Mrs. Marcia Luz Tolomia-Salcedo
A person has control over the outcome of her life. Some trip and decide to give up. Some focus on what more there is to what is left, and works towards bring the best in her life.
“Success is relative”, says Mrs. Marcia Luz T. Salcedo, a mother of five. She values her family and takes solace in her faith in the Lord in sustaining them.
Ask what motherhood is for her, she smiles and shares: “It is a gift from God that requires great sacrifice.”
Marcia can be among those who can credibly describe motherhood. As she fulfills her duties as Budget Officer of the University, she never wastes time to show love and care to her five children: Mary Marcia Luz, John Jose Mari, Anne Mary Grace, Mary Alily and Mary Angely.
Not known to many outside the Utzurrum Business and Finance Center, Marcia is the breadwinner of their family. It was a “modern-day” decision that she and her husband jointly made. She takes charge of sourcing income for the family, while her husband looks after their children, does the household chores and performs tasks traditionally entrusted to the wife.
Despite what are challenges that would usually sap the energy of women like Marcia, she continues to hold a positive disposition about life. Her faith in the Lord has not faltered, even during those times when she was flooded with hospital bills due to the chronic asthma of her son. As she had to look for the means to shoulder their day-to-day expenses, she was emotionally battered by the thought that she could only do so much to alleviate the suffering of her son.
Like most mothers, Marcia considers her children her source of strength. She finds great pleasure in their simple but profound gestures that make her feel loved — hugs, kisses and letters. She is also overjoyed whenever her children would go to church voluntarily (One of them serves as an acolyte.). To her, developing within them that strong faith in and commitment to the Lord is her ultimate gauge of success.
How bravely Marcia confronts trials that come her way today she credits to her experience as a student assistant in Silliman University. It was only her grandmother who financed her schooling, and so she had to find work in order to augment the modest financial support.
College life seemed doubly a hard for Marcia, especially as she pursued two degrees: Management and Accountancy. But she conditioned herself well; she successfully hurdled both courses. She obtained her degree in Management in 1985. Two years later, she finished Accountancy — a personal dare to test her limits.
She then took the exam for Certified Public Accountant. Marcia passed, but feels until today that it was a miracle. She doubted her chances, especially after sleeping on the exam and waking up only to find out that she had a few minutes left before everyone was required to submit their papers.
After passing the exam, and a stint in Manila, she joined Silliman University — her home for 22 years now. Before being appointed Budget Officer, she was an accountant assigned to pre-audit at the Utzurrum Business and Finance Center.
Over the years, Marcia has humbled down. She admits to being arrogant. At some point in life, she prayed for the Lord to soften her heart and mold her into an individual that is grounded to her past. And she says that the revelations in her life from that point on tested how much she really wanted to change. And change she did.
Even Marcia’s love story with Gilbert is a testament of faith and humility.
When she met her husband, Gilbert, in Manila where she worked before becoming part of the University, she thought it would be a failure. And there was a phase when it seemed like it.
Gilbert is from Narra, Palawan. When she got pregnant with her eldest, Marcia had been living with him in his hometown. They were not legally married, so when she gave birth and her sister personally fetched her for an important family matter at home, she came back to Sibulan, leaving Gilbert behind. It was painful for Marcia. She thought it was the end of their story.
But fate would find a way for them to be reunited. Marcia was invited to the wedding of Gilbert’s sister. She gave it a thought, and decided attending was the right thing to do. She also wanted the parents of Gilbert to see her eldest daughter who was 5 years old already at that time. Little did Marcia know that would lead them back together. During that trip, Gilbert decided to leave Narra and return with her to Sibulan where they got married.
After 18 years of marriage, Marcia and Gilbert have remained faithful to each other.
Let’s get to Marcia more:
Describe yourself in three words.
I am wonderful.
What is your mantra in life?
“Be a blessing to others.”
What makes you laugh/cry?
I cry when I watch sad movies and laugh easily at corny jokes.
What’s your favorite time/day of the week and why?
After lunch for it’s my time to take a short nap. And Sundays, when I attend church.
What do you love doing when not working?
Cuddling in bed with my children.
What is your favorite hangout place in the University?
Administration Hall (ground floor)
What makes you blush?
When I see a person who has hurt me in the past or I have hurt in the past.
If you were an actor/actress, who would you be?
Susan Roces.
Tell us a fact about yourself?
I peed inside the classroom when I was in first grade because she I afraid to ask for the permission of the teacher for me to go to the CR.
What’s your favorite game growing up?
None. Sketching perhaps.
What is your idea of a relaxing day?
Lying in bed with my children.
What one thing would people be interested to know about you?
When I talk, I talk with sincerity.
What song best describes the YOU and the life you have now?
“I Offer My Life” by Don Moen and Claire Cloniger
What is the first thing you do right after waking up in the morning?
Go to the bathroom.
What’s your idea of a family?
Family is for the children and they are the ones who bind the family. Also, it is the role of the parents to sacrifice in order to keep the family together.
