09/09/2025
๐๐ป ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐ฆ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฒ
"๐ฟ๐๐๐๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐๐ก๐๐ข๐๐ฉ, ๐ผ๐ฉ๐ ๐ฟ๐๐ก๐๐ฃ๐"
by Princess Ann Marie Cambaya | Feature Writer
Ate, Nang, or Nay Deling, this is how Mrs. Flordelina M. Escoton was lovingly known to many. She was among the Universityโs most outstanding employees, honored for two consecutive years as Outstanding Contract of Service Field Based for 2023 and 2024, a recognition that reflected her devotion and dedication.
She may have been small in stature, but her heart was greater than her frame. Wherever she walked, it felt as if daylight followed, the warmth of the sun reaching into quiet corners. In her presence, silence was never empty; it was always filled with comfort, ease, and a sense of belonging. One student, Rhuza Mae Tugonon, captured it well:
โAs in grabe ka buotan ni Nanay Deling, everytime maagian nako siya, iyang ngisi abot langit. Very genuine kaayo siya, mu-greet jud ko ana niya pirmi tungod sa kabuotan. Dili gyud ko katuo sa panghitabo kay grabe jud kabuotan ni Nanay. Huhu.โ
She made sure the campus was always clean, orderly, and well cared for. She was the kind of worker every organization hopes to have. She arrived early, moved with purpose, and carried out her responsibilities with quiet diligence that spoke louder than any recognition could. Her friend and colleague, Faisah Pantaleon, recalls:
โWalay reklamo, walay likay sa tanang ipamalihug ug ipatrabaho ug molihok dayon. Kung oras sa trabaho, trabaho gyud. Dili kinahanglan bantayan ug buhaton niya kini nga tinud-anay bisan pa walay nagtan-aw. Gamay gamay ra siya pero dako kaayo siyag kasing-kasing. Magpakabana gyud siya sa uban, mutabang ug hunahunaon gyud ang kaayohan sa iyang mga kauban.โ
What made her truly unforgettable were her qualities as a person. She was kind-hearted, respectful, shy, friendly, and very cheerful. As one of her colleagues, Gypsy Rose Capuno, simply said:
โGrabe ka buotan, matinahuron, maikog, friendly, smiling kaayo.โ
Her colleagues remember her not just as a co-worker but as a steady presence who brightened days with her smile and built bonds that felt like family. Pantaleon added how deeply they would miss her:
โMingawon gyud mi niya sa iyang kaayo, sa iyang pagpaningkamot, ug sa iyang pagkatawo. Dili nako malimtan ang iyang mga sakripisyo ug sa iyang dedication sa trabaho.โ
Former students also remember her warmth. Ms. Pauline Tibay shared:
โAte Deling was truly a ray of sunshine. Every time I passed by, she would always greet me with a warm โHello.โ Kadtong moadto kog office every morning, she never failed to say โGood morningโ with that big smile on her face. She was so hardworking, dedicated, and dili gyod malimtan how she left the halls of CTU Carmen Campus always clean and welcoming, as if it was her way of showing care for all of us.
As she departs the land of the living, we pray that she may now walk through the heavenly hallsโjust as clean, peaceful, and bright as the ones she lovingly cared for here in CTU Carmen. Her light and kindness will always be remembered, and may she rest in Godโs eternal embrace.โ
As a mother, she carried the same devotion. The love she poured into her children mirrored the dedication she gave to her work. She was their guide, their anchor, and their source of strength. Her family remembers her not only for the sacrifices she made but also for the joy she brought into everyday life, the kind of joy that lingers even in her absence.
Together with Mrs. Faisah Pantaleon and former students like Ms. Pauline Tibay, we say:
โDaghang salamat, Ate Deling, for your service, your warmth, and your love for CTU Carmen.โ
Her story is one of consistency, resilience, and heart. Though she is no longer with us, her life continues to shine through the people she touched, both at work and at home. Her dedication as an employee, her kindness as a colleague, her love as a mother, and her warmth as a friend form a legacy that will never be forgotten. May she now rest peacefully with our Creator.
Article by Princess Ann Marie Cambaya
Layout by Joey M. Gervise
