10/05/2026
๐ ๐๐จ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ซโ๐ฌ ๐๐๐ฒ ๐๐๐๐ฅ๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง: ๐๐๐๐ซ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐๐ง๐ฒ ๐๐๐ญ๐ฌ, ๐๐๐ซ๐ซ๐ฒ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐๐๐ซ๐ญ | By: Shereen Yanna B. Cadileรฑa
Motherhood is often described as one of the most beautiful journeys in lifeโbut behind every smile, every packed lunch, every late-night assignment, every meeting attended, and every child comforted is a woman quietly doing her best to hold everything together.
As we celebrate Motherโs Day, we honor not only the mothers who nurture their families, but also the women who continuously balance multiple roles with courage, sacrifice, and love.
Imagine being a mother of four childrenโa 17-year-old learning to navigate young adulthood, a 15-year-old discovering identity and independence, a 12-year-old needing guidance and reassurance, and a one-year-old still dependent on every embrace and sleepless night. Add to this the responsibilities of being a wife, a homemaker, a Doctorate student striving to finish academic requirements, and a Director of the Gender Studies and Development Office committed to advocating equality, inclusivity, and empowerment within the community.
It sounds overwhelming because, truthfully, it often is.
Yet many mothers in the RTU community live this reality every single day.
Behind professional titles and academic achievements are women who still rush home to check assignments, prepare meals, fold laundry, attend school activities, comfort sick children, and stay awake long after everyone else has rested. They are expected to lead in the workplace while remaining emotionally present at home. They are praised for being โstrong,โ yet rarely asked if they are tired.
This is the intersectionality of motherhoodโthe reality that women carry overlapping responsibilities shaped by family, career, education, and social expectations all at once.
And still, mothers continue.
Not because they are superheroes who never struggle, but because love teaches endurance.
There are days filled with guilt:
Guilt for missing a school activity because of work.
Guilt for answering emails while rocking a baby to sleep.
Guilt for studying for exams while children ask for attention.
Guilt for being exhausted.
But motherhood teaches us something powerful: being a good mother does not mean being perfect.
Children do not need perfection.
They need presence.
They need honesty.
They need love that keeps showing up even on difficult days.
For many working mothers, especially in academic institutions like RTU, success is no longer measured only by achievements or titles. Success becomes raising kind children while still pursuing dreams. Success becomes proving that women can lead offices, conduct research, study further, care for families, and still remain compassionate human beings.
And for mothers like me whose children are National Taekwondo athletes, the journey carries an even deeper kind of commitment. It means showing up in early trainings, long competitions, and high-pressure tournaments. It means being present in victories and defeats alike. It means carrying not just uniforms and gear, but also emotional strengthโcheering loudly even when tired, comforting silently after losses, and believing deeply in your childโs potential when doubt creeps in. It is a different kind of motherhood that stands at the sidelines, but is always at the center of a childโs courage.
To every mother in the RTU community:
Your silent sacrifices matter.
Your exhaustion is valid.
Your dreams are important too.
And to the students, colleagues, fathers, and members of the community, Motherโs Day is also a reminder to create spaces where mothers are supported, heard, respected, and empowered. Sometimes the greatest gift we can offer mothers is understanding: understanding that they are carrying responsibilities that are both visible and invisible.
This celebration is not only for biological mothers, but also for grandmothers, solo parents, guardians, teachers, mentors, titas, ate figures, women who lovingly care for their pamangkins, fur moms who nurture their pets with genuine love and devotion, and every woman who chooses to care for others with a motherโs heart.
And to the women who may still be waiting and praying to become mothers somedayโplease do not pressure yourself. Life unfolds differently for everyone. In Godโs perfect time, prayers may be answered in ways beyond our understanding. And if motherhood takes a different path, trust that God also has beautiful plans prepared for you. Your worth as a woman is never defined solely by motherhood, but by the love, purpose, and light you bring into the lives of others.
May this Motherโs Day remind us that behind every strong community are women who continuously give pieces of themselves so others may grow.
To all mothers and mother figures of the RTU Community:
Thank you for your resilience.
Thank you for your sacrifices.
Thank you for the love that continues even when no one sees how difficult it truly is.
May you continue to find strength in the middle of exhaustion, joy in the simplest moments, and fulfillment in knowing that the love you give shapes homes, hearts, and communities. May you always remember that while you wear many hats, your heart remains the foundation that keeps everything together.
Today, we celebrate youโnot only for what you do, but for who you are.
๐ฏ๐๐๐๐ ๐ด๐๐๐๐๐โ๐ ๐ซ๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐
๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐น๐ป๐ผ ๐ช๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐! ๐ท
