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| “I am extremely grateful for all of the lessons I learned that have contributed to my professional growth.” – Dr. Marlene Ferido |
On 7 August 2019, NISMED paid tribute to Dr. Nona Marlene Ferido in celebration of her 65th birthday (on August 5) and 23 years of dedicated service to the Institute. NISMED commemorated the two significant events in the life of Dr. Ferido by holding a party with an Old Hollywood theme—her own choice—as shown by the venue decoration, background music, and program invitation. The tribute program highlighted the different roles which she took on over the years.
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| Dr. Ferido with husband, Sir Boy, and son, Joel |
Dr. Ferido, fondly called Doc F by some, was accompanied to the event by her husband, Mr. Salvador Ferido, and their son, Joseph Daniel. They both congratulated Dr. Ferido on her retirement and looked forward to enjoying her retirement with them. At the start of the program, Joel broke the ice by leading a fun game which gave a glimpse of who Dr. Ferido was outside of NISMED. He read statements about his mom and one had to guess if they were true or not. Everyone enjoyed the game as all had a chance to learn more about Dr. Ferido.
Dr. Florian del Mundo, former director of the UP Diliman Institute of Chemistry, shared her memories about Dr. Ferido as her classmate in FEU high school and college batchmate in UP Diliman. She remembers Dr. Ferido as one of her girl classmates who wore their school uniform well. She described Dr. Ferido as a “quiet, prim and proper, very calm, smart, and diligent” student.
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| Dr. Marlene Ferido gleefully joins NISMED’s Happy Retirees Club |
Two of Dr Ferido’s influential mentors, Centro Escolar University President Dr. Cristina Padolina and former NISMED Director Dr. Merle Tan, graced the event and shared their messages. Dr. Vivien Talisayon, another former NISMED director, could not attend but gladly sent a message. All of them praised Dr. Ferido for being very efficient as junior faculty staff at UPLB and UPD Chemistry Department, and as science education specialist at NISMED. According to them, Dr. Ferido was able to exemplify efficiency and dedication in all her tasks during her active life as a public servant.
While serving the nation for more than two decades, Dr. Ferido had not only contributed to the enhancement of Philippine education but had also fostered great camaraderie among her colleagues. Among those who had a chance to express their gratitude to her during the event were Dr. Soledad Ulep, Dr. Therese Bustos, Dr. Lourdes Carale, Dr. Josefina Pabellon, Ms. Nancy Gandeza, Ms. Jenny De Jesus, Ms. Elma Tamura, Ms. Cecile Sales, Ms. Malu Agad, Mr. Eligio Obille Jr., and Dr. Helen Catalan. Colleagues and friends from the Foundation for the Promotion of Science and Mathematics Education and Research, Inc. (FPSMER), Assessment Curriculum and Technology Research Centre (ACTRC), UP Integrated School (UPIS), UP College of Education, and Cornerstone Academy made time to attend the party.
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| Group photo of Dr. Marlene Ferido with her NISMED family |
Dr. Ferido served NISMED in several capacities—as chair of the Chemistry Group, deputy director for research and extension, and deputy director for administration. In a valedictory in-house seminar on 31 July 2019, she shared with NISMED staff her rich experience and insights on the many programs in curriculum development and professional development that she had coordinated and participated in.
During her presentation at the seminar, Dr. Ferido revealed what inspired her to keep working on teaching-learning materials until they were done: “Any instructional material that is unfinished, set aside, or left undone deprives thousands of teachers and hundreds of thousands of students of well-written lessons in their hands!” To the NISMED staff, who were often involved in several projects or programs at once, Dr. Ferido had this reminder: “You don’t only carry your name but [also those of] NISMED and UP.”
The tribute numbers ended with an AV presentation highlighting the many milestones of Dr. Ferido’s journey through the years. NISMED Director Dr. Aida Yap thanked Dr. Ferido for her dedication and passion for work. In response to the numerous messages, Dr. Ferido expressed her heartfelt thanks to God, UP, her parents, mentors, husband and son, NISMED staff, the NISMED Socials Committee, and colleagues and friends.
Dr. Nona Marlene Ferido’s dedication and commitment to work for the betterment of science education in the Philippines were evident in her years of service in the University of the Philippines. Truly, Dr. Ferido had been a remarkable REPS, leader, and Iskolar ng Bayan.
From your NISMED family, Thank You, Doc F, and enjoy the happy world of retirement!
by M. Junio and M. Chavez
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