MY AUTOBIOGRAPHYDaniel P. De Vera

Grade VI – St. Thomas Aquinas

Acknowledgement

This Project , My Autobiography , would not have been possible without the assistance of the following persons whom I am very grateful:

To my Mom, for her effort in gathering pictures necessary to give color and describe the most important moments during my pre-school and elementary days of my life.

To my Dad, for the words so that the reader can understand the whole story of this book.

To my Ate Roxanne, for the technical support linking pictures and the words.

. . .and to my Ate Charlene and Christian, for their never-ending criticism during the data collection that helped in the editing, and putting everything in place.

Dedication

. . . The author would like to dedicate his work to his younger brother, Christian and make him prepare as early as today upon reading the work of his “Kuya” on how to come up with a book like this when he reached my stage

. . . To my loving parents and sisters for their kind attention and support!

Table of Content

I. Acknowledgement 1 II. Dedication 2 III. Table of contents 3A. All About Me 4-6B. My Family 6-8C. My Early Childhood Years 8-9D. My Pre-school Years 9-12E. My Elementary Years 12-17F. My Most Unforgettable 17Experienceg. The Things that I’ll miss in NPS 18h. My Plans In High School 18-19i. My Ambition in Life 19

All About Me

My mother gave birth on me one morning of October 17, 2000 at Ago Foundation Hospital, Naga City. My Mother used to work in this hospital as a Staff Nurse and a Clinical Nurse Instructor. I was their third child. Since my father was a doctor and an Anesthesiologist by profession my mother gave birth to me on a “painless delivery”, an 8 pounder in weight at that. It is indeed my privilege to have both parents in medical profession . I was baptized at the Archdiocese of Caceres Parish of Chapel of the Good Shepherd, Archbishop’s Residence Naga City.

The ceremony was officiated by Msgr. Jesus J. Picar , P.C. on December 21st, 2000. I was named “Daniel” after a popular, good-looking, and respectable character from an ABS-CBN Telenovela portrayed by the late “Rico Yan”, a popular commercial model and a heart-throb, whose Soap Opera was then the most phenomenal during that time. My name is also a “Biblical figure” which means “Prophet”.

I love to play Basketball with my little brother Christian at home. My Dad bought a Basketball ring that he mounted on our garage wall so that we will no longer go outside to play. Me and my little brother enjoyed playing “rain or shine”. Sometimes my friends in our subdivision, so with my classmates who happen to live in the same village invite me to play other games at our village’s clubhouse like Wave-boarding, biking, soccer, and kite flying.

My Family

I came from a “healthy” family. My father is a Physician, and an Anesthesiologist by profession, my mother was once a Staff Nurse at Ago Foundation Hospital, Naga City, also a Clinical Nurse Instructor. However, due to the demand of attention in the family during growing years as their children, my mom decided to gave up her profession and devoted most of her time in taking care of us. My father was a really good provider. We are the lucky children having parents like them. The Eldest in the family is my Ate Roxanne. She is a 3rd Year Nursing student at UNC. My other sister, Ate Charlene is graduating her High School at the Ateneo High School at Pacol, Naga City. The last but not the least my ever charming little brother, Christian, a Grade III pupil at the Naga Parochial School. He is the exact opposite of me.

We all enjoy the moments during meal times. We see to it, especially my parents, to make every weekends our “Family Day”, because it is only during weekends that we are all bonding by dining out, watching movies, roaming around inside the malls, even watching TV together in my parents room. We sometimes visit my grandfather after hearing the Sunday mass, and together we go to the cemetery (Eternal Gardens, Naga) to visit the grave of our lola, who has been dead for almost 2 years.

My Early Childhood Years:

My parents love to dress me up in superhero costumes. During my early childhood days, I experience to be “Spiderman”, “Superman”, “The Flash”, and other superhero characters. I was just a quiet child. Since I was the first boy in the family, before my younger brother came, I got all the attention from my parents and elder sisters. I was not a “spoiled”, rather, a nice , cute boy to their eyes. I got unforgettable birthday parties, special gifts from my parents and grand parents during my birthdays, because I was then the only boy in the family. What I love most with my parents, there was no sense of favoritism in care or attention among us siblings. Each of one of us was treated as a special one.

My Pre-School Years:

I remember it was awkward during my first day of school to sit in a room of total strangers. I was anxious to be left alone in that room and I cried a lot when my Mom and my Dan vanished from my sight. Now I recalled, it was really a tough job for my pre-school teachers to have all the patience in the world and tried to convince us how to behave in the classroom. It took some time before I was able to adjust to the new environment, the School. I owe a lot from these two ladies who served as many second mothers when I was away from home. Mrs. Janet Sola, my Nursery teacher and Mrs. Ceferina Velasco, my Prep teacher. They both imparted to me the good values that everyone has to know. Their dedication to work and tender loving care to us pupils was beyond compare.

