THE OTHER SIDE OF MIKE MERINO

 

It is said that lives are link across time.

I always muster to feature this guy in my “Qualfon Madness” blog way back in 2010. Out of the blue, I abandoned that blog and created a new blog where I could articulately expound my knowledge and not just limit my sphere of writing acumen within the portals of Qualfon. I love to write so to speak because this an acid test for me whether I can become a great storyteller. Unfortunately, the many attempts of asking him to sit down with me to have tête-à-tête interview rubbed off. The roller coaster life is the reason.

Sacre blue, there have been drums of noise about this guy. His charismatic image draws so much attention from the opposite sex but he is nonchalant towards these admirations from young bubbly or sometimes flirtatious gals. I guess he is not into cherchez la femme. Ultimately, this nonchalance has created a havoc of intrigues about his personality to the point that I was asked with a personal questions about him. Being closed to him doesn’t mean that I know everything about his private life. In friendship, I never dig about the personal life of a person unless otherwise that person would let me see his world. If I know anything, it is not damn of my business anyway. Being closed to him has created malicious speculations from some fecund minded and nervous gunner people afraid to be shot dead first. I say, I don’t care. I walk straight with clear conscience. Better rub the salt in your wound. 

Mike has been scattershot laser beam kiddo to me over a year or 2. I addressed him like this because he moves fast when his body is physically in good condition yet he usually gets sick especially when he lacks rest and deep slumber. Mercurial as he is, his moods swing. He can be hyperactive and energetic. At one moment, there is “little monster” in him. He almost erupts like a volcano and spits venom.  His handsome face would turn red and thick eyebrows pulled together. Then suddenly, his devilish face metamorphoses back to his handsome face again.  I am used to this scene ☺ ☺ that sometimes I wanted to slug his stomach. One thing I noticed too, he is a warrior who will go into a fight once provoked but he can be great defender if he is your ally.

 Birthday: August 29, 1985

Height: 168.91 cm

Siblings: 5 (3 boys and 2 boys). He is the 3rd

School: Easter Visayas State University, Tacloban City

Course: Bachelor of Teaching Technology & Home Economics, major Industrial Arts

I happened to stumble with Mike in May 2010 during QA Immersion. They were actually three (3) who conducted the immersion. I can only remember him and Bryan Te.  If I am not mistaken, they were discussing about DFR, DQP & the likes. Funny, although I don’t absorb anything about the discussions, I bombarded them with questions.  The next encounter I had with Mike was regarding the DQP. Since that was like my first two weeks in Quality and I don’t really know what to do, he volunteered to do the Nesting DQP for me. My butt was saved by him. The third encounter was at the 14^th floor. I was assigned to monitor Nesting and lo, I saw his firing line. He was furious with his agents who seemed adamant to take calls. I was stunned how a handsome looking guy could shout to his young pretty agents. I approached him, “Mike what is wrong.” He said, “I am in raged because they don’t seem to understand how it is hard to look for a station for them so they can take calls.” I understand how it is to be a Supervisor when I was endorsed to Operations in August 23, 2010.

The fifth encounter was at the 10^th floor when I was endorsed to Supervisor. Walter, Mike and I were stationed far apart. I was closer to Walter during my struggling days in Operations not to Mike. I usually cat walk the 10^th floor to his station just to ask assistance. Or he would go to my station and we talked more on customer’s issue. Most of the time, I am alone in 10^th floor. I was more peace being alone. 

He is like a kid to me that sometimes I feel he is lost in his small world.

Mike and I become  closer when we were obliged to stay put on the 7^th floor by SSM Mamites. As usual, I am always working on my own and taking my break on my own. Maybe he had noticed this that I am on my own and building my own world.  He befriended me which I wholeheartedly accepted. We are the best of friends although along the way of friendship there are glitches too. There is no perfect in friendship. Whatever loopholes can still be repaired and be supplemented by open mind. Plus he is being scrutinized by scattered brain individuals whom he call friends too. During my personal interview with him he demonstrated his pragmatic judgment and stubbornness in him.

Standing Tall 

Mike is not born with a silver splatter. He was born to a poor family. He magnanimously admitted to me in one of our conversations before, his family did not own a piece of land. I’d tell him, “Mike if ever I win a lottery or if ever I get rich, I’ll share you my blessings.”  This just become a lapsus lengua but I wish when the right time comes. His father is a college graduate but jobless. His siblings grew-up mostly under the stewardship of their father. It is her mother who is the breadwinner and responsible mostly of giving them good pillar of education. It is his only oldest broly who has not yet finished college. The rest of them are working. His 2^nd older brother is employed in Saudi Arabia. His parents are strict when it comes to their studies for this is the only best legacy they could give them.  His only regret is not able to fulfill his desired dream of becoming a teacher or a doctor. 

They have a close family ties and family of singers too. Whenever there is brown-out, they would gather together, strum guitars and sing. His father and mother is a good guitarist. No wonder, Mike can sing high pitch note. He can sing any songs that simply amazed me. He is a good dancer too. His body can groove and sway to the beat of fast music. If he has proper dance training, he can be one helluva dancer. 

