DESPITE the trials he faced in his life, 52-year-old Jed Acero, a Senior High School teacher at Sta. Ana High School, continues his passion for writing.
Acero, also a part time Filipino teacher at University of Mindanao, takes time to hone his writing skills. He writes fiction, love, magic and witchcraft stories.
Acero said that he was at first interested in doing researches but he found "immediate satisfaction" in writing literature pieces.
"Writing literature, mao na siya siguro ang passion nako karon, you know I found research very interesting kaso mahal siya, it takes time bago mapublish ang imong trabaho (Writing Literature has become my passion, I initially found research very interesting but it’s a bit costly and it takes time to be published) ," he said.
Acero said that literary writing is a way that he can express himself and also publish his work with less cost.
He added that literature is also an extension of his soul.
"Ma share nimo ang imong soul sa literature, kasi pagresearch very scientific, whereas in literature na-express ko talaga yung aking sarili, yung aking emotions, ang aking feeling, yung aking kaluluwa, while research not the same feeling doon ko nakita ang diperensya (You can share a piece of yourself through literature while research is very scientific. In literature, I can really express myself, my emotions, my feelings, my soul, while in research it's not the same feeling, there is big difference)," he said.
Acero also said that he writes to inspire himself.
"I cannot start a day if I am not writing, it is not because magsulat ko kay inspired ko pero magsulat ko para ma-inspire ko (I write not becuase I am inspired by I write because I want to be inspired) ," he said.
He said that while he is in Davao city, it was no accident that he became an audience of popular writers such as Nick Joacquin and Arthur Cassanova.
He said that he only started writing few years ago.
"Ngayon na nagsusulat na ako, hindi ko alam na parang tinatahi na ni God ang mangyayari. Ending pala you are going to write someday," he said.
Some of Acero's works are published in Dagmay, a literary Journal of the Davao Writers Guild. Some of them were written in Visayan language.
Some of these works were entitled: The Story of Lake Mainit, Katas ng Pawis, Si Buktot ug iyang Kapalaran.
Being a high school teacher for several years Acero also said that he encourages his students to write and express themselves.
At Santa Ana High School, he organizes "spoken word" where the students write original pieces.
Behind these passion and daily work as a teacher, Acero has always continued to make his family as an inspiration.
Being the eldest of five siblings, Acero helped his parents, both elementary teachers, to send his siblings to school and he is also doing the same thing even with his nieces and nephews.
Acero is a graduate of Bachelor of Science in International Relations at Mindanao State University.
Immediately after graduation, Acero left his family to work and discover the world in Manila, an experience which became a `self-defining" moment for him.
"After graduation nag Manila ako, doon ko nalaman ang tunay na kulay ng mundo kasi you know, a rural boy from Barobo, Surigao del Sur, I really do not know what is urban in fact hindi ko alam kung paano gumamit ng toilet na may flush," he admitted.
According to Acero, he was really shocked as he saw what real world looked like.
"Doon ko talaga tinikman ang buhay, you know I started from being a janitor, yes doon talaga ako natuto na maglinis ng CR, naging disk jockey ako, naging waiter, naging bugaw ako, nakakatakot, na expose ako sa ganon na life na hindi alam ng magulang ko," he said.
He said that he returned to Barobo, Surigao del Sur in 1994 when he already passed the teacher's board exam after receiving his Bachelor of Arts in Filipino degree in 1993.
Before he reached 30, he attained his goal to teach in public school in Davao City, at Callawa National High School straight from 1994-2012.
Acero said that from 2012 to 2017, he transferred to Santa Ana High School and is currently serving as a designate guidance counselor in Grade 11-12.
Acero also attained a Master’s degree in Public Administration at Bukidnon State University in 2008 then finished his doctorate degree on Public Administration at Southwestern University in Cebu City in 2012.
Acero was also awarded as Doctor in Philosophy in Humanities and Letters, Doctor of Philosophy in Instructional Leadership and Management, and Doctor of Arts in Creative Writing through Honoris Causa granted by Brethren Evangelical School of Theology.
Acero is set to launch soon his book, "My painting, my stories" which will be a collection of his pieces.
Acero, however, said that he still have to learn many things about writing "Daghan pako kaonon nga pila ka sako sa bugas (I still have a long way to go)."
"Success has nothing to do with money, and what is important is you do what makes you happy. Sapagkat kahit gaano ka kagaling, gaano kaganda ang iyong boses at gaano ka kahusay umarte, sumayaw, magsulat at magpinta ng wakas ng iyong kwento, sa huli ay ang uod pa rin ang makinabang sa lahat ng iyon," Acero said.