DELA CERNA
When I joined the get together of old co-mentors of St. Catherine’s School early November, I remember one of my unforgettable mentors who became my co-mentor for a short while.
Who would forget Miss Rosario Florido if you studied in St. Catherine’s School from the 1950’s to the 1970’s and attended her Pilipino classes from first year to fourth year.
She was very tall and thin almost looking like Olive Oyl, the love of Popeye, but she carried herself well with her blouse and pleated skirt blended by a thick buckle, wearing a two-inch heeled pumps, reflecting good taste and color combination.
She was so tall that she could fill the blackboard with her writings from top to bottom.
She taught us Pilipino from first year to fourth year and the class was never boring not even for a moment.
Actually, she was a major in History and minor in English but she attended courses in Pilipino and being good at it she was made to teach Pilipino to the high school students of St. Catherine’s School.
For such was the practice of the ICM Sisters before where they were not so literal about major or minor but they let you teach where you were best at.
They would just explain to the Bureau of Education supervisors and inspector the loading and they were never questioned.
That is why there were excellent teachers and outstanding graduates.
The Pilipino classes of Miss Rosario Florido were a combination of Pilipino grammar and composition, mythology, literature, history and current events.
That’s why it was never boring to be in her class.
When she wrote on the blackboard, she had such a beautiful and very legible handwriting with beautiful strokes with the proper accent on the syllable so we knew how to pronounce them.
She also taught Remedial English to first year and second year students especially those coming from the public schools for English was the main concern of the day.
She trained the school contestants for declamation, oration, spelling and general information who brought honor to the school.
She had a very good sense of humor.
One could not afford to misbehave in her class.
Even when she was assigned to the boys department, the boys behaved and enjoyed her sense of humor.
She was our homeroom adviser in fourth year high school and was a witness to our pranks and antics in the Physics class (imagine two periods) which happened to be handled by a teacher who had an atrocious command of the English language (not just grammar and pronunciation but also the proper choice of words).
That was the time when Math and Science teachers got married and transferred to the public school while the English teachers entered the convent.
So we were the beneficiaries of a situation where there was a lone applicant who could handle Physics, Geometry and P.E.
But Miss Florido never scolded us but just reminded us of our grades because we were graduating.
Our experiences in the Physics class stay alive in our batch and we continue to relive those antics sometimes as topics of get together.
Miss Florido was a sensitive and compassionate person.
She easily spotted students who needed help including recess time.
She encouraged students to hone their special skills.
In fact it was from her Pilipino classes that I developed an interest in history and majored in history in college.
I also saw the significance of integrating literature and history which guided me in college and in teaching.
Like her, I also trained and coached contestants in declamation, oration, spelling and general information and it was a fulfilling experience for it came as part of being an English teacher not as an assignment.
I am just wondering why at present Pilipino is not a popular subject among students especially in the elementary and high school.
Maybe it is because it only focuses on grammar, sentence, conjugation, etc. Maybe there is no integration of mythology, literature and history.
How fortunate the generations of students of St. Catherine’s School who attended the Pilipino classes of Miss Rosario Florido!