When a Shirt Spoke His Future
Destiny often unfolds in mysterious ways. For Florencio “Sir Enxang” M. Salmasan, it all began with a single word—etched boldly on a stranger’s shirt, seen after a silent prayer inside an adoration chapel. When he opened his eyes, the word stayed with him: “Teacher.” Though he had never imagined standing in front of a classroom, the word clung to him like a prophecy he couldn’t ignore.
Salmasan’s path was once very different. A mass communication graduate and a call center agent, he once lived by midnight shifts and scripted greetings: “This is Clio, how can I help you today?” The routine paid the bills but never truly fulfilled him. He was surviving, not living. One evening, curiosity led him to an online scholarship form for aspiring teachers. What started as a casual click—half-joking, half-serious—set off a remarkable journey. Exam by exam, interview by interview, demo teaching session by demo teaching session, the future he had never considered came closer until it became his reality. Armed only with persistence, he entered the teaching profession—and emerged with excellence.
As a PBED-STEP UP scholar at the University of Santo Tomas, he completed his Teacher Certificate Program without spending a single peso. He went on to earn a Master of Arts in Communication Management from Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila, graduating with academic excellence. Today, he pursues a degree of Master of Arts in Psychology, driven by a desire to understand the silent struggles of both students and teachers. His journey underscores one principle: teachers must remain lifelong learners. But beyond degrees and honors, what truly distinguishes Sir Enxang is his unwavering conviction. He has turned down lucrative opportunities abroad, choosing instead to serve Filipino youth. “Ang hirap mahalin ng Pilipinas,” he says, “but the best way to create change is by serving Filipino students.”
At Philippine State College of Aeronautics (PhilSCA), where he is a faculty member, his words become action. He is the teacher who never misses a class, the one who refuses to let students give up on themselves. One student, often silent and sitting at the back, believed he would never succeed. While others overlooked him, Sir Enxang encouraged him, assigning manageable tasks and nurturing his confidence. Years later, that once-quiet student graduated with honors and now thrives in his chosen field. Stories like these, more than any accolade, mark Sir Enxang’s triumphs. His philosophy is simple yet powerful, rooted in three virtues: faith, hope, and love. Faith shows when he tells students, “I believe in you, even if you don’t yet.” Hope shines through his insistence that they will become leaders of tomorrow. Love reveals itself in the extra hour he spends listening to worries and in the laughter he brings to the classroom, lightening the weight of life outside.
His impact extends beyond the classroom walls. Every December, he participates in outreach programs for indigenous communities. On AFP Radio’s UpUp Pilipinas, he co-hosts alongside BGen. Zamudio, amplifying education advocacy. He chairs scholar networks, presents at national conferences, and represents teachers with passion and dignity. Yet when asked about his proudest moments, he points not to awards but to students who return to say, “Sir, you believed in me when no one else did.” Florencio “Sir Enxang/Enchang” Salmasan never dreamt of becoming a teacher—but teaching found him in unexpected ways: in a whispered prayer, a scholarship email, and a stranger's shirt. From call center scripts to chalkboards, from doubt to destiny, from a casual click to whole-hearted service, his story reminds us that sometimes the most powerful calls don’t just ring—they shout. They whisper and wait, and when the time is right, they reveal themselves.
