THE HALLS of the 79-year-old St. Raymund de Peñafort building are kept polished without any blot of dirt or scattered piles of chairs. Both students and faculty members owe this to workers like Ramon Ciruela.
Upon entering the building, one will see him as a thin, 46-year-old upright man, standing nearly six feet tall and wearing a crisply pressed dark blue uniform, cleaning the corridors and empty rooms. He is known not only for his work but more so for his friendly presence and his lighthearted grin, which crinkles the edges of his eyes.
Kuya Ramon, as he is often called by students, has been working as a janitor for UST since 2005, one of the longest serving members of the maintenance staff of the building.
Recently, his distinct smile reached hundreds of thousands of people. In a now-viral video posted by The Flame, members of the general support staff of the UST Faculty of Arts and Letters (AB) were seen marching among the graduates and faculty members during this year’s Solemn Investiture rites.
According to Artlets Dean Prof. Melanie Turingan, the gesture was meant to appreciate the non-teaching personnel who play crucial roles in the University.
At the forefront was Kuya Ramon, towering over his peers, striding confidently as applause from the audience filled the pavilion.
“Nai-enjoy ko naman dito sa UST. Talagang pinursige ko na dito talaga ako tatanda. Ito na siguro yung trabaho kong matagal. Dito ko na nakikita ‘yung sarili ko na permanente,” Kuya Ramon told The Flame.
(I enjoy working here at UST. I really worked toward growing old here. Maybe this is my longtime work. I see myself staying here permanently.)
Grit for survival
Before landing his job at the University, Kuya Ramon worked all sorts of contractual jobs in the past: he was a worker in a slippers factory, a delivery man for a shoe factory and, later, in a factory dealing with chemicals.
Bereft of permanent residency and benefits, he later found the path unsustainable.
“Pagkatapos ko ng five months, maghahanap nanaman ako ng trabaho,” he said. (After five months, I will look again for a new job.)
One day, in 2005, his friend suggested applying for the City Service Corporation, one of the largest cleaning service providers in the country. The opportunity came knocking at his doorstep, and he let it in without hesitation.
He never knew he would love his work.
“Pamilya ko ang dahilan ko para magtrabaho,” Kuya Ramon said.
“Number one sila, lalo na ang mga anak ko. Para sa kanila po ito” (I work for my family. They’re the sole reason, especially my kids. I dedicate my work to them).
After Kuya Ramon’s daily 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. shift, he is greeted by the responsibility of taking care of his four-year-old daughter Anna and his son Earl, who had just graduated from senior high school. He is the sole breadwinner of the family, with his wife Annabel tending to their home.
When the pandemic forced campus gates to close in March 2020, he barely made ends meet. This was, according to him, one of the most trying times of his life.
“Noong pandemic, wala kaming pasok,” he recalled.
“Sa isang buwan, isang araw lang kami naglilinis. Ayon ‘yung pinakahirap, kung saan kami kukuha ng pang-araw-araw. Kasi may anak ako na maliit, ilang months pa lang noon.”
(During the pandemic, we didn’t have shifts. We would only have one cleaning round per month. That time, I had a newborn child, so thinking of where we would get our daily sustenance was actually the hardest part.)
This was a tough phase for all the maintenance personnel, but the administrators, rectors, and then-Artlets dean Prof. Marilu Madrunio extended their hands to ensure that no staff member was left behind. All maintenance personnel were given financial assistance and showered with in-kind donations.
“Sa tawad ng Panginoon, sa dasal, may dumadating na biyaya, lalo na dito sa UST,” Kuya Ramon said.
(In God’s good graces, through prayer, we receive blessings, especially here at UST.)
Everyday heroism
In turn, many recall the blessing of having Kuya Ramon by their side.
Timothy John Cayton Santiago, an incoming Philosophy senior and former president of the Artlets Student Council (ABSC), recalled how Kuya Ramon assisted him when onsite classes returned.
“When I first entered the campus, he was the first person I approached to help me find my classroom,” Santiago said.
“He did not hesitate to literally bring me to my classroom door. From that moment on, we became quite good friends.”
“Minsan siya pa mauunang mag-‘good morning’ sa’yo, tapos magtatanong pa ‘yan kung kumusta klase, or kung tapos na ba,” he added.
(Sometimes, he would be the first one to greet you good morning, and he would ask you how the class went, or if it’s already done.)
He remembered one moment when Kuya Ramon lent his help to the ABSC during a dire circumstance.
“It really rained hard during the University Expo last year because there was a typhoon. At that time, Kuya Ramon was vital in making sure that our equipment didn’t get wet, to the point where he was still there at Plaza Mayor, transferring our speakers inside the Main Building at around 6 p.m. just to spare them from being drenched,” Santiago said.
“He is a wonderful person who genuinely cares for everyone.”
