Seventh Post - Norissa Eileen Florendo Lorenzana-Ridgwell

My Story

My name is Norissa Eileen Florendo Lorenzana-Ridgwell. I was named after my mom, NORa and my dad, ISAias. I am a Leo, born in 1954, (year of the Horse ), the first-born of 9 children, 6 girls and 3 boys. 2 of my sisters died at an early age, Lillibeth of dyphtheria when she was a baby and Arlene who was fatally shot in their bedroom in 1984. She was 26 and had just given birth to her second child. Manang Lally and Arlene died a week of each other in 1984. Those were really dark days for our family.

 Miami, Florida, June 2009

I grew up in San Jorge, Paco, Manila with my brothers and sisters. As their Manang, I looked after them when Mommy was at work. Daddy was very strict with us which is why I left home at 17 and married my first boyfriend. It turned out to be a bad idea, jumping from the frying pan to the fire. My marriage to Steve Gervacio lasted only few years.

I studied at Phil Christian College (Union Elementary) and was a Presidential scholar of Manila Science High School. But I was inclined towards the arts, not science, so I went back to PCC to finish high school. Then I went to Silliman University where I took up BS Management. In 1999, I was the most outstanding graduate of the Aboitiz MBA and was sent by Aboitiz to Norway in 2003 for post-graduate studies.

I have two girls, Kristine Noelle (Kay) and Katherine Michelle (Kathy) who are my pride and joy. Manang Necta Rabor -Felizar delivered Kathy in Los Banos General Hospital in 1979. Kay and Kathy went to OB Montessori in Greenhills then St. Paul College, Pasig where they graduated from High School. Both of them made it to Ateneo de Manila University where they both graduated with Management degrees. Kay is now the Product Manager of Twinings (Tea) of England in the Philippines. Kathy works in Pennsylvania, USA as Consultant at Synygy, Inc. and is married to Dexter Garibay who is a Filipino-American chef. Kay will marry Eric Lim, a businessman, in January next year. I told them that when they have children, I want to be called “Tita” and not Lola.

With Kay (center) and Kathy (right), Fort Lauderdale, USA June 2009

Sunset in Boracay, Philippines with visiting daughter, Kathy, Dec 2008 

With daughter Kay, Boracay, Dec 2008

My childhood was not so enjoyable. It was school and home and taking care of my brothers and sisters ever since I can remember. So when I separated from Steve who was also very strict and possessive (ang malas ko), I started to enjoy life.

In 1983, I joined the Zone V Camera Club of the Philippines and went around the country taking pictures and joining the Club competitions. I was the Photographer of the Year in 1985 and the first female to be given that award. Today, photography remains to be my passion.

In 1985, I joined the UP Mountaineers and did many mountain climbing expeditions. The highest peak that I climbed was Mt. Kinabalu in Malaysia, the highest in South East Asia in 1999. I continued to climb until 2006.

In 1990, I joined the Parachutists Association of the Philippines and did several jumps. My last jump was in 2004. My daughters didn't like me jumping from airplanes.

In 1991, I married David Ridgwell, a Brit, in Los Angeles. Auntie Lois and Manang Perla helped me a lot in my wedding arrangements. I was so happy that many of my cousins in LA attended my wedding. Kay and Kathy were my bridesmaids.

I lived in England for 4 years with David while my young daughters lived and studied in Manila. I worked with a large freight forwarding company in London and then became an entrepreneur importing and distributing our own Lorenzana food products in Europe. Business was good. Life was good. But lonely. I missed my daughters and my family so I blew a lot of money on airfare going back and forth between Manila and London to see my daughters every three months. That didn't work so well.

Daddy died in 1994 and I went to Manila to be with the family. It was then that Aboitiz offered me a job as Marketing Director of Hapag Lloyd (of Germany) in the Philippines.

Fortunately or unfortunately, David and I are now separated. One of these days, I will go back to England to put closure to our marriage (we are not divorced) and put it behind me. But I think I will still carry his family name because RIDGWELL is a nice name.

I am kind of unlucky in love but am quite lucky in my career. I wanted to go up the corporate ladder fast but as a woman, I was in the wrong industry. Shipping was dominated by men and I had to work very hard in each rung starting as a Secretary at 19. At 25, I was a single parent for Kay and Kathy. Times were hard and difficult but with God's grace, I managed to put them in the best schools.

At age 34, I became the first female COO in Philippine shipping. I traveled extensively to the US, Europe and Asia on business and I learned a lot in the process.

I have no complaints and no regrets – everything good and bad were part of God's plan for me. The bad things only made me stronger.

I am also blessed with a wonderful family – my mom, my daughters, my brothers and sisters and their children. We find every excuse to party and we spend many wonderful days together.

