By: Leanah Mae Diongzon & Joce Ann Puchero
Photo Courtesy: Sir Ahr’s Facebook posts
Embracing online learning is complex and a must to secure one's health due to the pandemic, but it is not the end of the line for a selfless-loving son, a caring second parent to his students, and an epitome of "light the passion; share the dream all as one" to the youth.
Behind this person's intimidating aura lies an exuberant personality filled with versatility and superbness, unknown to many. He is a 27-year-old hidden gem that still radiates a glimmer of inspiring hope for those who want to excel in academics and fulfill their student organization duties.
Meet Ralph Robert J. Alalay, a Magna Cum Laude graduate of Adamson University (AdU) in 2015 under Bachelor of Arts in Communication (AB-COMM) degree program.
"Sir. Ahr,” as to what most of his co-teachers and students call him, currently works as an OSA Coordinator and Senior High School teacher at St. Michael's Institute in Bacoor, Cavite.
Aside from that, he is also an active youth leader in their Parish church in the same city.
Upon asking if things were fine before the initial interview, he immediately replied, "Eto, maganda pa rin. (Here I am, still beautiful).”
Soon after, it was followed by a quick-witted remark of "Ayos naman, natutuwa ako na ako'y inanyayahan niyo sa panayam na ito para na rin makapag-abot ako ng tulong at suporta sa inyo na mga Klasmeyt ko rin. (I'm all right, glad that you invited me to this interview so that I can extend help and support to you as my fellow Klasmeyts).”
According to him, no such thing makes him happy as he used to live more simply. However, what makes his heart melt is when he successfully brings joy and becomes a source of energy and motivation to others.
Meanwhile, his family is a primary driving force for him to study well before and work even harder now as a professional. By God's grace, through the gift of talent and wisdom, his longing aims for a successful and better life turned into reality in present times.
As of now, he could proudly say that he lived without having any regrets, believing his past experiences were set just for him, including failures. Rather than considering them as a sign of weakness, he views them as blessings that have made him stronger today.
“Wala akong pinagsisihan, dahil natututo ako sa lahat ng nangyayari sa buhay ko. (I have no regrets, because I’m learning from everything that happens in my life,” he said.
Sir Ahr has no fixed daily routine that can make him more comfortable at his job. Nonetheless, what sets his mood at work is when he reevaluates himself and his goal as a teacher.
On the other hand, there is another effective strategy aside from time management which he took in college to excel in academics and fulfill student organization duties.
It includes being passion-driven, wherein "If you put yourself fully into something, anything becomes possible." Like in his first phase of college life, where everything has been vibrant upon joining academic activities or org-related events aligned to his interests.
For the love of dancing, he tried PEP Squad first before becoming a member of G-Queens and GRAVITY-SET.
As a result of his active engagement, some of his professors and co-Klasmeyts often underestimated his potential. Not until the ranking of General Weighted Average (GWA) per batch during the General Assembly came.
It happened in his sophomore year, wherein he received recognition for being the rank 1 of their batch in their college degree program.
All were astonished way back then, even him, as the results were unexpected.
“Hindi ko inexpect kasi ginagawa ko lang lahat ng ‘yun dahil masaya at gusto ko ang ginagawa ko (I didn't expect it because I was just doing all of that because it's fun and I like what I'm doing),” he said.
Later on, he realized that simultaneously managing academics and org duties can still be feasible.
"As long as you love what you do, stabilizing becomes easy without further noticing that you both have done what you like and achieved what you ought to do."
Given the excellency and outstanding hard work, it continued until Sir Ahr became the first president of the Creative Communicators Society of Adamson University (CREACOMMS) from 2014 to 2015.
He is one of the Top 10 outstanding student organization presidents in AdU. In addition, he is also a graduating recipient of the St. Vincent de Paul Leadership Award.
Although all his college experiences contributed to what he is now, there is still one remarkable event that largely shaped him as a person.
It occurred when he was one of the representatives of AdU in the Top 10 outstanding students of the Philippines. Somehow, it became a training ground for improving his academic excellence, social responsibility, and leadership skills.
As of now, his communication skills and creativity still serve as a sword in work progress.
On the contrary, being emotionally attached to someone or something is what he considered a weakness in the professional field. It also incorporates his habit of saying "Yes" every time an opportunity and responsibility is being offered to him by his superiors.
Concurrently, he realized that being "palaban" is still evident in him until today, which he acquired as a Communication major and as a perk too of joining student organizations. Although Klasmeyt Ahr ends up as a teacher in today's time, he still aspires to become a film director.
Moreover, he added that "being palaban" is a must for a college student, and no one should fear trying or the possibility of stumbling in life, for it will serve as a stepping stone towards success.
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