Kuya Ramon’s kindness is indelibly etched even on the memories of Artlets alumni.
Twins Madel Jasa and Maan Jasa, alumnae of the Economics program, reminisced about the fond memories they shared with Kuya Ramon. Madel and Maan – who graduated in 2013 as their batch’s valedictorian and salutatorian, respectively – expressed appreciation for his presence that made their college life bearable.
“Ang tawag ni Kuya Ramon sa amin, ‘kambal,’ ” Madel, a former ABSC treasurer, recalled.
“Naalala ko noon, tuwing mayroon kaming event, University-wide man o college-wide lang, si Kuya Ramon ang lagi naming pinapakiusapan.”
(Kuya Ramon called us “twins.” I remember before, every time we had an event, either university-wide or just college-wide, Kuya Ramon was the one whom we asked for help.)
“Sasabihin namin, ‘Kuya, kailangan ko po ng 100 po na upuan na nakalatag.’ At tinutulungan niya kami.”
(We would say, “Kuya, we need to set up 100 chairs.” And he would help us.)
Maan added that Kuya Ramon was by their side for four consecutive years of celebrating Christmas parties in UST.
“Dati, tinatapat namin yung Christmas party sa Paskuhan, sa gabi, kaya lahat kami nagmamadali sa pag-set up at paglilinis. Si Kuya Ramon ang palaging to the rescue,” she said.
(Before, we used to hold our Christmas parties during the Paskuhan, at night, so we would be in a hurry to set up and clean. Kuya Ramon was always to the rescue.)
“Si Kuya Ramon ang anghel namin,” Madel added. “Hindi ‘yan naniningil ng kahit ano, hindi mo mararamdamang naghihintay siya ng kapalit pagkatulong sa amin.”
(Kuya Ramon was our angel. He wouldn’t charge us for anything, and you wouldn’t feel that he was waiting for something in return for helping us.)
Down to earth
When asked what was the most difficult part of his job, Kuya Ramon answered, “Siguro ‘yung pinakamahirap ay ugali ng ibang estudyante. Minsan may mga masungit, pero hindi naman naiiwasan ‘yon.”
(Perhaps dealing with the attitude of other students is the hardest part of my job. Sometimes they would really be grumpy, but we cannot avoid that.)
He confessed that some rude students would really get on his nerves, but he would recompense with patience.
“Minsan nasusungitan ko rin naman sila, pero ‘yung mild lang. Kasi hangga’t maaari ayaw ko rin masira sa mga estudyante,” Kuya Ramon added.
(There were times I would be cross with them, but in a mild way. As much as possible I wouldn’t want to blemish my reputation with the students.)
“Hangga’t maaari, down to earth ako. Gusto ko lang maibigay talaga ang serbisyo sa mga tao.”
(As much as possible, I am down to earth. I just want to provide my service to the people.)
Viral
When Kuya Ramon saw the viral video, he was touched by the overwhelming appreciation he received.
“Hindi ko akalain na aabot sa ganoon,” he said.
“Kahit saan ako pumunta rito sa UST o sa labas, sinasabi nila sa’kin, ‘Uy, nag-viral ka!’ ”
(I did not imagine that it would go the way it did. Everywhere I go, whether in UST or outside the campus, people would say to me, “You went viral!”)
The twins Madel and Maan Jasa were also elated after seeing the video.
“Kinilabutan ako noon kasi naisip ko talaga na malaking parte ng buhay naming mga batang gumraduate noon sa AB ang presence ni Kuya Ramon,” Madel said.
(I got goosebumps because I realized that his presence was a really huge part of our lives as an AB student.)
“Para din siyang isang professor na nakasubaybay sa journey ng mga bata hanggang matapos sa college,” she added.
(He’s like a professor who watches the journey of the students until they finish college.)
Indeed, if not for the remarkable dedication of support staff like Kuya Ramon, things would have gone astray for everyone in the University. As Turingan told The Flame, “Sila ang lakas namin sa AB (They are the strength of AB).”
Their dedication is important for a conducive learning environment. Without them, there would be no clean restrooms, orderly classrooms and neat hallways.
The stories of the likes of Timothy, Madel and Maan showed that beyond their janitorial services, maintenance personnel give much more to the community: their kindness and care for everyone.
Both students and faculty stand on the shoulders of these giants. Kuya Ramon may not have honorifics or an academic alphabet soup after his name, but his 19 years in service had paid off by being the hero in blue uniform.
“Salamat sa tiwala nila sa akin, sa amin. Hindi lang sa AB, pati sa buong UST (Thank you not just to AB, but to the entire UST for trusting me, for trusting us),” Kuya Ramon said.
“Babawian ko din sila sa kabaitan at sipag (I will repay them with kindness and diligence).” F — with reports from Yelah Israel
