 Think Tech Hawaii. Civil engagement lives here. Hi, and mabuhay. My name is Amy Ortega Anderson, your host for Pinoy Power, Hawaii, and I want to welcome you to another exciting edition of our weekly TV show, Pinoy Power, Hawaii, here on Think Tech Hawaii. Our mission on Pinoy Power, Hawaii is to enrich, enlighten, educate, entertain, and we hope to empower you, Mark Hoverbayans. It is an extension of our very popular radio program on KPRP 650 AM. Next month, we will be celebrating our 13th anniversary of empowering others. And again, we want to thank Think Tech Hawaii for giving us the opportunity to have a conversation with you to share our thoughts, our ideas on how to be empowered and to be a better person. To do just that today, we have our special guest, and she's part of our empowerment on KPRPPNi Power Radio, wanting to introduce our resource personnel, a popular DJ, hopelessly devoted to you. Noamum Lakuma and Manik Mandi, here is DJ Melinda Pasco Gamble. Welcome to the show. Good morning, Ate. She is my little sister, and when she first started with us, I'm not sure if she had any idea of the hurricane that would come her way and would sweep her off to a tropical paradise. Tell us about your upbringing first before we move on to other things. Okay. Well, I came to Hawaii when I was nine years old, I think, just like you, nine years old. I'm the second child of five children, the oldest girl. Okay, so in the Philippines, I finished grade one to grade three, starting grade four here in Hawaii at Lake Lake Elementary. So as the oldest girl and the second child, it was always, you have to show examples to all your siblings, although I have an older brother. My mom worked evening shifts, so I was like, I had to make sure that my younger sisters were taking care of it all. When we got home, well, in the morning, I had to cook breakfast for them, bring them to school, and then brought them back to school, from school to home to our homework. By then, mom would be gone to go to work, three to eleven. My dad would still be at work, coming home from work. So I had all the responsibility of being an older sister. Okay, so that explains why you are so into task, and task-oriented, and always have a to-do list, and making sure that every i is dotted, and every t is crossed. Wow. Right? You know me for that, Ate, yes. Yeah, and that's very, very impressive, in addition to always being prompt and being on time. So I was wondering how and where did you pick up this type of attributes? Okay, so after, I guess to make a long story short, I didn't go to college right after high school. It took me ten years after graduation, then I went to college. By then, I was already married, had two kids. So college does a lot of things, you know, it opens up so much for you. And then I became, actually I work as a, so let me backtrack a little bit. Right after high school, parents usually send their kids to college, right? The family right now, so, but I went to medical assisting school, you know, I finished that, but I still wasn't, I still wasn't satisfied with that. And then I decided that when my second child was born that I would be back in college. So I completed my bachelor's degree in business, and it taught me a lot of things, dealing with different types of people, and meeting with your group, your group, you have to make sure that you have to do things in a timely manner. You have presentations to do as an individual and as a group. So you have to make sure that you, as a working professional working eight hours a day and going to school in the evening, you have to make sure that you have everything written down so you can accomplish it. So I guess your question to answer that, I got it from going to college and making sure that I accomplished everything as a working mom and going to school at the same time. Okay, so that explains your ability to do things and to lead because of your early training. Let's backtrack a little bit. When you first arrived in Hawaii, there were challenges that you had to overcome by adjusting to the other party, the society, to be able to blend in, to be able to feel that sense of belonging. Actually, when I was in elementary and going to middle school, I was very shy, you know. I was very timid, I was afraid to speak. Oh, hard to tell nowadays. I know. It was just a total change, I guess, going to college like I said, you deal with a lot of people, but growing up as an oldest daughter, a second child, but the oldest girl, I have my brother, me, and I have two little sisters with me, and I have a youngest brother. It was really tough growing up, you know. My mom always said, you know, if you wanted to buy something, it always says, oh, we don't have money, we don't have money, okay. So growing up like that and then when it became, when I became 16 years old, when it was legal to work as a student, 16 years old, I went to get my working permit, and at 16 years old, I was working, going to school during the day, and you were, students were limited to work from five, not later than 10, because of curfew. So I was working at 16 years old because I wanted to buy the things that I couldn't buy because we didn't have money. I mean, this is reality, I've never talked to anybody about it, but, you know, as growing up as a teenager, you want to be able to, wow, all of those girls have nice clothes and you don't. So I was determined to work at 16 years old. So you found a way to make things happen for you. In other words, you made it happen by creating a way, you made it happen by creating a way for you to be able to afford things. And then instead of using the bus money, from home to Kalakaua to Farrington, I used to walk it. Okay. So I can say that. Wow. So she's very resourceful. This is why she's our resource person on our radio today, and she really helps to make things happen for us on Pinoy Power radio. Yeah, I observe what you do. And along the way, I said, she has really good work ethics, you know, and sometimes I refuse to be corrected by you because I'm your older sister. I supposed to know everything, but there are things that I've learned from Melinda, always being punctual if you're on time, you're late. And of course, she always proofread my memos, my letters, to make sure that I do look professional. So Melinda, that's all that for me, so that we would keep our image, professional image. And I wanted to thank you for that because those work behind the scenes are very, very important to be able to project that professional image. Well, that's your image, and I want to make sure that, like you said, we look professional. And you have so much on your plate that somebody have to come and, you know, do that. And if I'm sorry, I don't mean to be correcting you, but in the long run, if you have it printed on a book, like our souvenir, you can't correct that mistake once it's printed. Yes. So you want to make sure that it's corrected before it goes to printing. We are professionally ready. Okay. So this is a lesson, and it's a moral lesson, while it's being taught, and it's being taught responsibly. The next step is to take care of your young sisters, carried on to your family life, your immediate family life, and also your business life. So how did you apply? And it's okay for you to speak in Ilocano? Well, first of all, it's important for me to admit and accept that Ilocano is our country. And Ilocano is the country where the people of Ilocano and the Philippines live. For example, in Ilocano, when we meet along the way, Ilocano is the country where Ilocano lives, because when Ilocano's children are born, Ilocano values are important. We have to preserve those, because Ilocano is the country where Ilocano lives, and Ilocano I'm very thankful that you brought that up, they really don't realize, they're really missing the boat by turning their back of who they are, what molds them of who they truly are. Ilocano is a country where Ilocano lives, because Ilocano is the country where Ilocano lives. That's why I want to talk about the language of Ilocano and the beauty of Ilocano. Because when I was young, my grandmother told me, okay, I'll tell you why. How can I speak English? So, we encouraged each other. We talked about the language of Ilocano. My grandmother told me that I can speak Ilocano. She told me that I can speak Ilocano. Very, very good. I'm glad you brought that up. Because I also had a grandfather who encouraged me. He encouraged me to speak Ilocano. He encouraged me to speak Ilocano. That's why I was able to speak Ilocano. And those are the valuable lessons in life that we wanted to share with you while growing up. And this is wisdom that's been carried from one generation to another. We will come back with our intimate, our personal, heart-to-heart conversation with my little sister, Melinda Pasqua Gamble, and it's called Think Tech Hawaii. Welcome back to Think Tech Hawaii, our weekly show, Pinoy Power Hawaii. I am your host, Emmy Ortega Anderson. And we are so happy that you could join us today. We're having a personal conversation with Melinda Pasqua Gamble. She is one of my popular DJs with so many followers and fans. And KPRP 650 AM and, of course, Pinoy Power Radio on our Ustream and our global connection. We're talking about dealing with adversity, dealing with the challenges and sometimes the Uagastayo to hide our true selves behind a black shroud or whatever it is that we are running away from or we are hiding from. We tend to sometimes pretend to be someone that we're not. But that is quite different from the teachings and they get a lot, they get kind of weird and they mention me that I'm in Sorosoro. They get, uh, up with a yo. They say limit, but I'm going to die out. Lalo they get a, uh, Pilipina. Uh, they get a, um, uh, die out. Uh, these are the traits and characters that we should hold closely and dearly to our hearts. So, uh, we're doing just that. And I'm happy that Melinda is beginning to open up some of her personal, uh, personal experiences. So we're going to move on and, um, ask you, uh, how did you deal with crab mentality because it is very, uh, prevalent, uh, to our culture? Uh, I think honestly, um, I, I didn't feel it until I became one of your radio personality. The crab mentality. Uh-huh. You know, yeah. Remember I told you, uh, when I just started, I didn't realize this is how it is out there. Yes. You know, and everywhere you go, I can, I can actually say that