Marinel, the first-time nurse

As of press time, the parents of nursing board passers last June are preparing to file charges against the groups that sought the temporary restraining order to stop the oath-taking of nurses. The oath-taking pushed through, but the issue is far from over. The group, led by the faculty of the UST College of Nursing, is protesting the decision of the Court of Appeals for a selective retake, and the oath-taking that recently took place.

Whew! Our nurses must be exhausted by now. Is it a deal or no deal? Everything is in suspense.

I got a better look at the situation of our nurses when I met Marinel Bibit, a nurse bound for Saudi Arabia, at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport for a feature on Nagmamahal Kapamilya.

Marinel looks more like a 16-year-old teenager than a 22-year-old nurse. She sat patiently at the pre-departure area of the airport. Her clothes were not plenty but she brought a lot of hope with her. Being an OFW was her passport to get her family out of poverty.

Marinel comes from a family of farmers in Ilocos. Her parents labor under the sun planting onions on land that they do not own. Poverty has taken away the years from them, looking decades older than their age. Two of her older siblings had left for abroad: a janitor and a seaman in Saudi Arabia. Thanks to them, Marinel was able to graduate from college. It also helped the family that the landlord would let them borrow money every so often for tuition. She was also a government scholar, and that took care of her allowance. It was clear that the whole family had sacrificed and invested on Marinel’s future and she was determined not to let them down.

In 2004, she took the nursing board exams, but failed. This did not dampen her spirits though. While waiting to take the next board exam, she worked in a provincial hospital. Her first choice was to work in Manila, but she was not accepted. However, Marinel’s misfortune was a blessing to the community. Her mother, Merly Bibit recalls with pride how Marinel helped the pregnant women in their barangay give birth. It was in Marinel’s nature to serve others. Nanay Merly explains that this was her daughter’s way of giving back, after she learned that she almost died of dehydration when she was a still an infant.

Marinel took the board again in 2005, barely passing with a 76 percent grade. But Marinel is still very lucky. Her 76 percent in 2005 is far better than topping the board in 2006, with all the uncertainty.

If there was anything uncertain about Marinel during our interview, it was her obvious fear of being alone in a foreign country. She tried to compose herself, but she broke down when a complete stranger came up to us and handed her a Riyal. The man was a veteran OFW leaving for Saudi Arabia. He says he could relate to Marinel and wanted to appease her. Almost like a father, he told her to pray and to buy cell phone load. He advised her what and what not to wear in the Muslim country, etc. He also gave his number in Saudi, in case she needed anything. Throughout their conversation, Marinel was taking a mental note of everything this man was saying. It was a preview of the life that lay ahead in Saudi. "It’s really a sacrifice," says Marinel, "…for my family. My parents are old and I promised them I’d get them out of poverty."

I have so much respect and admiration for Marinel and all our nurses. How selfless they are! I can only join them in prayer that the test leakage be resolved now. Because not only are we delaying justice for those who took the board, we are robbing their families of their only hope.

Watch Nagmamahal Kapamilya every Saturday after Wowowee! on ABS-CBN.

(E-mail me at [email protected].)