AFTER years of living in Santa Maria, California, USA, two siblings returned to their hometown in Manaoag, Pangasinan and gave inspiration to the students of their alma mater a few days before the celebration of National Siblings Day.
Former resident of the Summer Capital of the Philippines, university professor, and 2005 Outstanding Citizen of Baguio awardee Dr. Clarito De Francia, together with his sister Engr. Elvira De Francia Dela Peña, a practicing nurse both gave inspiring and empowering messages appreciated by the students and school administration at Lipit Elementary School and Manaoag National High School.
With her motivating words, Engr. Dela Peña shared tips on how to achieve success in life during the recognition rites of 600 scholars in MNHS, one of the cleanest and biggest secondary schools in Pangasinan, on April 4.
Sharing some words of wisdom, for his part, Dr. De Francia emphasized on the importance of honing one’s talent and the fulfillment of serving the community during his speech as special guest to the Commencement Exercises of 700 students in the said school on April 5.
Prior to that, both of them with their niece also California based registered nurse Lorna Salon-Caronan also went back to Lipit Elementary School, the place where they finished their primary education for the same purpose.
As a gift to his old school, De Francia officially presented and launched the School hymn he personally composed dubbed “Saludwan Eskwelaan Elementarya ti Lipit“ which was sang by singer and guitarist Jason Jacinto Caronan.
The two have been helping their schools through different projects such as infrastructure which include the building of school gates.
Dela Peña was a consistent scholar from elementary, high school, and college in University of Luzon where she graduated BS Chemical Engineering in 1986. She also studied nursing and is now a nurse practitioner in Santa Maria.
De Francia manages their own real estate company De Francia Realty Group with wife Rosemarie in Santa Maria.
May it be in the States or in the Philippines, these two will never stop helping the needy community and give back to where they came from.
Helping the community gives fulfillment. It becomes even more fulfilling for siblings working together.
National Siblings Day is an annual celebration of the bond of brothers and sisters and celebrated in the US on April 10.
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