Mrs. Rosalina Dinoy
Mrs. Rosalina Dinoy grew up accustomed to the sound of a bomb explosion. What usually breaks peace and order had become for sometime normal for her and her family.
Rose was born in Lamitan, Basilan. Everything would have been fine for them had it not been for a series of incidents that prompted her parents to relocate to her parents' hometown, Bacong, Negros Oriental.
She recalls how the declaration of Martial Law made the rebels in the area more aggressive. Even the schools were no longer a safe place for them.
“We were having classes one day, and we heard an explosion outside. Fearing that we would run out or get attacked, our teacher locked us up inside the classroom. In order for us to escape, we made a tunnel in the ground enough for us to slither through,” she narrates.
That, on top of news of her classmate's family being massacred and many other incidents, made her family think twice about staying on. Moving from Mindanao to Bacong in the Visayas would not be easy, but it was a better alternative than lose the life of a loved one.
Transferring to Bacong became a tough decision to defend. They needed to endure poverty. They lost their business, which they had just put up in Lamitan. To make ends meet, her father settled as a barber.
Because of the trauma, Rose's mother turned very protective of her and her siblings. That almost deprived her of schooling. Her mother wanted them where she could always see them. This became more complicated with her mother's view that it is fine for women not to go to school, after all, when they get married, they would have husbands to work for them.
But Rose was more determined.
“I want to earn. I want to grow. I want to explore life,” she remembers telling herself. Committed to study, she would do the laundry of her neighbors and their referrals in order for her to earn and save enough money for the opening of school.
And her hard work paid off.
Rose's familiarity with business inspired her to take up Business Management in Silliman University. She knew though that what she was earning from doing laundry wouldn't be enough, so she also worked as a student assistant at the University Library (and because of this, she took up additional 36 units in Library Science). Rose graduated in 1984.
After graduating, she applied — and was accepted — to the Library as a cataloguing clerk. A few years after, she found herself rising from the ranks: from secretary to assistant cataloguer to chief cataloguer. Armed with a master's degree in Library Science from the University of San Carlos, which she obtained in 1997, she was appointed Head of the Reader's Services and Librarian of the Reference and Information Services in 2011. Concurrently, she is Coordinator of the Bachelor of Library Information Science program under the College of Education, and has been admitted member of the Association of Christian Schools, Colleges and Universities-Accrediting Agency, Inc.
Rose is happily married to Engr. Miguel Dinoy Jr., with whom she has a daughter, Mykha Rose.
“Mykha Rose is really a blessing to us because we waited for 10 years for her,” she says.
Both Rose and Miguel participated in fertility workouts and sought medical help. “So the moment we found out that I was pregnant, I cried. I really kneeled because it was an answered prayer!”
The couple had planned on migrating to Canada. They had all their documents ready and were set to go, but they changed plans.
“My mother begged for us not to go. I was moved to tears when she said: 'Don't go because you are my strength.'”
Let’s get to know Rose more.
Describe yourself in three words.
Friendly. Approachable. Responsible.
What is your mantra in life?
“Life is all a process. If you have dreams in life you need to work on it. Perseverance is a virtue in life with the guidance of the Lord.”
What makes you laugh/cry?
I laugh when someone makes jokes or slapstick comedies. I cry whenever I think of how I gave birth to my lovely daughter — our answered prayer!
What’s your favorite time/day of the week and why?
Sunday because my family and I get together with my parents and bond with each other. It is also our church day.
What do you love doing when not working?
Gardening. I plant vegetables at my backyard. I also organize our things at home and read books.
What is your favorite hangout place in the University?
The Library because inside the library there is always something to do and I gain more knowledge.
What makes you blush?
When my husband says “You look good today.”
If you were an actor/actress, who would you be?
Angelina Jones.
Tell us a fact about yourself?
I am happily married with one child. I love my work and very much contented working in this institution.
What’s your favorite game growing up?
Crossword puzzles.
What is your idea of a relaxing day?
Giving myself a comforting body massage or relaxing spa treatment. Go for a drive to the beach with my family.
What one thing would people be interested to know about you?
That I am approachable and very accommodating.
What song best describes the YOU and the life you have now?
“The reason I live.”
What is the first thing you do right after waking up in the morning?
I say a thanksgiving prayer. I always praise God because He is the source of everything that I have.
What’s your idea of a family?
Openness with each other is my idea of a family. Sharing all our happiness, pains, sorrows, fear and anger. To have fun together, play together and have vacation together.
(NOTE: “Colleague of the Week'” serves as a window into the life of the faculty and staff members of Silliman University. It seeks to showcase colleagues from different departments and units, and present them as “the” faces that form part of the foundation of Silliman. Featured weekly are faculty and staff who have committed themselves to providing members of the Silliman community a campus experience that cultivates competence, character and faith within one and all. We get to know them as people who like any of us also have their fair share of challenges, successes, and an inspiring story to tell. Not all of them may be popular, but not a single one of them lives a life without hope and meaning to share.)
