From waking up so early to have breakfast with their family, to accomplishing their daily tasks at work, to still finding time to have dinner with their loved ones – the following six working mothers surely know how to manage their time and priorities well.
Monica Tapia, 44, a mother of two children (22 and 20 respectively) has been with P.A. Alvarez Properties and Development Corp. since it started about 23 years ago as a real estate developer concentrated in Laguna, and over the years, has developed communities in Bulacan, Pampanga, Batangas, and North Caloocan, Pasig and Pasay cities.
A loans processing and documentation supervisor, Tapia said that her children grew along with the company. She said that P.A. Properties, led by chairman Romarico “Bing” Alvarez, has always been looking after the welfare of their employees and their families, thus it made her stay this long with the real estate firm, which currently has about 70 working mothers.
“For me, it’s always ‘family first.’ Never mind if my career (takes a backseat), but what’s important for me is that I can take care of my family—that I prepare their breakfast, we eat together, that I don’t miss any of my kids’ school activities. And these were all made possible because P.A. Properties values family as well,” Tapia said.
“Family first”
Glenda Ambayec, 48, mother to two children (22 and 18 years old) and P.A. Properties credit and collection assistant manager, said she had an ultimate goal.
“I aimed to join P.A. Properties because it’s near my home, and that would mean more time to spend with my family. I always told myself that I would join this company and stay for more than 11 years—which I spent in my former company. And now, I am nearing my 13th year here,” Ambayec said.
While her work is tiring at times as sales and marketing assistant manager, Lourdes Bon 49, said she is still the one who wakes up her five children (ages 23, 21, 20, 19, and 17), and that she really spends her weekends with them.
“I became a model to my kids. They see how hard I work. My two eldest kids are already working, so they are applying the work values they have seen in me,” Bon said, who has been with P.A. Properties for 12 years.
Maricar Cagampang, 32, a broker coordinator and who has been with the company for nearly seven years, is expecting her second child (her eldest is 11-years-old). She said that it is about time management, as well as her husband’s support that makes it possible for her to be accomplished in her work role.
“My husband and I just help each other out. And it also helps that I already set my mind first thing in the morning on what I need to accomplish for the day,” Cagampang said.
Michelle Jacinto, 34, has three sons (17, 14, and 10), and for that, she thanked her mother for co-raising her children.
“My family relies on me so I have to be strong for them. Everything I do is for them. That’s why it’s a big help I’m with P.A. Properties so I can support my family’s needs,” said Jacinto, a corporate security protection office assistant.
Rio Lin-Lin-Ay Miana, 21, and who has a 3-year-old kid, also gave credit to her grandmother and uncle for looking after her child while she is working as a sales booking assistant.
“I prepare all the things my kid needs for school. When I get home, even if I’m so tired, I still bond with my kid. If my kid wakes up early, we have at least an hour to spend together. If I don’t have work, I spend my whole time with my kid,” Miana said.
Inner strength
The six working mothers agree that without inner strength, coupled with their family’s support and a family-oriented workplace, it would be impossible for them to accomplish anything, thus they share the following words of wisdom to fellow working moms:
“If you’re not strong, you wouldn’t be able to do it. It’s hard being a working mom. You’d never be able to give 100 percent of your time to your children. That’s why I treat my kids like friends. I don’t restrain them so they won’t be scared of me,” Bon said.
“What’s good here in P.A. Properties is that family is important to them. So if you need to file a leave, especially if due to family reasons, your bosses would understand and approve it. Prayers and inner strength [go hand-in-hand as well],” Tapia said.
“If you’re starting to feel weak, you’d just give up. You’d start blowing things out of proportion. You’d be questioning yourself if you’re being a good mother or not. That’s why being strong is important to be able to hold everything together,” Cagampang said.
“Know and apply the values, and manage your time – manage your work, manage your family. Don’t make decisions in haste. If you need to file a leave, file a leave. If you need to cry, cry. If you feel like you’re losing grip, look for a friend in the workplace and share your problem. After that, move forward and fight,” Ambayec said.
Cagampang, Jacinto, and Miana all shared that like how they are helping buyers have their own dream home through P.A. Properties, they also hope to become eligible and fulfill their dream of having their own home.
Thus, Ambayec told them, “We need this job. But we don’t just need this – we have to treat this job, our company as a family because this is our source to support our family.”
For nearly 25 years, Laguna-based P.A. Alvarez Properties and Development Corp. established itself a name in the competitive Philippine real estate industry by enabling the public to have their dream homes at affordable rates and payment schemes. The company continues to embark on strategic expansion efforts to further build and create comfortable, safe and joyful Filipino communities.