On the afternoon of the 21st day of August exactly six years before the late Benigno Aquino Jr. was assassinated, year of the snake, a bouncing baby girl was born, in a peasant barrio of Malvar, Batangas, about 45 miles south of Manila, a country that was colonized by the Spaniards for more than three hundred years after it was discovered by the famous Portuguese Explorer. Her mother named her Michelle Liza in honor of a famous portrait of Da Vinci (do I look like her?) but unfortunately the local civil registrar misspelled her name to Meceliza. From Michelle Liza to Meceliza to “bunso” she was called Michelle then and that is me.
I am the youngest of the nine siblings of the late Jose Ocampo Olan of Muntinlupa City and Engracia Latayan Morcilla of Calauan, Laguna. My mother was a dressmaker, while my father was an agricultural laborer. My parents were industrious and honest and thought me virtue of hard work, honesty and above all fear and love to the Creator. We are Roman Catholic and I was baptized at the Immaculate Conception Parish.
Being the youngest has many advantages and disadvantages, since I am the apple of their eye I can easily get what I wanted to, on the other hand I am their runner doing for their errands. It was a happy memorable childhood with them.
In elementary, my favorite day was every Friday. You can see us in wearing this green uniform would only sing and play in the classroom as a subject in school. Sometimes, we walk around the campus in two straight lines and get to see boys wearing their brown uniforms.
When I stepped high school, it was the most exciting part of my life. I studied at a ‘bigger school” where most of my brothers and sisters also attended. Meet many friends, formed the habit to study on a regular basis and a bigger “baon “. I never joined that reserve training so and so since I opted to continue my membership with GSP, where I learned the value of responsibility, being highly organized, generosity and the uncompromising principle..
Expectations looming large in my mind, apprehension of how the future is going to be as a teenager are the thoughts lingering in my mind when I entered the gate of PSBA, QC which become my home for four years. Initial days were all learning experiences of how to behave in the first year of college. Days passed too quickly and I was more confident of myself. I graduated from an Accountancy course, reviewed for a semester and eventually took and passed the Board Exam. Another happy and memorable part of my life, seeing my proud and joyous parents, their dream came true.
Time comes quickly, sweet little “bunso” now work on her own, away from my family, away from home- from easy life. I’ve been connected with different renowned companies - auditing firms, leasing, food, government agency, shipping and manufacturing. I was exposed to financial reporting, analysis and of course my favorite, Taxation. So much so I can say now that I am a seasoned Accountant, self motivated, dynamic, more focused and goal oriented.
I Thank God for ten years of marriage we are blessed to have three daughters, we have twins! Michelle is now on board balancing between a demanding career and an even more demanding life at home.
June 11, 2011
