MANILA, Philippines – While it is widely known that many Filipino nurses seek better opportunities abroad, 24-year-old nursing graduate and board topnotcher Angela Joyce Rodelas Ojeda is set on staying in the Philippines to give back to her countrymen.
Ojeda, who graduated from Our Lady of Fatima University - Antipolo Campus, placed ninth in the May 2024 Nurse Licensure Examination with a rating of 90.20% outperforming over 11,000 other examinees.
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| Photo courtesy: PCSO |
In 2024, she was able to receive educational assistance from the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) which covered her full tuition for her last semester in college.
“Nadiscover ko ‘yung educational assistance ng PCSO sa mga kaibigan ko po kasi that time, may eagerness kami na makatapos na kasi last year naman na namin. Gusto namin na makabayad kami ng tuition dahil hindi rin po biro yung tuition fee namin that time,” she said.
Her application for the grant came after her older sister was diagnosed with leukemia.
“Mas gusto ko po na mag focus po ‘yung family namin sa mas importante na sitwasyon kaya naghanap ako ng educational assistance. That time, gumaan ‘yung pakiramdam na hindi na [ako] hihingi sa magulang ng pang-tuition fee. Fortunately, nakapag-enroll din po ako sa review center and nakapag-take ng board exam,” she shared.
Ojeda recalled also applying for various scholarships when she was in elementary and high school but being denied due to several unmet requirements.
Given this, she expressed immense gratitude to the PCSO for having an educational assistance program that does not consider academic merits or social status as a standard to determine whether you deserve help or not.
“Pangkaraniwang estudyante lang naman po ako. Hindi ako ‘yung nag-eexcel talaga. Hindi ako ‘yung consistent dean's lister. Hindi rin po ako grumaduate na may honor. Kaya malaking tulong po na nag-submit lang ako ng [documentary] requirements at natulungan po ako ng PCSO,” she said.
Like its other charitable programs, the PCSO is able to grant educational assistance through revenues generated from its games and products.
Wanting to give back to the Filipino community for the help she received, Ojeda is now working as a registered nurse in a government hospital in Binangonan, Rizal.
She followed in her parent’s footsteps by becoming a public servant. Her mother works as a midwife in a public hospital in Angono, while her father is an ambulance driver in Binangonan.
The newly minted nurse added that she eyes to eventually work in a bigger hospital to have a wider perspective of the healthcare system in the Philippines and figure out how she can be of better service to Filipinos.
“‘Yung simpleng pagtatanong lang sa akin ng [taong] hindi nag-aral ng nursing, may satisfaction na nakakatulong [ako] sakanila. Gusto ko pong magtrabaho pa sa mas malaking hospital para mabigyan ako ng idea kung anong nangyayari sa healthcare ng Pilipinas,” said Ojeda.
When asked about what it took to ace the board exam, she shared some instances wherein she had to exercise discipline and put in some extra effort.
“Nag-set ako ng boundaries. Nasa isip ko, babiyahe ako ng ilang oras, binabaunan ako ng magulang ko, gusto ko ‘pag papasok ako, mag-aaral ako. Pwede kong isantabi ‘yung pakikipag-usap ko sa mga kaibigan ko, pwede ko ‘yan ipag-mamaya. ‘Pag papasok ako, set ‘yung focus ko na makinig sa lecture, ‘yung binayad [dapat] sulit. Ganun ‘yung mindset ko,” she explained.
Ojeda described herself as an average student who merely wanted to pass the board, so placing ninth in the licensure exam came as a surprise.
With this, the board topnotcher advised aspiring nurses to never give up on their dreams, saying anything is possible and that all their hard work would be worth it in the end.
— The Summit Express