He made mentioned that he is affectionate to his parents. He would often tell his mother, “I love you.” The way I heard from others, he is much closer to his mother or a mama’s boy. There is still a childish attitude in Mike. His mood swings is more of a childish attitude but lately I observed that he has mellowed down. He would eventually apologize if you call his attention that he has hurted your feelings. There was one scenario couple of months ago that I can recall. He shouted loudly to me, “Mommy, Mommy.” It blew me away. I thought something bad happened to him only to realize that he needed my help about the billing tools. He was kinda schmuck but I laughed.


Mike showed me his picture with his siblings. He stands out unique. Compared to his siblings, he has the cherubic face, fair complexion and an aura of sex appeal. When he was a small kid, they would make fun of him that he was an “adopted” which makes him cried. The issue of adoption is not true. Basing from his genealogy, his mother has a Chinese blood. Running from the veins of his grandfather is 50% Chinese blood and 100% from his great grandmother. Mostly in Mike’s blood is more of Chinese. I need to study more on DNA to expound this.


I prepared names of actors that he has to pick randomly. He picked Tom Cruise. I asked him to relate himself to Tom Cruise. He said Tom Cruise is handsome, nice looking eyes, fair skin and not tall like him. Presto! Tom Cruise is only 5’7” tall. Then I let him picked about the names of animals. Kangaroo was randomly picked by him. He said that he moves fast like a Kangaroo. That’s true especially in his hyperactive state.

There are numbers of people who have been asking me about Mike’s personal life, whether he has a girlfriend or he is hiding something in the closet. Although I am close to Mike, I never want to dig this out, however when I interviewed him, he freely opened this topic to me. He said that he had previous relationships during his high school and college days. To make the story short, he is a normal boy who falls in love with his opposite sex. The last relationship that he had was with her co-teacher. That relationship did not prosper like a fairy tale story. They were being forced to separate due to religion. I don’t know how much stain this leave to Mike’s heart. He is the only person who knows it. I don’t like to bombard him with follow-up questions. Past is past and tomorrow is not too far to fall in love again. It will just fall like a falling rain that no one can hold on. However, in some of my observations he is the type of guy that has a high standard regarding women. One time, when we were sitting at I1, there was also a gal sitting beside us exposing her legs. He immediately pulled me and we go back to 7^th floor. I think he was berserk how the lady acted. He admitted that he is overwhelmed that many are going gaga over him to the point that this may also flattered him.


The road to success is tough one. There are thousands of potholes along the way. The roads are dirty and muddy. It takes unequivocal determination to slowly cement the road until success can be reached. His first job when he was still a working student was in Chowking. He stayed there for 7 months. When he graduated from college, he worked as a crew in Sunburst, Tacloban City. Then luckily he practiced his profession as a teacher in Saint Therese Child Development Center. He was Grade 3 Adviser teaching English, Science and Christian Living subjects. He left teaching profession to find a better horizon in Cebu. He was employed in Qualfon in November 27, 2007. His employment in Qualfon is a long history. He was TSR in December 2007. In January 2008, he was escalated to Direct Sales Department. In November 2009, he was transferred to KANA Department. Luckily he passed the screening for QAA position so by March 2010, he became a Quality Analyst. Three months after he was endorsed to Operations as Operations Supervisor. He functions this position to the present with unending challenges.  

It was not easy for him to join Qualfon. He applied two times. First time he applied was on March or April 2007 but he failed the screening guidelines imposed my Qualfon. This somehow made him frustrated. He went to Dumaguete to apply in Teletech but the course of luck was not with him. He failed with slump shoulders. He went back to Tacloban City. He took Board Examination for teachers but did not pass because he did not review for the board. The outcome of failures resulted to self-pity telling his self that he is a dumb. Despite of self-pity and feeling like a dumb, his unflinching spirit told him to try another shot. With the blessings of his parents, especially his mother who has always been supportive to him, he went back to Cebu to find a job again at his own expense. He recalled that he had to walk from IT Park to Ayala, Ayala to SM, SM to IT Park and IT Park to Mandaue. I forgot to ask what happened to the sole of his shoes. Poor Michael but his perseverance bears fruit. It is obvious that he is in much better shoes right now.


Mike is naturally neat, clean and well groomed. His bearded image contributes much to the factor of his charismatic image oozing with aura of being sensuous. No wonder women are prone gaga over him including gays. His mannerism that I notice is biting his fingernails, which is a manifestation of childish character in him and maybe some insecurity, to one point. Although Mike is fond of wearing black and white shades, his favorite colors are blue and green. For him, blue symbolizes Heaven and peace of mind. When he was small, he loved to draw a house with mountains as a back drop. He likes to live a simple life and traverse with nature. Green symbolizes greener pasture or a promising career for him. Mike likes adventure. He likes to travel to different places and commune with the beauty of nature and took pictures of them and upload in FB. At contrast, he enjoyed his life in Cebu City. He can now afford to sustain his basic needs.

We talked about trivial issues but I would rather not write them here. There are stories we need to write but there are stories too that we must only write in the sands of time.