A Women's Month Special Learning from Tita Feling

CEBU, Philippines - She’s primarily a visionary, a dreamer who doesn’t faint too easily. Currently, she’s enjoying the fruits of her labor as a result of her relentless efforts to live out her dreams that aren’t exactly for herself.

Perhaps the only woman in Cebu who knows the shipping industry like the back of her hand is Felisa Yap vda. de George L. Chiongbian Sr. that even at the age of 88, she still runs it with finesse. She dons a lot of hats being a civic leader, philanthropist, benefactress, businesswoman, a mentor, a mother, grandmother and a sister yet she’s still the bubbly, vivacious, sharp and clever Lola Feling.

To cap our Women’s Month celebration, we sat with Tita Feling, a woman who has been shaped by a whirlwind of fateful triumphs and poignant incidents, and of kismets and divine interventions, to acquire wisdom from her life lessons.

Childhood Motivations

She was orphaned at six together with seven other siblings. They helped their widowed mother run the sari-sari store which was the parents’ investment at that time. “At six, I was already a tindera (hawker).” And at six, she started to work her way out of poverty.

In Merida, Leyte, young Feling started to dream, to realize her role in society, which is to help others in the service of the Lord.

Feling was the class valedictorian. She received scholarship offers from the University of the Visayas, University of Southern Philippines and University of San Carlos, but she preferred to study at the Colegio de la Inmaculada Concepcion because “I want to be with the rich and the famous, mga mestizas and mestizos,” she burst out laughing. The sight of them amused her and allowed her to dream even more.

When she was in third year high school, Feling’s cousins, the Yap brothers, who were into the shipping industry, introduced her to the late George Chiongbian, who was also in the shipping industry. He pursued her for almost a year but she told George she couldn’t marry him because he was a Protestant. And so George converted to Catholicism for love. Finally on October 12, 1940, they exchanged I dos. They had two sons: George Jr. (deceased) and Richard (deceased).

Her first foray into the shipping industry was in 1945, when she was assigned to oversee the family business in Looc, Plaridel, Misamis Occidental. It was memorable for her firstly because it was where her second baby (Richard) was born during the war. After liberation, she returned to Cebu and then to Leyte where she opened a sari-sari store. “I was like a bank, I was into buy and sell, I could even barter because I love to help and because my parents loved to help, as well.” She was later employed by William Chiongbian (the oldest brother of husband George) and from then on, she was with William Lines up to the tile George & Peter Lines was established. She is still with GP Lines until today. “I have to prove to them that even if I was the poorest among the wives of the Chiongbians, I can help them.”

Her impressive biodata is a testament to being a workhorse. Her long experience with what she considers the hardest business in any country, the shipping industry, has indeed transformed her into a shipping maven. “I know the industry from A to Z because when I was in the freight and passage department, I worked outside. I had a table in the corner of the office where I could see everybody coming in and going out so I would know if the employees were courteous and attentive. This was also to ensure that the ‘first come, first served’ rule would be strictly implemented kay di ko gusto og pabor-pabor.”

She currently sits as the chair of George & Peter Lines which has three vessels and four ports of call (Cebu, Dumaguete, Dipolog and Cagayan de Oro). Most of her time is dedicated to providing livelihood opportunities for the less privileged as she sits as one of the board of trustees of the family foundation, the Georich Livelihood & Learning Foundation, Inc. As of 2008-2010, GLLFI has already accomplished the following under her watch: distribution of P255,000 for medical, education and food provisions to beneficiaries (needy children, laborers and chosen individuals) in more or less 37 institutions; 600-square meter lot donation, including a replica grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes in France, to the poorest barrio of Brgy. Cantu-od in Balamban, Cebu; 400-square meter lot donation to the local government of Balamban, Cebu for a health center and play ground; donated 400-square meter parcel of land taken from the 22,089 square meter lot under the Georich Development, Inc. to Bukas Loob sa Diyos (multipurpose center); and the giving out of educational scholarships to select beneficiaries.

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“I don’t promise to do things, rather I always say ‘I’ll try to help’ because if I can’t fulfill my promise, they won’t trust me anymore.” Young Felisa was a dreamer and a visionary. She had an ardent desire to help the less privileged “because I experienced how it is to be the poorest of the poor. If you want to be successful, if anybody needs your help, never say no but just tell them, ‘I’ll try my best to help.’ ” And when somebody needs her help, she prays and gets guidance. She considers God her constant Partner in fulfilling her dream and she’s overjoyed that she’s walking the vision.

The miracle that is prayer. As early as 4:30AM she kicks herself out of bed to pray. Tita Feling grew up in a pious family, brought up as a Christian. She carries this trait to this day, believing that there’s power in prayer. “Ah, the power of prayer. It’s a miracle!” she enthuses. And whenever you pray, “you have to wait…in His time.” At the strike of 11PM, Tita Feling retires from teleserye marathons to end the day with a final wave of communing with God.

Surrender to the Lord. “As a mother, I always pray for a safe delivery and a normal baby bahala’g babaye or lalaki, di ko magbuot. Pirmi gyud ang Ginoo magbuot, dili ako. I always surrender to the Lord – my life, my dreams, my visions, my agenda…so He does the rest.” And according to this devout believer, rewards are given to anyone who surrenders. This is what she’d love to impart to others.

“Forget the past. Di ka muasenso, kun di ka katilaw og kapait. You learn from your mistakes and you have to change and accept.”

“Never put off for tomorrow what you can do today. Di gyud puydi’g unya na." Ditch the manyana attitude and never sleep on an unfinished business, she exhorts.

For business: “I don’t borrow more than what I can afford. That’s why I work without noon-break because my name is at stake.”

Live simple and frugally…never in extravagance. “I always want to eat with my laborers and employees during special event in our lives. I was the last one to buy a cellphone, insulto kay ang akong hardinero naa na.”

A family must be God fearing. She adds that family bonding is also important.

Be humble. “It is written in the Bible that God lifts the humble.” She doesn’t want fame. In fact, whenever she’s recognized by award-giving bodies, Tita Feling sends somebody as her representative to accept the recognition on her behalf. She doesn’t have this habit of presenting herself to be president or to become one of the board of directors of certain socio-civic organizations/clubs, rather she’s always invited. She prefers to be a member yet “I’m always elected/nominated to become Ways & Means, which I accept because that is what I want – to help solicit funds for the cause.”

All it takes is discipline to stay in the pink of health. Lola Feling reveals that she lessens her rice intake yet still enjoys sugar-free chocolates. Supplements such as Vitamins C and E help her age gracefully. And lastly, exercise is vital. At 88, she hikes, does muscle stretching in front of her TV set and occasionally tends to her garden. Whenever she feels something is not right, she immediately sees a doctor. She imparts that doing everything in moderation is the key to a healthy life.

Respect, you earn it.