every place I've worked, there will always be somebody that doesn't agree with you or does it really like the way you are. Okay. And I didn't know that crab mentality, I mean, it could lead to that crab mentality until you You got on radio. You took me under your wings. You put me in front of the radio. Let me swim all alone. I thank you for that. Honestly, serious, serious note. I didn't know where it would lead. Not, I didn't realize this is what I am today with you. I had no idea. So I have you to thank. It's a pleasant experience, although sometimes it is, uh, challenging because of, uh, our culture. Uh-huh. We should be aware of these things so that we don't repeat it or perhaps we could, uh, serve as role model, role model to others and prevent them from experiencing this type of, uh, negative or, you know, uh, the worst of it is it, it steals your dreams. And it takes away, it robs you of your power, uh, when you are surrounded with this type of, uh, crime mentality. And it's unfortunate that it is alive and well. It's the, uh, part of the culture of the Filipinos. So. Uh, but how I stay away from it because I don't want to be too exposed, uh, with that. Um, and although you try to avoid it, sometimes you cannot. You can't. It's there. It stares at you. So, uh, for me, uh, to me it's a battle zone every day because instead of other Filipinos, uh, being happy for the success or for, for us to break the ceiling of, uh, empowering others, uh, they give us that crab mentality treatment. Let me ask you, how do you handle it? Because I'm learning a lot from you. Okay. Well, uh, I can easily, uh, say that I have my own way of coping, uh, my own, uh, coping skills that I have developed along the way. It is not easy, but, uh, the one that is on top of my list is to keep the faith. You know, always have that, uh, open dialect with, uh, my savior, with Heavenly Father because he is my strength. He is the one that guides me. He is the one that, uh, tell me in a small still voice that, uh, everything will be all right. Everything will be okay. Uh, all I need to, uh, do is to, uh, have that discernment to be able to recognize that, uh, these are part of the influences of the devil. Yeah. Make sure that I don't follow. Did I answer you? Yeah, I did. And, um, I'd like to piggyback on that, like, um, during my, in the beginning of my show, I always have the devotion because as soon as I wake up in the morning, you know, I thank Lord for another day. And yeah, just like you, I have faith and I have faith in him that he will lead me the right way, that he will guide my path. So having God in my life and even with all the challenges that I've been through life, I mean, I haven't even started yet. I can remember from grade four, I had already had God in my life. So he is a very big part of my life as well as him being a big part of your life. Yeah. The best is yet to come. Um, my big challenges, uh, was, uh, really, really, uh, or my faith was, uh, tried when, uh, I started to have my own family and being married to, uh, a very prominent, uh, person. Tito Mahal has been a very successful business person. And, uh, he worked his way up from the bottom to being a vice president of, uh, Prudential. So, uh, you know, all these things, they look, people look at you from the outside and you have all the successes, uh, our children are doing well. And then on top of that, I was fortunate enough to, uh, win the Mrs. Hawaii, Filipina crown, which made it even more difficult. So, uh, faith is a key factor, Melinda. And, uh, you have one minute to kind of wrap up our discussion. Uh, tell us how, uh, you would continue, uh, having that faith so that you're not distracted from empowering others. Well, um, like I said, every morning, you know, um, and since grade four, I can remember grade four running to the bathroom and I had the relationship with him already. And it's not decreasing but increasing every single day. I continue to serve at our church. Um, AJ, um, is a very big part of that. Now an altar boy. He's an altar boy. Uh-huh. And, uh, I am doing my best to keep him there at the private school because it's not cheap. But as a single mom, it is very challenging. But I trust God that whatever I'm doing, he will be here for us, for my family. And my, I would like to stay with you on the radio. And I pray that we will have more sponsors so that we can continue empowering all of our listeners around the world. Yes. Let's pray and hope for that. Congratulations. It's been a pleasure having you on board, Melinda, and you are part of our empowerment, along with the other 40 powerful and unique DJs that we have on Pinoy Power Radio. We're so grateful for the opportunity to be able to come to your homes every day at 6.50 a.m., where we aim to enrich, enlighten, educate, entertain, and the big picture for us is to empower. So I encourage you to do just that. Help us with our empowerment. And I know that God will lead us and show us the way. Thank you for being my guest today. Thank you, Adé. And for sharing the empowerment. Thank you again, Think Tech Hawaii to the wonderful staff for doing such a remarkable job. Again, from all of us here, from Pinoy Power Hawaii, I'm Araymin Salamat and Mabuhay.