Marcelina or ‘Lena”, as she was fondly called by her friends and relatives, grew up in the northern part of the Philippines. There, she spent most of her childhood days in the care of her doting family.

She lived a simple life in a poverty-stricken community where most people rely on agricultural crops to meet their daily needs. Transportation and communication was a major problem at that time and people relied on herbal medicine for immediate attention as transporting a patient to an infirmary or clinic would take at least half a day.

Aware of the difficulties and rigors of life in her community, her dream was conceived - she wanted to do something that would change her life and improve life in her community as well.  Her calling to become a nurse was recognised at a very early age and Marcelina’s resolve and dedication to this dream did not waver.

The opportunity to put her ideals into practice came when some of her elder neighbours fell ill. Medical attention and care was far beyond the reach of the poverty-stricken community where reaching the highway for access to the nearest town was a 5- hour walk.  Marcelina dedicated herself to the care of her neighbours and others in the village and became a revered member of the community.

She continued to chase her dream and enrolled at the De Ocampo Memorial Colleges, in Manila, where she graduated in 1984 with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. She dedicated herself to the care of her patients, working for both government and private hospitals and returning to her community whenever possible to provide free nursing services the people she grew up with.

Her dream took her to the United States where she has acquired a solid 24 years of nursing, training and patient care experience in the Philadelphia area. She started as a Treatment Nurse at the University Nursing Home and Rehab Center in South Philadelphia where she cared for patients and trained new nursing assistants.  She is currently an Intensive Care Unit Associate at Hahnemann University Hospital, Philadelphia. 

Marcelina began working in the United States in the field of nursing, dealing directly with patients while at the same time mentoring nursing assistants. Most notably, she has been associated with Hahnemann University Hospital in Philadelphia since 1987. She has worked there in many capacities, mostly related to critical care.In 1995-1997, she became a Basic Life Support (BLS) instructor for staff education and from 1994-1998, she worked as a care support associate, ensuring the comfort and convenience of patients. Currently her main responsibilities are patient care and the organization of patients' charts.