The Lorenzanas at Norissa's vacation home, Tagaytay

I am still with Aboitiz which is a large group of companies in the Philippines engaged in businesses from banking to luxury ship building to food to power to transport and logistics employing about 60,000 people nationwide. I am with the transport group and I enjoy what I do. I had wanted to retire early and enjoy life travelling the world but I have recently been promoted to Senior Vice President and COO of Freight...so I probably will take a few more years.

I really, really have been richly blessed.

Sixth Post - Caroline Gamboa-Vestuto

AUTOBIOGRAPHY
My name is Caroline Gamboa-Vestuto. I was born on Dec. 3, 1965 at Vermont Maternity Hospital in Manila, Philippines to Amelia Florendo Gamboa and the late Ramon Nepomuceno Gamboa. I am the eighth child out of ten children. When I was born, the attending physician, Dr. Macalino who was also the owner of the maternity hospital, my was having a hard time taking me out of my mother's womb and as a result, the doctor had to vacuum me out which was successful.

Three years later, I had to be taken to the hospital again and this time, my late cousin, Dr. Lolly Rabor had to take water out of my spinal cord to see what was wrong with me. She diagnosed me having encephalitis which is an acute infection and inflammation of the brain. While lying down on a hospital bed, I heard a Pelita Corales song that was playing on the radio and I was trying to sing, but I couldn't which made me tear down. After the late Dr. Lolly Rabor gave the diagnosis, Dr. Prado took over and prescribed phenobarbital, which I had taken until I was thirteen years old. As I have gotten older and my seizures lessened, I've decreased my medication intake until I finally stopped as suggested by the late Dr. Lolly Rabor.

Because of my childhood incident, my parents were overprotective of me and tried their hardest to protect me from any physical harm. As a youngster growing up, I was very fragile and sickly.When the weather got too hot, I started having convulsions. I remember when I was ten years old, I closed the door in our bedroom to take a nap and when I got up, to my surprise, my Ate Gaye and my other siblings were all around me.
They have told me that I had a seizure, but I was completely unaware of it,
which felt like I was just waking up from a nap naturally.

Because of my convulsions and sensitivity to hot weather, I was never allowed to go outside without an umbrella to avoid getting ill and the possibility of having seizures all over again. One day, when I was two years old, I stopped breathing for a few minutes. A priest was all ready there to pronounce me dead. However, Manang Lolly did not give up. She gave me CPR (Coronary Pulmonary Rescusitation) until I started breathing again.

Furthermore, after many years, my mother went to the United States to provide for a better living for her ten children since my father and mother were separated at this time. She went to the United States in 1977 with my youngest sibling, Greta, who was only seven years old at the time.

After five years, my older brother, Greg, went to the United States. A few
months later my two sisters, Amelita and Natalie and myself followed. We were all teenagers at the time (Amelita-19, Natalie-15 and I was 17 years old).

Both Natalie and I attended high school in Los Angeles. Moreover, few years thereafter, during one normal afternoon, I felt like crying all of a sudden without knowing why. The following day, I have learned that Manang Lolly passed away. Because of what Manang Lolly had done when I was a toddler, I, somehow, felt a strong connection with her even without having a contact with each other for so many years. During the time when I was very sickly, I had to be taken back to the hospital again. My mother took me a private room and took me in her arms and dedicated me to the Lord and saying, "Please, Lord, heal my daughter and she will serve you for as long as she lives."

As a family, we were very active in church. We have attended many different churches, but the one that I truly remember was First Baptist Church of Manila. I was a choir member and have attended Daily Vacation Bible School in which I became an honor student. When I came to the United States, I taught Sunday School at United Methodist Church of Los Feliz and was also a choir member along with my other siblings (Manong Nitoy, Natalie and Greta) which was under our mother who was both the organist and choir director.

We were members of UMCV of Los Feliz for many years until I met my husband, Nick. At the time, Nick was all ready living in Glendale for two (2) years in a small apartment and I joined him when we got married on November 18, 1989. In December 1992, we moved to Valencia and became members of the United Methodist Church of Valencia where we both sang in two (2) choirs: Chancel and Cornerstone and at the same time, I was attending Sacred Dance Group. Needless to say, we remained active members of UMCV for many years.

Although many special moments in my life made me what I am today, there were two very special moments that I will never forget: When Manang Lolly saved my life and when my mother prayed and dedicated me to the Lord. It is because of these moments that I find strength and courage to face any challenges that come my way. In addition, I am also very grateful to all of my brothers and sisters who took care of me when I was young and ill especially Ate Gaye who took over he family when our mother went to the United States. Due to our mother's perseverance and our late Auntie Lois' assistance and support, almost everyone of us are now living in United States, and in turn, it made me meet my husband, Nick Vestuto, Jr., who gave me a wonderful son, Nicky, who is now 12-years-old.

I am currently a preschool assistant teacher and presently attending college to get my degree in education. As a preschool assistant teacher, I feel like I am doing what God has called me to do: To serve God by educating young children. Through my family's love, encouragement and support, I am doing what I love the most which is truly an amazing experience!