MANILA, Philippines – They say religion and science are like colliding rocks. Opposites. Anything not believed in religion has an explanation in science. But what if it's possible to harmonize them?
Just like Dr. Loribel Adeser-Bontilao, who openly admits to growing up in poverty, yet chose to become both a pastor and a doctor at the same time.
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| Photo courtesy: Facebook/ Loribel Adeser-Bontilao |
“I want to touch lives and honor Jesus,” Dr. Bontilao shared.
In an interview with PEP, Dr. Bontilao shared that she is one of six siblings. Their father was a baker who struggled with alcoholism, while their mother had no regular job and worked as a street vendor.
“Sobrang hirap namin, like sobrang hirap. Anim kaming magkakapatid, tapos baker yung papa ko, lasenggo pa. So kulang pa sa bisyo niya yung sahod niya," she said.
They lived in a slum area in Masville, Parañaque City. Dr. Bontilao said she wanted to study, but she knew they had no money.
She said they grew up without electricity and without their own water supply. They would walk to school from their home. Her mother even told her to just become a "Japayuki" or an actress, as it seemed impossible for her to finish her studies.
“Kapag lumaki ka sa squatter, hindi mo ma-i-imagine na magdo-doktor ka. Ang pangarap ko noon mag-artista, o ano man, like, yung mother ko noon sabi, ‘Mag-Japayuki ka na lang, o kaya mag-asawa ng mayaman,'" she said.
“Kasi since wala kaming kinakain palagi, tapos wala naman kaming kuryente sa bahay, wala rin kaming tubig, we grew up very poor na walang-wala, so, walking distance lang naman yung school noong elementary, high school..."
She said she went to school just to escape from home. By the time she finished high school, she didn’t know where to go or what degree to take in college. In fact, she wasn’t even sure if she would go to college at all.
But when she saw her classmates starting to look for colleges one by one, she realized she had to act. Fortunately, a church in their community offered her a scholarship — but it came with a condition: she had to complete seminary studies.
She admitted that at first, she didn’t like the idea of entering the seminary. But eventually, Loribel realized that she was beginning to feel a calling through her seminary studies. She went on to graduate with a degree in Bachelor of Theology from the Asian Seminary for Christian Ministries in Makati in 2009.
She was only 18 years old when she began serving as a pastor in impoverished communities. Loribel thought her calling would end with being a pastor. But when she found herself in Lanao del Sur, she felt God calling her once again — this time, not just to serve as a pastor, but to become a doctor as well.
Today, she joyfully fulfills her roles in life — as a pastor, a medical doctor, a mother, and a wife in their home.
Dr. Bontilao graduated from the College of Medicine at Our Lady of Fatima University (OLFU) on August 20, 2024.
— Noel Ed Richards, The Summit Express