Twenty-eight years is almost a lifetime. We couldn't help but ask what made him stay in this job for so long. "Siguro kasi natutunan ko nang mahalin ang trabaho ko. Bakit hindi mo mamahalin ang Chemistry Department? Naramdaman ko na iginagalang nila kami. The best ang Chemistry Department," he said as he narrated the good memories with co-workers. "At saka, ibinabalik ko lang ang lahat ng mabubuting ibinigay sa akin ng Ateneo" he added. He told us that he was able to own a house through the housing project available to university employees. Also, his sons were able to avail of scholarships given by Ateneo.

Manong Ric is very responsible when it comes to his job. Although working in the laboratory is hard, and sometimes even hazardous, Manong Ric says he takes pleasure with what he does. He enjoys training the new laboratory technicians. "Para mawala ka man, may naibahagi ka sa iba," he said. He tells us that he designed the bottle cap with built-in medicine dropper and the improvised wash bottle from acid containers. We told him that these are very impressive innovations, and pride mirrored in his eyes as he shared this memory.

Perhaps the reason why Manong Ric is very hardworking is the fact that he was exposed to the importance of good, honest work early on in life. He grew up in Manila, even though his parents were originally from Bulacan. At the young age of seventeen, he got married. Still, he continued studying while working. However, on his first year of taking up Mechanical Engineering at Mapua Institute of Technology, he was finally forced to stop schooling.

Manong Ric was able to get a job at the Chemistry Department through his sister who was also working at Ateneo at that time. After three weeks of training, he started to work under Fr. William Schmitt who instilled in him the working attitude he practices now. He recalled how Fr. Schmitt's strict and thorough methods trained him to be a disciplined person.

Although his work was demanding, Manong Ric endured everything for his family. "Minahal ko ang trabaho ko para sa pamilya ko." he truthfully said. It is evident that he holds his family above everything else. He is very proud when talking about his three sons. His eldest, he relates, graduated (AB IS) from the Ateneo. A picture of a proud and contented father, his eyes gleamed with happiness as he told us his children's accomplishments.

Of course, the interview with Manong Ric is not enough without asking him what his favorite chemical reagent is. He replied while laughing, "Gusto ko yung NaOH, HCl at phenolphthalein. Natutuwa kasi ang mga apo ko doon. Akala nila magic yung pagpapalit ng kulay."
Through his years of working at the Ateneo, he also found friends inside and outside the Chemistry Department. Ma'am Joy (Joy Rachelle Valle) of the Guidance Office emotionally described Manong Ric as "Sobrang bait, down to earth at totoong kaibigan. Ibibigay niya ang buhay niya sa iyo." She told us how devoted Manong Ric is to Chemistry. Meanwhile, Mang Awel (Manuel B. Rodriguez), one of the laboratory technicians he has worked with, tells us about Manong Ric's working attitude, "Si Manong Ric, masipag na tao. Lahat ng sulok ng Schmitt (Hall), kabisado niyan," he said.

Days after our interview with him, Manong Ric finally got his retirement. He went to the United States to be with wife. When asked if he plans to stay there for good, he told us "Gusto ko dito [in the Philippines] tumanda. Kasi dito, aalagaan ka. Hindi kagaya doon na iiwan ka lang sa home for the aged."

Indeed, Manong Ric is a man who is happy with the way his life has turned out. He is an image of someone whose devotion to work has paid off in abundance. Before our interview with him ended, Manong Ric earnestly said, "Love ko ang Chem." He gazed around the laboratory while saying this - his eyes reflecting love and gratitude.

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Ricardo Borja Jr. has worked in the Chemistry Department for twenty-eight years. He was there as the department progressed through time. Truly, this man is already a part of the scene that greets every student who is taking up a Chemistry course. Manong Ric relates that, in return, the Chemistry Department is a part of his life. In fact, according to him, the busy laboratory is a place where he feels his presence is truly valued. The department holds in itself a process where Manong Ric is a vital component. He confided to us that his most memorable moment while working was when he fell from the ceiling at the third floor of Schmitt Hall. Even though the incident is surely painful, he shares this story not with sadness but with pride of being of service to the community he loves.