By Nestle G. Taala
CPU College of Nursing Alumnus, Lieutenant Junior Grade (LTJG) Tiffany Ann Palencia Palmares.
Central Philippine University, known to produce students equipped with exemplary Christian education, serves not only as a mere institution in which students learn and go, rather an abode, a home where Centralians remember to pay a visit no matter how far they have wandered.
The life of Tiffany Ann Palencia Palmares, a Centralian alumna, speaks not just of God’s calling but of God’s leading as well, and how He works mysteriously in the lives of His people.
Before serving the Philippine Navy full-time, Lieutenant Junior Grade (LTJG) Tiffany Ann Palencia Palmares was a Bachelor of Science in Nursing student batch 2011 of Central Philippine University and graduated as Cum Laude. Furthermore, she was able to bring pride and honor to CPU College of Nursing and the whole Centralian community when she placed 7th out of 22,760 successful examinees in the December 2011 Nurse Licensure Examination with a rating of 84.60%. Truly, the doors for such profession would easily be opened because of her said achievement. However, since God has the master plan, she only had eight months of experience in the nursing field.
Lieutenant Junior Grade (LTJG) Tiffany Palmares with Navy Reservist Diether Ocampo, CPU College of Nursing Dean, Atty. Salex Alibogha and College of Nursing faculty, staff and students.
Thereafter, LTJG Palmares decided to enter and serve in the Philippine Navy, not as navy nurse or military nurse but a line officer. She trained for almost ten months and was assigned as tactical officer which gave her the opportunity to train incoming and aspiring navy like she was before. On 2017, LTJG Palmares also took the opportunity to learn and to be trained as a pilot. “By the grace of God” she passed the said training with an award as Best in Academics. She also received numerous Military Merit Medals, Military Commendation Medals and Letter of Commendations. Currently, she is a co-pilot of Agusta Westland 109E Naval Helicopter; Admin and Publication Branch Chief, Office of the Naval Air Staff for Admin and Personnel; and Assistant Admin Officer, Office of the Commander, Naval Air Group, Philippine Fleet.
On July 16, LTJG Palmares visited CPU and the College of Nursing as her way of saying thank you to those who were instrumental in her college years. Likewise, she shared in an interview, “Although I wasn’t able to apply all the things I’ve learned in nursing school in the military, the discipline, like for example in inspections, was also very similar to what was taught to me in nursing: you follow rules and you will never go wrong.”
LTJG Palmares, a Centralian registered nurse who pursued her career in serving Philippines and her people as part of the navy, shared that Central Spirit is something which cannot be seen but one can feel. “I really can’t define it. I think it’s about feeling welcome whenever I come back.” Whenever she hears a new colleague who is also a Centralian, their bond becomes automatic. According to her, Central Spirit is a feeling; it is love for Central and for fellow Centralians.
Truly, wherever someone chose to meander, the Central Spirit will always take every Centralian home – to our beloved Central Philippine University.