The Heart of Emma
By Sokie Paulin-Yee
August 2, 2021
Every lyric of the song “Your Heart Today” (by Manoling Francisco) speaks of MISS EMMA REYES VILLA: her life, desires, passion, hopes and dreams. She can sing and listen to this song all day and night. Hear her recite or sing these lines from the heart:
Where there is pain I can heal
Where there are wounds I can bind
And hunger I can fill
Lord, grant me strength
Grant me compassion
That I may be Your heart today
Where there are yokes I can release
Where there are captives I can free
And anger I can appease
To see our broken world
Protect me from my cell grown cold
That Your people I may behold
Yet there are hearts I can not move
Lord, give me hope
That I may be Your heart today
I am one of Ma’am Emma’s fortunate students in Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP) and Philippine College of Commerce (PCC) who now call her Tita Emma and regard her as “family” in California. She was my English teacher in college1978.
Each soul that Tita Emma has touched will always remember her as a good, compassionate, humble, approachable teacher and friend. She is so religious and deeply spiritual. She prays for everyone in need, especially the sick and even the departed.
Agnes Sule of PCC Laboratory High School batch ‘66 remembers her in 1963: “Fresh graduate lang sya noon, her early 20’s fresh from college or just passed teacher’s board. Iba ang dating nya. Lahat kami we compete for her attention; idolized namin sya coz of her warmth, mabait, lahat kinakausap nya kahit di sya adviser ng section na yon; napakabakit nya ina idolize sya ng naming mga kabataan noon.
Pwede mo siyang kausapin, pwede kang magsumbong, nakakatuwa kasi haping happy lahat sa kanya. Ang bait, walang masamang tinapay, walang favoritism, everybody loves her, inggit na inggit kami sa advisory section nya. All of us compete for her attention but she has time for everyone.”
Emma’s “pinakamasayang buhay” began when she retired in 1990 as a word processor clerk at the State Compensation Insurance in 1990 in Los Angeles, California. She also worked for the Department of Real Estate and Bank of America.
All her retirement years, Emma spent volunteering in the secular order of the Carmelites doing various chores in the library, giving communion, making rosaries at the Santa Teresita Hospital in Duarte, California until today.
One of the highlights of Emma’s teaching years in PUP is when she co-authored with Miss Leticia Arvis, President Zenaida Olonan, Miss Paz Navaro a book which became the textbook in PCC for many years in English 1 & 2 collect subjects.
As a scholar in the University of the Philippines, Emma earned her Master of Arts in Teaching English as a Second Language in 1972. In 1958, she graduated from the University of Manila with the degree of Bachelor of Science in Education major in English.
After passing the civil service examination, she taught at the Philippine College of Arts and Trades (PATS). From 1962 to 1968, Emma taught at the PCC High School where she also handled scouting and the rondalla. She started teaching college level English subjects in 1969. She migrated to the United States in 1984.
— Sokie Paulin-Yee
On behalf of the bereaved family of our dearly departed Miss Emma Villa, we request you to remember her fondly in your prayers. Cremation is scheduled on September 13th. Mass and funeral services will be in October (TBA).
We will keep you updated once all arrangements are finalized. We welcome your stories and love messages for her memorial and funeral services which will be on live broadcast and zoom meetings in October. Please send direct private messages through my Facebook messenger account: Sokie Paulin .
For Love offerings (abuloy) you may send it to [email protected] with a note Love For Emma Villa.
Thank you all for your love, prayers and support for our #Beloved #Divine TitaEmma. Peace be with Us.