It was fun witnessing these teachers how they painstakingly managed to train and discipline us during the UNC Cab Scout Drills Which we won the most discipline troop in one Civic Parade during the Penafrancia Fetivities. Rain and shine we go marching along the major streets of Naga City. It was one of my early fulfillments during my early school days.

There were some of my classmates during my Nursery and Prep days. I have no contacts with them now, but three names remains in my mind when we talk of friends during those early school days, my four best friends Jamiel, RR and 2 snobbish girls, Angela and Gelay.

I don’t know where they are now. I wish to see them again, perhaps in one class reunion someday. Who knows we can be classmates again when I go to high school. It would be another experience to tell.

My Elementary Years:

After my Prep graduation at the University of Nueva Caceres, my parents decided to transfer me to Naga Parochial School, which by that time, my younger brother is about to enter nursery also. This is cut short possible expenses on transportation if me and my little brother will be into different schools. Besides, few of my parents’ friends have good experiences with their kids who were at the Naga Parochial School.

After my parents been convinced, I underwent tutorials in preparation for my entrance exam to NPS, which I successfully passed. So, I started Grade I and my younger brother in Nursery. It was another adjustment in my learning days, we were already bombarded with assignments, few on socialization, but more on academics this time. I started carrying heavy trolley bag filled with many books, work books, and notebooks. However, It was hard at the start, but it was fun. Modesty aside, I was consistent in academic excellence from Grades I to III, and always in honors class.

Upon reaching Grades IV and V, challenges were getting harder and harder that slashed me from the academic achievers, but I was still with the honor’s class until I reached my sixth grade. Plenty of activities and experiences got added to my early elementary years. I had my First Communion in my Third Grade. That was my very first time I tasted the host. The experience was solemn and holy. I received the sacrament of Confirmation on January 19, 2013 at the Naga Metropolitan Cathedral with my two God Parents during baptism (Dr. Cecilia B. Del Gallego and Dr. Domingo Valenzuela) as my sponsors. The ceremony was officiated by the newly installed Archbishop of the Diocese of Nueva Caceres, Rolando Octavus Joven Tria Tirona, O.C.D, D.D.

There were Family Day Activities in School, where parents were asked of their involvement in their children’s activities. There were Quiz Bees, Oratorical competitions, stage performances in order to represent our class section in competition with the other grade levels we were exposed to activities like these to overcome our stage fright.

Now in my Sixth Grade, school activities were more on leadership trainings, how to be independent, and how to be of service to others. Participation on Charity works was really a noble act by reaching out to our less fortunate brothers and sisters who were victims of natural and man-made calamities like typhoons and fires. I guess Grade VI is now the conclusion of my elementary days. I may say farewell to the institution, but the hard learned experiences will be kept intact in my mind, that will serve as my guiding light towards the next level of my journey in my life.

I will miss my friends, Allen Joseph Pintang, Raymond Arnante, and John Christian Artuz to name a few for them being friendly and kind, to my most liked teachers, Mr. Bench Decena for being kind in teaching me how to play the guitar and sometimes being funny to his students, to Mrs. Rica R. Jimenez, my Language teacher who gave us this project, and to the rest of my teachers for all your guidance, and understanding.

My Most Unforgettable Experience:

My most unforgettable experience during my early childhood year was our vacation to Bagiuo City. It was my first time I did horse-back riding at the age of 9 years at the Mines View Park, also boat rowing at the Burnham Park.

The Things That I Will Miss in NPS:

Family Day Activities in school is really fun. I’m sure I will miss it when I leave NPS. I will miss the covered court for sure, the school corridors, the school canteen, ant the play grounds. I will miss all the talented, Intelligent, and good looking teachers of Naga Parochial School. Most Importantly, I will surely miss the kind school director, Fr. Rex Alarcon.

My Plans in High School:

I was happy knowing that I passed the entrance examination of the Ateneo de Naga High School. This school has been my very first choice to go for high school education. My eldest sister was a graduate of this Institution, and the place is just few minutes away from our subdivision in Brgy. Pacol. Others say that when you study at Naga Paorochial School, It is just preparing you for the Ateneo de Naga High School curriculum. What you see in NPS, is alsowhat you get at Ateneo de Naga High School.

My Ambition in Life:

I remember when I was in Third Grade, my Dad asked me what I want to be when I grow up, and I told my Dad, I want to become a Pope someday. My Dad answered, we will no longer be with you when you become a Pope because we are all dead when that time comes. The next time he asked me what I want to be in the future, I replied, I want to be a Doctor! It is clear to now, my ambition in life is to become a Doctor or an Architect someday.