Ate Alma returns to the once-empty corner in SEC B, bringing it back to life. Whether through offering printing services or a warm hug, she continues to be a nurturing presence for the community.

SUNLIGHT POURS through the hallways of the Science Education Complex (SEC) B, but its warmth, however, only comes second to the presence of a returning figure. Stationed behind the Xerox machine is 53-year-old Alma Fermano, who never fails to greet every passerby with a bright, welcoming smile.

Ate Alma has been working in the Ateneo de Manila University since 1995. She expresses that despite the years, she finds herself deeply rooted in the Atenean community she loves. “Dito na ako sa Ateneo habang sa pagtanda hanggang ugod-ugod na (I’ll stay here in Ateneo until I grow old),” Ate Alma shares.

However, when the pandemic hit in 2020, Ate Alma—alongside the familiar warmth of the campus—drifted away as students vacated the University, leading her back to Barangay Tumana to support her family.

Bittersweet farewell

During the lockdown, the stable work environment Ate Alma had once cherished was replaced by a constant uneasiness about putting food on the table for her family.

To make ends meet, she would wake up early each morning to cook meals like palabok, valenciana, sopas, and other homemade dishes to offer around her village. Once she had prepared the meals, she would make her way around the neighborhood, carrying a large circular basket filled with food.

“Dapat nga ala-singko nagbebenta na ako pero minsan ‘di kaya kasi ako lang gumagawa (I’m supposed to start selling at 5:00 AM but I can’t because I’m the only one making the food),” Ate Alma expounds.

Even in her hardship, Ate Alma has always extended her heart to others. Despite struggling herself, she would generously offer free meals to families in her village who could not afford it. By 9 AM, she would return home with an average of Php 200, which she set aside for her children’s education.

Just as Ate Alma was tirelessly striving to make ends meet, another hardship struck. When Typhoon Ulysses hit in 2020, the devastating floodwaters brought havoc to their community, sweeping away most of their belongings. “Hindi mo aakalain eh. ‘Yung bigla lang nagbrownout ‘tas nandiyan na [‘yung] tubig (You wouldn’t expect it. Suddenly, the lights went out and the water was already there),” Ate Alma recalls.

After the typhoon had passed—leaving devastation in its wake for Ate Alma’s family and many others—her friend encouraged her to seek assistance. Embarrassed, Ate Alma hesitated to ask for help. However, as her children continued turning to her for support, she came to understand that self-perseverance could no longer sustain them.

To her surprise, many members of the Atenean community helped her family through monetary donations and other forms of support. With their assistance, her family was able to gradually rebuild what they had lost. “Kaya napakasuwerte ko, pangga ko, at napakalaking blessing ‘tong Ateneo (I’m very lucky, my love. The Ateneo is a great blessing),” Ate Alma remarks.

A mother’s love

After regaining her footing, Ate Alma received a call from her employer, inviting her back to the Ateneo. Driven by her desire to provide a better future for her children—two already working and her youngest in college—she felt compelled to act.

Unable to avail of subsidized tuition, her daughter almost missed her college enrollment. As such, Ate Alma had to use what was left of their household funds to pay for her daughter’s tuition.

As mothers do best, Ate Alma consoled her daughter and said, “‘Wag tayo mawalan ng pag-asa (…), gagawin ni Mama ang lahat. (Don’t lose hope (…), mom will do everything so that you can study.)”

With her children in mind, Ate Alma also now sells candies and lunchboxes around the Manuel V. Pangilinan Center for Student Leadership Building during her lunch breaks. In her eyes, nothing matters more than seeing her children succeed. She dreams of the day they can enjoy a more comfortable life—one that would not be easily swept away by life’s storms.

Ate Alma’s love for her children spills over to everyone she meets, and Pocholo Espina (BS HS ‘19) is a testament to such warmth. Often having his classes near her station back when he was in college, he fondly shares how, as he walked to class, Ate Alma would always warmly greet him with a smile and call him “pangga,” an endearing term which means love. He even recalls a time when Ate Alma was there to comfort him during a breakup.

Stationed at SEC B, Ate Alma regularly sees students troubled with their academic or personal problems. She would often console students, regardless of whatever problems they had. If students were short on printing fee payments, she would often cover the cost. If they were hungry, she would even share her food.

“It’s very comforting. It’s nice to know that there’s someone you could [go] to at the end of your day,” Espina endearingly says.

Looking back, one of Espina’s regrets is not taking the time to get to know Ate Alma better. He painfully reminisces about the days when he was so focused on his own world that he missed the chance to listen to the stories of others.

Now, as an alumnus, Espina realizes that becoming an Atenean means being able to connect with people from all walks of life. Despite everyone’s busy schedules and individual differences, there is a story to be found in each student, professor, and non-teaching personnel.

Ateneo community’s ever-enduring warmth becomes even more palpable with beloved figures like Ate Alma. What was once an empty little corner at SEC B has come to life again. However, she will not be at the University forever. Once her youngest daughter graduates, she plans to part ways with the school.

When that time comes, she will leave that corner emanating a sense of warmth, as a lasting testament to the love she has shared with the community over the years.