Deadlines and Proofs

It all began at the University of the Philippines Sentro ng Wikang Filipino, where my life became a rhythm of deadlines and proofs. I was working as a secretary for the Integrated Chemists of the Philippines, walking down a covered path toward lunch. A person has to eat, even when tasked with recruiting licensed chemists.

On the way down the slope to the main road, I spotted a notice pinned to a post: a job opening at the center. I applied right away.

I landed an interview with Dr. Mario Miclat, an expert on Chinese Studies and the center's associate director. Soon after, I joined the small team squeezed into a tiny production room in the Faculty Center.

My first hurdle was getting back into the rhythm of the language. Weekly staff meetings were practical lessons in Filipino orthography and grammar. Under the guidance of Prof. Joey Bacquiran, I took on long-form editing, pulling manuscripts from the slash file and studying every editor's correction.

The work never felt tedious. When deadlines pressed, we slept under our desks for a quick nap before getting back to it. It was long hours, but it felt like a gathering of friends. Armed with the Chicago Manual of Style and our own house guide, I proofread and edited manuscripts, working alongside encoders and artists. Before digital tracking, we used a physical board to follow each project step by step. Eventually, I took over supervising the proofreaders, giving the final check before manuscripts went to press.

We ran workshops to keep authors on schedule and to keep translations grounded. One author translated scientific terms so heavily he practically invented a new language—something out of Tolkien. After that, we kept things practical: standard terms stayed as they were, drawing first from Spanish, then English.

My time there eventually came to an end. Government work without a permanent appointment is uncertain; when budgets tighten, contractual positions are the first to go. I moved on, though I sometimes wonder if I should have stayed and finished my graduate studies. Even so, there are no regrets. My time at the university opened doors for me then, and that foundation of deadlines and proofs continues to open them still.