Remembering Jovita

Rafael L. Oriel, Jr.
29 Dec 2006

Jovita Lagmay Oriel, 1921 – 2006:

With most profound sadness, we said goodbye to a compassionate soul Jovita Lagmay Oriel, who peacefully returned to the arms of our Lord Jesus and Heavenly Father on November 12, 2006. Jovita, better known by her friends and relatives as “Itang”, will be missed forever by us, the members of a close-knit family, who are left to cherish her everlasting memories. She will also be forever cherished and missed by her friends, relatives and acquaintances.

She had traveled in many parts of the Philippines, United States and Canada visiting her sons, daughters, grandchildren, great grandchildren, brother, sister-in-law, nieces and nephews, friends, relatives and acquaintances. Spending time with them brought her great joy. Jovita like challenges and whatever she undertakes to do, she did it well.

She started her career in the insurance business with Insular Life where she became very involved in the insurance business. She served loyally the company and her clienteles for 50 fruitful years and remained active until illness prevented her to continue. She finally achieves her life long dream of owning her business when she made herself directress for more than five decades of vocational schools famously known as Oriel Vocational School located in Binalonan and Villasis Pangasinan. Starting with just one Singer sewing machine, the school was a success story. It became legendary and one of the largest in Pangasinan with around a thousand students graduating annually at its later years of existence. It is not very unusual to find in many parts of the world some alumni of Oriel Vocational School or their descendants who have wonderful stories to tell about Jovita and her vocational schools and how their lives were transformed for the better after graduation.

Jovita was willing and eager to serve the community and to help anyone at anytime. She was always ready to help out in any situation. She never gave up and remained the ultimate optimist who held fast to her faith and prayers even in the most trying of times. She was very spiritual and devoted woman who enjoyed studying the Bible especially during her senior years. She was always concerned more of the morale and well-being of those around her and others than her own. She was a gentle woman of generous heart that never judged anyone but accepted all unconditionally by opening the doors of her heart and her home even to complete strangers. Her life was a wonderful example of one characterized by remarkable love of people.

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