Through the hard times: Pearl’s life of resilience

Behind the sweet face of Pearl Joy Catingub is an untold story of great loss and pain. Growing up, Pearl enjoyed the perks of being the youngest among five siblings. Life was comfortable, as Pearl recalled. They lived sufficiently, with her mom working as a teacher and her dad as an engineer abroad. However, life drastically changed for seven-year-old Pearl with the untimely demise of her father.

They had to leave their comfortable home. Pearl witnessed how her mom struggled to make ends meet for her five children, all of whom were in school at that time. Shewanted to pursue medicine, but Pearl thought it was a farfetched dream given their current situation. Her mom’s salary was not even enough for their daily needs.

Pearl was able to continue her studies through her uncle’s financial support. She chose nursing so she could use her sister’s old books and uniforms, but college turned out to be more expensive than they had anticipated. She almost dropped out when her uncle stopped financing her studies.

“Nakita ko ‘yong bank account ni mama na 24 pesos na lang ang laman. Puro na kami loan noon. Kaya sabi ko talaga na mag-aaral akong mabuti kasi nakita ko kung gaano naghirap si mama,” Pearl said.

Those were four tough college years for Pearl, but she had her mom who became her strength through it all until she finally earned her diploma. She was supposed to take her board exam in June, but for some strange reason, Pearl’s mom asked her to spend more time with her and just take the second exam scheduled in December. Two weeks before the December test, however, Pearl received the news that changed her life forever.

Her mom passed away.

She was brought to a hospital, but they lacked the adequate staff and equipment needed to save her mom. Pearl’s world seemed to crumble, but she summoned all her courage to continue with the licensure exam, knowing that her mom would have wanted that for her. The success of finally getting her license would have been sweeter with her parents around, but Pearl knew that life only moves forward, and so must she.

A new chapter

Pearl never imagined herself working as a community nurse. She practiced her profession at Amai Pakpak Medical Center in Marawi with the goal of earning a certificate that would make it easier for her to find a job abroad. However, Pearl soon realized that her license meant more than just dreaming of greener pastures. That was when she came across the Department of Health’s Registered Nurses for Health Enhancement and Local Service (RN HEALS) program.

In one of her assignments, Pearl witnessed the grave inequities in the municipality’s healthcare. They had to hop from one village to another to conduct health and nutrition surveys. Residents had a passive healthcare-seeking behavior. It was a tough job, but it also opened her eyes to something she saw herself doing in the long run. “Doon ko minahal ang community,” Pearl added.

After her community immersion, Pearl spent another six months of her RN HEALS journey in a hospital. The conditions were even worse, as Pearl recalled. Electricity was usually out, and there were no generator sets in the hospital. She even assisted in childbirth using only candles for light. “Hindi ko akalain na may ganito pa pala sa Pilipinas,” said Pearl.

Pearl volunteered in various non-profit organizations for relief operations and medical missions, catering to malnourished children in rural barangays. She worked for Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders) amidst some of the Philippines’ most devastating disasters—Typhoons Sendong, Haiyan, Pablo, and Vinta—and during the Zamboanga and Surigao del Sur sieges. Pearl also played a key role in the North Cotabato Program Development, focusing on maternal health, nutrition, and water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) initiatives.

Finding what her heart yearns for

Pearl’s sister is an overseas military hospital nurse, and it could have been an easy ticket for her to work abroad. But Pearl never even attempted to send her application. “Dito talaga ako tinatawag.” She stayed in the Philippines and served in communities that had rampant open defecation cases and high infant and maternal mortality rates. After working on various programs, however, Pearl noticed the lack of sustainability in those initiatives. “Marami talagang programs pero karamihan walang sustainability. Noong time na ‘yon din ako sinimulang i-convince ni Ate Rachel [Paradiang] to join Zuellig Family Foundation (ZFF).”

Pearl took a leap of faith and applied for a ZFF position based in Zamboanga City as a City Account Officer for the Integrated Health Leadership and Governance Program-City Leadership and Governance Program (IHLGP-CLGP). She had no social connections in the city, but she was determined to join the organization. Pearl knew that she lacked technical skills but relied on her experience and commitment. 

During her adjustment period, Pearl found mentors who are now her good friends. “Jen [Macaraan] taught me to be a leader in my own way. Dapat mag-quit na ako e, but she inspired me to keep going.” The whole experience taught Pearl to recognize her leverage points, strengthen her values, and acknowledge her weaknesses.

It was during this time that Pearl forged a significant relationship with Beng Climaco, former mayor of Zamboanga City, and the City’s Health Team. This connection became even more profound during the darkest period of Pearl’s life when she lost her baby. The support she received from the local health team was a testament to the strong bonds she had built through her work.

Another hard blow

Losing her mom left a massive hole in Pearl’s heart. Losing her child was another painful story.

During one of her regular OB-GYN  visits, Pearl received the devastating news that the three-month-old child in her womb had no heartbeat. It happened in the middle of a pandemic. Hospitals were at full capacity, and her own life was later put at risk because they couldn’t remove the baby right away.

Her world fell apart. This tragedy almost made her quit. It was a loss so huge that she had no idea how she could live through it.

At her lowest point, Pearl found comfort in her ZFF family. “They comforted me. Hindi nila ako iniwan sa ere. Doon ko naramdaman na walang iwanan.” Pearl realized that ZFF staff were not only accountable to their LGUs but to each other as well. They look after one another.

Through the darkness, Pearl tried to make sense of what was happening in her life and soon realized that there could be other mothers out there in the same situation. More moms could lose their children if the healthcare system and health-seeking behavior in the Philippines remain the same. “Pangarap ko na wala nang nanay na mawalan ng anak. Goal ko na marami pang kababaihan ang ma-empower. Mahirap maging mahirap, kaya better na maging informed ka.”

Pearl has been through many highs and lows, but deep in her heart, she knows that she was able to rise above the challenges because of her faith and the values imparted by her parents. “Alam ko may purpose si Lord bakit sila kinuha nang maaga. Wala man akong title na malaki, sana proud sila sa akin na nakakatulong ako in my own little way. Sana marami pa akong matulungan, ma-motivate, at ma-inspire.”

Now, Pearl continues her journey as a Project Associate for The Challenge Initiative Program under ZFF, bringing her passion for community health and her unwavering spirit to new challenges and opportunities.