Marl Elvin Valizado, an aspiring accountant, is supposed to graduate on Saturday, April 4, 2020. (Contributed photo)
CEBU CITY, Philippines — If not for the coronavirus disease 20019 (COVID-19) threat and the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) that now affects the entire Cebu province, Marl Elvin Valizado is supposed to embark into another milestone in his life on Saturday, April 4, 2020.
The 22-year-old lad from Mandaue City waited for six years to wear that shining green toga gown, golden toga hood and to shift from left to right that tassel on the toga cap, symbolizing his victory in the battle to earn his degree in Accountancy.
“Needless to say that every student (which includes me) wants to march on stage to get recognized for this accomplishment. In my perspective, this is quite important not only to me but to my family,” Valizado told CDN Digital.
But since Cebu is now under ECQ, Valizado will no longer be able to experience having “butterflies in the stomach” while he waits for his name to be called for him to go up on stage on their graduation day.
Still, Valizado said he understands that the need to ensure his safety and that of other graduates of the University of San Jose Recoletos (USJ-R) main campus, where he came from, is far more important than attending their graduation rites.
“I have waited too long for this moment. It took me 6 years to complete my bachelor’s degree, 5 years in college plus 1 year hiatus,” he narrated.
Valizado, who is second of three siblings, had to stop studying in 2015 because of his family’s financial struggles and instead worked as a call center agent in one of the Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) companies in Cebu I.T. Park.
“I worked to help my family in alleviating poverty and to save money for me to afford continuing my studies the next year,” Valizado said.
Despite their financial difficulties, Valizado proved his excellence when he returned to school in 2016. Study materials and studious friends were his close companions as he eased in the next four years of the degree program.
Marl Elvin Valizado now keeps his graduation photo which was taken days before classes and review sessions were interrupted due to the threat of COVID-19. (Contributed photo)
Batch Phoenix
Valizado belongs to Batch Phoenix, the batch symbol for their batch of Accountancy students who made it to their fifth year despite the difficulties and challenges they encountered through the journey.
The batch coined the name “Phoenix” from the mythical bird’s ability to be reborn and “rise from the ashes.”
For Valizado, marching on the aisle of their graduation venue, wearing a toga, and with his parents watching was a treasured vision that has slipped through his fingers due to the COVID-19.
Valizado said he would have wanted to offer that very important moment in his life to his parents – Leticia and Marlon.
“I badly wanted to experience how it feels to wear a toga. I also wanted my parents, who are apparently way more excited than me, to feel happiness and hope as obtaining a college diploma is one thing they were not able to do,” he said.
“The graduation, for parents and students, is a symbol that the graduate is hopping into the real world,” the aspiring accountant added.
But last March 13, 2020, the same day that Valizado and his batchmates took their final exam, the Cebu City government ordered the suspension of classes at all levels due to COVID-19.
All gatherings, including graduation rites, were also suspended.
Cebu City also ordered for the implementation of the ECQ starting noontime of March 28. Cebu province also entered into an ECQ starting last Monday, March 30.
Preparing for CPALE
Valizado said that the virus is also starting to affect his preparations for the board examination that is scheduled in May.
“This pandemic affected our review classes. It started to interrupt our classes in mid-March. This gives a hard time both for the reviewers and reviewees to prepare for the difficult board exams,” Valizado said.
Valizado said he is just thankful to their CPA review director for findings ways for them to continue reviewing despite the ongoing ECQ.
“The subsequent announcement of (the) ECQ further limits our accessibility to the review materials and online classes because not all reviewees have internet [connection] at home. So in my end, I have to self-review as it is the only thing I can do for now because I only have limited access to Internet,” Valizado said.
For now, Valizado said, he is focusing his attention on his preparations for the Certified Public Accountants Licensure Exam (CPALE), with the hope that at least, the glory of passing the boards and writing the title “CPA” after his last name will not be forfeited by the virus. / dcb