By LIWAY M. YPARRAGUIRRE

IT’S REALLY never too late for one to start learning how to read and write. May this story inspire us to reach out and encourage those who are lacking in formal education to take the big bold step to learning and free themselves from the bondage of being able to see and talk but not able to read and understand what is written.

This is a story of a woman who dreamt of becoming a stewardess and travel the world.

She has made the first step, a big leap as she hopes to fulfill her childhood dream, to travel abroad (she has the height as she’s stands 5’5” but she can no longer be a stewardess).

I met this very interesting person named Sally (she requested that her full name not be printed) through Margie, the incoming president of our club Kiwanis Club of Dagupeña.

Sally is 33 years old, second in a brood of seven, a mother of five children, a businesswoman. She’s good in numbers, in fact, she’s good in her business. With her looks and height, she can be mistaken for a Korean or Taiwanese.

She exudes confidence and determination. She’s street smart.
One thing, however, she started to learn how to read and write only last May 2007. Although she reached Grade IV, she humbly admitted that all she can write is her full name.

Sally proudly remarked when we interviewed her recently that now she knows that Bernard (her husband’s name), Dagupan City and February are spelled as such.

Sally is engaged in buy and sell of fish and aquatic products. She occupies a space at her parents’ consignacion stall at the Magsaysay Fish Market here.

Her close relatives including her husband and children are aware that she cannot read and read. But the people she conducts business transactions with day in and day out with knew nothing of it.

Asked how she lists down the fish delivered and how much she owes someone or how much her collectible is from somebody, Sally said she lists down in her notebook how many kilos were delivered and multiply it with the cost, and writes the amount (thanks to the calculator). As she can’t write the name of the person, “kabkabat ko met la ran maong kanyan antak labat la no siopay akautangan koy untan ya amount o no siopay sisingilen ko,” she candidly said.

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Sally said she used to spend P600 up to P1,500 daily on cellphone load.
“No walay man-text ed siak, ipabasak ed asawak. Ta agak met makabasa lanti et kailangan kon mitungtong ed saray pangaalaan koy sira o ed saray suppliers, tawagan ko la ra.
Mi-negotiate ak ed sikara diad cellphone,” Sally explained.
Now she can read text messages and answer back through text.
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Sally said was no problem with the birth registration of her children as she can write her name, her husband or a relative just pointed where in the document was she supposed to sign. Their water and electric services are all under the name of her husband.
Sally said her children are aware that she cannot read and write.
“Antadaray anak ko ya agko antay manbasa. Kuankod sikara, pasensiya kila ta agta kayo nabangatan ta agko antay manbasa. Makauley lay papa yo. Amay panguloan ko ibabangat to ak pati amay 8 yrs old ya anako ta marunong lan magbasas English.No manbabasaak na Tagalog et agko nabitla, ituloy da,” she narrated.
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Never did she feel ashamed of her inadequacy. She said she never blamed her parents for it as she have to help them look after her sibling while they were tending to their consignacion.
“Anggan kapigan agko ra tinetel ya agak akaaral. No bilbilang aga man agawa, aliwan unya ak natan. Bawat irap ya dinalan ko et nanpakasil ed siak. Anggano anggapoy asumpal ko, marunongak ed bilay, maksil su loob ko,” Sally said.
Learning to read and write was her own decision.
At first, a teacher tutored her at the city library. As they can’t concentrate because of the many students going in and out of the library, she decided to look for another tutor who can teach her one-on-one.
This she mentioned to a friend also named Sally. Teacher Sally referred her to teacher Grace Pontawe who runs the Pottery Clay Learning Center located at Malta Village.
My friend Margie (a public school teacher in San Carlos City) alternates as tutor while teacher Sally teachers her basic computer operation. Sally is techie. She said she had tried 11 different cellphone models and she never had a hard time operating them.
Teacher Grace and Margie said Sally is a fast learner. Her comprehension level is high, what she lacked really is formal education. They said Sally is focused, determined and enthusiastic to learn … fast.
From 7 a.m to 2a.m. the following morning, Sally and her husband are at the consignacion. Whatever free time she has in the afternoon, she goes to the Pottery Clay Learning Center for her tutorial.
Asked what she feels now that she can at least read and write, Sally remarked “makakaliketak pero kulang ni. Gabay kon anggad English maplesak ya manbasa.”
If given a chance to take an assessment exam to qualify you for high school, Sally said she will grab the opportunity. She even want to attend regular high school class and college later even if she will be 40 years or more come that time.
This lady named Sally loves and prefers watching American films more than Tagalog films (”Pare-parehoy istorya, antam lay ending ya tampol”). That explains why she pronounces some English words with little Pangasinan diction.