Haydee Soriano Bacani

PWU (Philippine Women’s University) graduate Haydee Soriano Bacani emerged as topnotcher in the recently concluded Nursing Board Examinations given by the Professional Regulation Commission, besting 5,007 board passers.

Haydee Soriano Bacani

As a young girl, Haydee, whose father is an OFW, wanted to be an astronaut. While in high school, she was thinking of pursuing an engineering degree in college. Upon her father’s suggestion, she took up a certificate program in midwifery for probable immediate employment in the Middle East where the demand for midwives was high. Armed with this certification, she immediately got a Middle East job. Here, she experienced interacting with doctors and nurses who inspired her to get further studies, not only to get better assignment but to get a better financial pay.

This inspiration from medical professionals who were approachable and generous with their time encouraged her to pursue a nursing degree. She came back to the Philippines and enrolled at the PWU School of Nursing, where her teachers and supervisors accorded her the same care and attention needed to achieve her goal.

At the PWU School of Nursing, Haydee initiated a webinar entitled “Rapid Response Team and Code Blue,” which was attended by more than a thousand participants worldwide, streamed on the PWU official page. It was one of her ways of sharing knowledge to others during these difficult times. PWU registered a 100 percent passing rate for all its first-time Nursing Board takers prompting the PWU SVP and chancellor Dr. Feline C. Young to exclaim that efforts of the school to address the problem of the pandemic is slowly gaining ground among its students.

Upon being asked of PWU’s efforts to have students focused on their goals and confident of their capabilities, Dr. Young said “our initial efforts fostered from the past and continued to this day, tempered with a lot of patience, are slow bearing fruits. The journey was slow but definitive and strategic. Hope these are consistent beginnings that will propel us to continuous achievements.”

Haydee Soriano Bacani during her pinning ceremony

The university president Marco Alfredo M. Benitez beams with pride as he addressed the new graduates during the recent virtual commencement ceremony.

“For an institution that has survived countless challenges, crises, and even near destruction from World War 2, this once-in-a-lifetime pandemic that has kept our campuses near empty for over a year has made us evaluate our priorities as I am sure you yourselves have done the same. The university has stood for more than 100 years. We have all stood for an enduring commitment to preparing you our learners to continually search for knowledge through a holistic education imbued with the values that have served as the foundation of this institution—integrity, spirituality, family solidarity, empathy, excellence, leadership, and community participation toward nation building.”

Haydee’s future plans include pursuing post-graduate studies, working in a hospital, doing research work, and continuing to share her own life’s lessons to younger dreamers like herself. Asked if she is discouraged by the risks the job entails, she says no, as nurses are trained to serve during disasters, calamities, and pandemics.

Now that she is sure of what she can do to attain her goals, she intends to push through with her dreams.

Indeed, it takes time to nurture “Heroes” like Haydee, who is focused more than ever on serving for the betterment of lives. A true PWU patriot!

Suzie Benitez

And yet humanity on the brink of despair is there to consider

PWU alumna, Haydee Soriano Bacani, tops nursing board exams