words”
The book, which she co-wrote with Angela Reed, an Australian Sister of Mercy, confronts the alarming cases of human trafficking in the Philippines.
Social work
Doing social work and particularly combating human trafficking never came to her mind when she was young.
She enrolled in social work because of her sister’s enticements although originally the idea came from a friend’s suggestion who was a social worker at that time. It was a real struggle for her taking up the course as she did not see herself being a social worker. It was not a deliberate choice for her.
Despite not having a clear goal, she finished the course as cum laude at the University of Southern Philippines Foundation. She placed sixth in the social work board exam.
“I did not expect it,” she said with sparkling eyes. The big smile turned to a laugh that invited the whole room to join her.
Fresh from passing the board exam, Latonio was hired as part-time teacher in University of Southern Philippines Foundation (USPF). In addition, she also worked in a housing project of a nongovernmental organization (NGO).
Family planning project
Later on, she handled a family planning project at another NGO where she was assigned to hand out condoms. She found her first jobs at the NGOs boring. She was not sure then where those tasks at the NGOs, some menial, were leading her career as a social worker. But she was in no rush in getting what she wanted in life. She was in a journey to find what is really meant for her.
Social worker officer
Her life’s turning point happened when she started working at Department of Social Welfare and Development in Central Visayas as a social worker officer. She later became head of the training division with added responsibilities on women’s productivity and care of neglected children.
She found her new job at DSWD so challenging that even at some point, she forgot her name. Her dedication got her an award for coordinating a foreign-funded project.
Her outstanding performance led to her transfer to the DSWD Central Office where she wrote operational manuals for certain issues.
“With all the offers I had from DSWD, my relationship with my family suffered, especially in spending quality time with them,” she said.
She felt that she was a family woman but could not function physically as a mother because of her work.
She did not want to be away from her family but she had to. So she asked then DSWD Secretary Dinky Soliman to be transferred to Cebu City to be close to her family.
Human trafficking
At DSWD Cebu, Latonio handled the women development portfolio. It was at that time when she totally fell in love with her job. That love turned into passion as she focused on the widespread human trafficking issue in Cebu.
“You can ask anything about women issues and I can answer right away,” she said with conviction.
At the peak of her career, she realized that it consumed most of her time, making her miss family gatherings and her children’s school activities.
Retired at 49
The realization steered her to a brave decision. At 49, she retired from DSWD.
The bold move left her without salary and with loans to pay. But for her it was worth it as there is more to life than being a civil servant. This time, family first.
To make money while away from full-time work, Latonio accepted consultancy works from various NGOs like Good Shepherd Welcome House (GSWH). It gave her an opportunity to work with Angela Reed. It was the time when she did research on the plight of prostituted women in Cebu City.
Her collaboration with Reed made her travel outside the country. She spoke at the United Nations and held conferences outside the country.
The book “I Have a Voice: Trafficked women in Their Own Words” is a product of seven years of hard work with Reed. She now considers the launch of the book as her greatest achievement.
She became more driven to continue advocating against human trafficking. This time, she made it sure that her family’s time will not be compromised.
In 2011, Latonio went back to USPF as part-time teacher to undergraduate and graduate students. The following year, GSWH hired her as part-time monitoring and evaluation officer. She grabbed the opportunity as she thought that the two jobs, teaching and social work, is a good link — theory and practice hand-in-hand.
While working, she made sure that she balanced her time with her family. She was able to communicate directly with her children. This time, she started to forgive herself and became proud of how her children carry their lives, especially the eldest.
“Philip is doing so well with his car business. I am proud to say that he is a good provider to his daughter and wife.”
At peace with family
As she is at peace with herself and family, Latonio keeps on conducting studies and researches to eliminate the oppression of women, particularly trafficked women.
Believe it or not, she just finished her masters in social work.
She is now aiming to have a doctoral study in her field in Australia.
“All my achievements now, I see it as manifestation of my great desire when I was a child — to become a nun.”
Latonio has come full circle considering that to be a nun was a childhood dream. Although she did not become a nun, she constantly meets and works with them. Such connection makes her grounded in her job, to be compassionate to people.
For her, compassion takes her to different places and people.
Being caring and thoughtful taught her to help without asking in return. It is by helping that made her understand the value of time with her family. Like she said, “Whatever I can do to other people now, I should do it now. What if tomorrow does not come?” /UP MassCom student Julius Ranoa