MARY ANDREA P. BUCTUANON

Educational Background:

Tertiary Education

Velez College - B.S. Occupational Therapy

F. Ramos St. Cebu City, Cebu

August 2019 - Present

Secondary Education

University of San Carlos - Talamban Campus

Sitio Nasipit, Talamban, Cebu City

S.Y 2017 - 2019

Colegio de la Immaculada Concepción - Cebu

S45 Gorordo Ave, Cebu City, Cebu

S.Y 2013 - 2016

Primary Education

Colegio de la Immaculada Concepción - Cebu

S45 Gorordo Ave, Cebu City, Cebu

S.Y 2007 - 2013

Achievements:

• College

Velez College - Deans Lister (2019-2021)

• Senior High School

Graduated Senior High School with Honors last May 2019

TESDA certification of completion in Bread and Pastry Production NC-II 2017

• Junior High School

Citizen Advancement Training (CAT) Officer (Platoon Leader) 2016-2017

My experience as an OT student in Velez College:

Being a student in Velez College has made me more resilient. Whenever I think about the past 3 years, I am amazed by how much I was able to get through. When I first enrolled for Velez, everyone told me it would be hard, even the administrators who welcomed us on the first day warned us it would be difficult. I always disregarded this because I’ve seen many people graduate from the school. I thought, “If they could do it, maybe I could do it too.” Everyone was right; Velez is hard. However, all the challenges I faced in the past 3 years have shaped me to be more tenacious, efficient, and driven -- qualities that, I think, are good to have as a healthcare professional. Additionally, the staff of the OT department, my teachers, have imparted to me the knowledge and skills needed to become an effective occupational therapist in the future, and I have been given multiple opportunities for advancement in the 3 years I spent in this institution.

My Component:

Livelihood Component

Planning CBH&R Programs:

The CBR planning process was long and difficult. We encountered multiple problems that challenged the class’ resilience and problem solving skills. From baseline data gathering to implementing the stakeholder’s analysis, we all experienced small hiccups that made us rethink if we’d even be able to implement the program at the end of the semester. During this stage, everyone had to know and perform their roles extremely well all while juggling a packed schedule. As a component representative, my role was more visible which meant my mistakes were more visible as well. This put a lot of pressure on me but I was glad to be alongside my co-representative who filled in what I lacked. Throughout the entire process of planning for an appropriate livelihood program for our stakeholders, from looking for a community to help out, gathering the needed data, and analyzing the information to find a way to help these people, we were able to appreciate the work needed to implement a CBR program.

Designing CBH&R Programs & My experience in designing a CBH&R program:

I think one of the strengths I tend to rely on whenever I do something is my creativity, which is why I was happy that the instructors chose the tote bag designing program for us to implement. I got to exercise a lot of my creativity during program designing. I was part of the marketing team responsible for helping the E-Hope parents sell their tote bag creations online but we doubled as a creative team that designed the visuals for the program as well. Although running after multiple deadlines, I enjoyed my task of picking out the theme and motifs for the visual aids, and creating the powerpoint presentation.

Implementing CBH&R Programs:

We spent almost 4 months planning for a program that lasted 3 hours, and it was worth it. Seeing the smiles of both the parents and children of E-Hope put the amount of time we invested into the program into perspective. The implementation was a success with our stakeholders being able to gain some insights on possible livelihood options, as well as getting a possible business opportunity through our guest speaker, Miss Jen. Even though the program was meant to target the parents, the children also got to take part and have fun in the process which was a good opportunity for the parents as they could both learn and be with their children. Although I had no active role during the implementation, I made sure to turn on my camera and show my reactions as a way of keeping things lively. It’s a shame I didn’t get to do much during the actual program but I was happy to be a part of something great.

We started off the semester on a rough note, just a month from the Odette aftermath and with the surge of COVID-19 cases. Which is why for the first few weeks of class, I was in survival mode. I completed tasks for reporting and community proposals at night when the internet was fast, and that caused some problems with my outputs. I wasn’t proud of my performance at the beginning.

When we first chose our components, we didn’t think we’d have to stick with it throughout the entire semester. We thought we were merely choosing a topic to discuss. I think our group lucked out because I felt that the livelihood component was extremely timely, and mainstay in CBR programs. It was also very relevant in the context of our stakeholders. Because of this, planning, designing and implementation was easier.

Though, that didn’t mean it was a smooth ride. We have been scolded by our instructors, our problem solving skills were tested multiple times by unexpected, last-minute problems, and we’ve had to juggle a lot of the work needed for the CBR programs alongside studying for tests and completing other requirements for other courses. Being an efficient worker was a big thing that I learned throughout this course.

When I saw the smiles of our stakeholders and heard their comments saying they had fun or they found the programs helpful, all the work our class put in during those 4 months felt so worth it, every scolding and all-nighter seemed like nothing when compared to what we witnessed on the day of the implementation. Throughout this semester, I have gained more respect and appreciation for the community rehabilitation setting and those who volunteer to implement these programs in order to help out those in need.