My Cousin Angel

By Lucille Nolasco

My childhood was full of happy memories. I especially looked forward to summer when I and my siblings and cousins would play the whole day and even until the night. Since we were of the same age, I have a special affinity with two of my cousins, Angelica and Liezel. The three of us were inseparable and we even took turns sleeping over at each other’s homes. But when we reached high school, the time we spent together became less frequent, until we lost contact altogether.

It was not until social networking came along that I was able to get in contact again with Angelica, or Angel. Now I know that she is currently based in West Palm Beach, Florida with her husband and daughter, and working as a nurse at the Good Samaritan Medical Centre. Life seems pretty good; nary a clue about her past that was full of challenges, some heartbreaking. So I would like to share her wonderful life story with you to serve as an inspiration when life gets a little difficult.

Proud to be Pinoy!

Angelica Rodriguez was born and raised in the Philippines. She was five years old when her father died. Their house burned down and her family was left with nothing. Her mother Catalina, elder sisters Gellie, Gina and Gemma and younger brother Pablo, experienced living in a small place that used to house pigs. Life was so hard that they often didn’t have enough to eat. But my aunt is a strong woman of faith. She told her children never to give up and taught them the importance of teamwork at a young age. Angel told me they used to climb up trees to pick fruits to sell. They each did their part to help earn money for the family. Through God’s goodness, their mother was able to send all of them to school, for she believed that education is the wealth that will never fade away. Angel graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing from Dr. Yanga’s Francisco Balagtas College in Bocaue, Bulacan.

It was March 23, 2001 when she decided to try her luck in Ontario, Canada for better opportunities. Being away from family was tough as she missed them everyday. But Angel persevered and started working as a caregiver at first, while upgrading her nursing career. She went to George Brown College in Toronto for part-time Nursing refresher course. For seven days a week she worked for an elderly patient, who understood Angel’s desire to upgrade her skills, and so she went to night school. She did not have much time to socialize because her goal was to save money to send to her family back in the Philippines. February of 2006, Angel married Daniel Ligas and moved to the United States with her daughter Andrea and her mother. She is currently working as an RN at Good Samaritan Medical Centre in West Palm Beach. And because she has genuine love for her patients, treating them with compassion and care, she often receives verbal and written appreciation. She places great value in hard work as well as teamwork. Angel recently was awarded Employee of the Month, Med/Surge Nurse of the Year 2011 and won the 2011 Nursing Distinction Award for Hands and Hearts for the whole of Palm Beach County. Each time, she dedicated her award to family, friends and co-workers and to all the hard-working Filipinos in different parts of the world, who do their fellowmen proud by their passion and compassion for work and for people.

Angel says, “Being a Filipino, we are known to value and respect other cultures. I am happy that we receive a lot of compliments for being loving and caring hard workers. I am proud to be Pinoy!”

	Angelica Ligas
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