Monica Dolor Tablang

Monica Dolor was born in rustic Lesseb, one of the barangays of Santa Maria, in the province of Ilocos Sur, in the Philippines. She was the second to the youngest sibling of seven: five brothers and two sisters. Lesseb had a strong Spanish and Chinese influence, as reflected in Monica’s fair skin and her EuroAsian features.

True to the female trade of her younger days, Monica worked as a seamstress in the neighboring barangay of Borgos, a trade she carried with her to the U.S., for the benefit of her children, grandchildren, and other extended relatives.

In spite of the strong Catholic influence around her during her younger years, Monica was converted and baptized into the Seventh-day Adventist faith in 1954, and became an active member of the Santa Maria Adventist Church. It was at this church that she met the love of her life, Tirso Tablang. They were married on June 18, 956, making her the only one among seven siblings to marry. They were blessed with one daughter and two sons: Myrna, Edwin and Osman.

The young family lived in different barangays in Santa Maria, as Tirso and Monica tried to make a living, supporting their family of five. Finally, twelve years later, Tirso decided to find “greener pastures” on the other side of the globe. He went ahead by himself and migrated to San Luis Obispo, California in 1968. The following year, it was decided that Monica and the children move to the neighboring province of Pangasinan, so that the children can attend Northern Luzon Academy, the Seventh-day Adventist school in Artacho, while waiting to join Tirso. Here they stayed until Monica was able to join Tirso in San Luis Obispo on February of 1972.

One month after Monica’s arrival in San Luis Obispo, Tirso was diagnosed with liver cancer, and was given three months to live. With this sad news, ready or not, they decided to bring all three children to the United States, so they can be together during this trying time of their lives. On June 25, 1972, Myrna, Edwin, and Osman arrived in San Luis Obispo, to join their father and mother.

With the coming of his children, Tirso gathered enough strength to live a little bit longer. However, on July 17, 1972, they ate their last supper together as a complete family, after which Tirso succumbed to his illness.

Now widowed, left with three teenagers, and a driver’s permit, in a foreign country she barely knew, Monica surged forward testing her faith and never wavering, knowing in her heart that her God will sustain them, no matter what.

With the assistance, care and support of the members of the Arroyo Grande Seventh-day Adventist Church, Monica and the children survived. These dedicated members provided the moral support they needed, as well as the actual support of taking the children to school in the morning and bringing them home in the afternoon. Every Sabbath they picked up the family so they can attend church, and took them home after the church service.

Monica attempted to obtain her driver’s license, using her “Batman” automobile, …rather her convertible Ford Galaxy. However, after she was broadsided by an 18-wheeler, losing the side-view mirror, she decided that driving was not for her. Brave Myrna, at age 16, finally was able to obtain her driver’s license, and transportation became easier for the family.

As the children grew older and stronger, they joined Monica, working at the farm after school, picking sugar peas. Monica worked all day, demonstrating what a hard-working woman she was and how determined she was to support her children.

After almost 10 years, Monica was naturalize and became a U. S Citizen on December 28, 1981. In 1983, Monica, reaching the age of 60, decided that it was time to retire from farm work. By this time Myrna has married Ruben Gali. The family moved to San Jose, shortly before the birth of her first grandson.

Living in San Jose, Monica became a member of the San Jose Fil-Am Seventh-day Adventist Church, where she served as a deaconess for many years. For many years, she also shared her culinary expertise every week, bringing delicious diningding or pinakbet for the church potluck.

Moreover, urban San Jose gave Monica a different kind of occupation: babysitting. By this time, Edwin has married Raquel Sampayan, and Osman has married Esther de Guia. With the grandchildren multiplying within a few years, Monica took care and helped raise all of them: Alvin, Ariel, Jenel, Melinda, Erin, Jeremy, and Andre. Then there were the extended grandchildren whom she baby-sat and helped raise as well: Alexander, Victoria, Ning-ning, Rischel, Justine, Warren, and Christopher, to name a few.

After her grandchildren grew up, the great grandchildren came and she baby-sat them as well: Elijah and Jenna.

To her it was such a joy to be surrounded by all these children. She gave them money when they had none, and she fixed their clothes when they did not fit.

In 1999, Monica suffered her first stroke, but with God’s help she recovered and resumed her baby-sitting role, as well as cooking, doing laundry, etc. In March of 2011, the family took a family vacation in Hawaii. While there, Monica became ill once again. Upon our return to San Jose, she was diagnosed with Congestive Heart Failure plus anemia, and was hospitalized for several weeks. Although she recovered from these illnesses as well, she was terribly weakened. In July of 2011, she was again hospitalized and her deteriorating health left her bed-ridden.

At this time, she has become sensitive and aware of her condition, and was particular of the people around her. True to the modest upbringing of her younger days, she preferred only Myrna, her daughter, to take care of her and feed her. Myrna gave up her job and took care of Monica full time for a long time, until Monica gave in and allowed her sons, and her grandsons who are registered nurses, to help take care of her, feed her, and turn her as necessary. Modesty was no longer an issue.

On Friday, January 20, 2012, she woke up later in the day, and as usual, Myrna gave her a sponge bath to refresh her. Monica ate a good meal of her favorite chicken adobo, and socialized with her family for a few hours. She went to bed around 8:30 pm.

It was about 11:30 pm when Myrna, realized that Monica sounded congested yet unable to cough out the congestion. Myrna called her oldest son, Alvin right away and then called 911 when he arrived. Alvin performed CPR on his grandma while waiting for the paramedics to arrive. They came and rushed her to the Regional Medical Center where she was intubated and placed on a ventilator until the rest of the family arrived. After being extubated, she was able to breathe on her own with supplemental oxygen for about couple of hours.

Myrna realized that Monica might not last long. She opened a Bible to Psalms 23 and began reading. When she got to the last word of the chapter, Monica took her last breath. It was as if, she was just waiting to hear her favorite psalm before finally saying good-bye.

Before she drew her last breath on Sabbath, January 21, 2012, Monica was able to listen to Myrna read Psalms 23, her favorite Bible passage.

So ends a life full of joy and sadness, but lived to the fulfillment of the mission that was given to her by her Creator and Redeemer.

Monica leaves behind her daughter, Myrna, who is married to Ruben Gali; her grandchildren, Alvin, who is married to Sharlene Sacay Ariel, and Jenel who is married to Saina Lepulu; her great grandchildren Elijah and Jenna; her son, Edwin, who is married to Raquel Sampayan; her grandchildren, Melinda and Jeremy; her youngest son, Osman, who is married to Esther de Guia; and her grandchildren, Erin and Andre …and a host of extended family and relatives, friends and acquaintances, whose lives she has influenced, in one way or another.