More Than Years: ISM Celebrates Four Decades of Service from Aida Chico and Myrna Perez

This school year, ISM honored both Aida Chico and Myrna Perez for their remarkable 40 years of service - a milestone marked by time, deep relationships, and a love for the school that has spanned for generations.

From Chance to Calling
For both Aida and Myrna, ISM was not something they actively sought, but definitely something they grew to love when they started their journey together in 1985 at the Bel-Air campus.

Myrna, who started in what was then the Buildings and Grounds Department (now Facilities), shared that she found out about ISM almost by accident. “I was in line for a different job interview and happened to peep at someone else’s classified ads,” she recalled. That twist of fate would lead her to a lifelong home in the ISM community.

Aida, meanwhile, was one of 300 applicants responding to a newspaper ad. She joined as part of the Elementary School Registration team at just 25 years old. “Of course I experienced some culture shock,” she said. “Working with people with different nationalities - I thought these were things I only saw in the movies.”


The Joy in the Work

Across different departments, Myrna now in Elementary School Counseling and Aida in Middle School, both women credit their longevity to the sense of purpose they found in their roles.

“I didn’t really feel the 40 years go by,” Myrna said. “Because I enjoy my work. I love my colleagues… the quality of relationships we have with each other is great. The respect is always there.” And most tellingly, she added: “Working with our students here, you’ll never feel old.”

Aida echoed the same. “One of the reasons I was able to stay was because I really fell in love with the job. I was able to establish meaningful friendships with the community even outside of ISM. Families still stay in touch after all these years. I’ve been invited to weddings of former students.”

Both have shared how ISM supported their lives outside of work. “If you know my kids and say they are successful, I really owe it to ISM,” Myrna said. “You’re not just a mere employee here. The support here extends to your family. My family benefited so much from me being at ISM.” Aida, who is now retiring, added, “Personally, it’s different when you have children who are growing up while you work in an international school. It’s a great resource and helped me raise my children. I understood them better because I also work with students and their families.”

A Community That Grows With You
Having witnessed ISM’s transformation from Bel-Air to the 7-hectare campus in Bonifacio Global City, both women note how much the school has grown, but also how its spirit has stayed the same.

“The physical structure is probably the biggest difference. But I really saw how the community has evolved with the times,” Myrna said. And even as the campus changed, the work remained deeply meaningful. “The fact I got to this point of working for 40 years in the same school… that alone is already a testament to the joy of working in this environment,” she added. 

For Aida, who moved through multiple departments before becoming the Middle School Executive Assistant, ISM became more than a workplace. “My heart and my family are really in ISM,” she said. 

Gratitude from Beginning to End
When asked how they would like to be remembered, both women responded with characteristic humility.

“That I was a good support to parents, students, to my coworkers,” Myrna said. “And that they would say that they would miss me, and miss working with me, because they believe I became a valuable member of this institution.”

Aida shared, “I really want to be remembered here as a mother. And I appreciate that my colleagues really take my advice and learn from it.”

In her final days at ISM, Aida was deeply moved by the many despedidas (farewell parties) held in her honor. “I was so overwhelmed by just how much appreciation people had for me,” she said. “I am grateful, because when you’re grateful, your heart is full.”

At the recent Parangal ceremony, ISM’s annual event honoring employee milestones, the school community stood in recognition of Aida and Myrna’s extraordinary service. 

A Lasting Impact
Myrna and Aida’s stories remind us that the heart of a school is not just in its classrooms or buildings - it is also in the people who show up, day after day, with quiet commitment and care for our community. For 40 years, Aida and Myrna have been part of that heart. And even as one begins her well-deserved retirement and the other continues her journey, their legacy will continue to shape ISM for years to come.

Note: Some quotes were lightly translated from Filipino to English for clarity and flow, while preserving the speakers’ original intent.