From service crew to magna cum laude to being an army’s wife, Cherry Toledo is now an expectant mom

Second Lieutenant Cherry Mae Toledo and Second Lieutenant Junjun M. Bayudan tied the knot last December 2022 at Sto. Tomas De Villanueva Parish in Danao City. | photo by Cherry Toledo

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Remember Cherry Mae M. Toledo, the woman who was a student by day and a service crew by night, who graduated magna cum laude in 2019 at the University of San Jose-Recoletos?

She is now a Second Lieutenant in the Philippine Army and first hogged the limelight when her life story went viral in 2019 after graduating with flying colors while juggling her academics and work.

A year after she graduated, Toledo announced in 2020 in a Facebook post that she officially became part of the Philippine Army.

As she stepped into the military, little did Toledo know that she would find there the love of her life who is now about to become the father of her baby.

Yes. Toledo recently married her fellow army, Second Lieutenant Junjun M. Bayudan, 25-year-old Ilokano from Pamplona, Cagayan, and a graduate of the Philippine Military Academy. They tied the knot last December 29, 2022, at Sto. Tomas De Villanueva Parish in Danao City.

A beautiful encounter

“Our love story was unexpected,” as Toledo describes.

Toledo told CDN that she met Bayudan in February 2021 during her Scout Ranger Orientation Course (SROC) at Scout Ranger Training School, First Scout Ranger Regiment, Philippine Army at San Miguel, Bulacan while he was taking the regular Scout Ranger Course (SRC).

“There was a time, in the middle of our courses that all classes inside the school were having a friendly basketball game. His class and my class were there. He was the one to see me first,” said Toledo.

She said that SROC and SRC are one of the most changeling courses in all of the military schooling that an officer must undergo in his entire military service.

“I entered the Ranger School saying to myself ‘just survive this one and you can freely breathe after.’ During the course, I even keep listing things that I will buy for myself and the things I will do once I finish the course. It is one of the tactics and techniques to keep yourself sane. My husband had the same thinking and point of view as he was taking this regular course as well,” she added.

But fate has a beautiful way of making destined lovers meet, says Toledo.

During the friendly basketball game, while she was buying drinks and junk food at the mobile canteen, her husband saw her.

“I was at my very worst. I was very thin, just skin and bones, extremely sunburnt, and completely hairless,” Toledo described herself then.

She added that she didn’t know what he saw in her and that he immediately said to his best buddy the words: “Dong, magiging baby ko yan.”

“He tried to get my last name by keenly reading from afar the last name written on my left sleeve. He memorized – “TOLEDO.”

From then, Bayudan began to ask for her full name from her classmates.

“But each time he got a different first name. To be sure, he asked a favor from one of the ranger instructors (RI) to ask for my Facebook account. The RI asked for my permission first, and without malice, I agreed to give my FB name,” Toledo said.

It took them some time to be able to communicate with each other since they were in training. Toledo said that most times, he would sneak a glance at her every time they meet along the road during the “before meals exercises.”

Finally, he got a chance to see her up close when other senior officers called and talked to her. These senior officers were his classmates in SRC, and he was just standing beside them looking at her. He got her attention, and she just smiled.

“Eventually we got the chance to talk when we had phone privileges. We started from there and the rest is a colorful and beautiful history. Of course, like every love story, we had our own share of struggles too, but we choose to overcome them together,” Toledo further added.

Never did they imagine that their stint in the army would lead them to each other’s hearts. | Photo by Cherry Toledo

Married life

It was in August 2022 that the couple discovered they are pregnant, and as of writing, Toledo is currently assigned in one of the battalions in the Bicol Region, while her husband is assigned in Samar.

Toledo describes Bayudan as “a very patient, loving, and unselfish man,” and “the calm and understanding one” whenever she gets angry.

“He would buy cheap stuff for himself, but when it comes to me or our baby, he always gives the best every time,” she said.

Even though they are far from each other due to their duties and responsibilities as a military man and woman, he makes sure that he would give quality time for her and their baby “in the middle or at the end of the day.”

Soon-to-be mom

Toledo and Bayudan are expecting their baby in April this year.

The cycle of life has always fascinated Toledo.

In the next few years after rendering her prime years in the military service, she hopes to slow down and be able to retire and focus on being a wife and mother while practicing her bachelor’s degree in BS Psychology.

“I would like to be the one to prepare Jun’s uniforms and pins, Pershing caps and ball caps, his combat shoes and dress shoes. I want to be the last touch on what he wears and brings to work. I want to be the one to cook for our family, and to prepare our kids for school,” Toledo said.

She also likes to give inputs on aspects where she can help most since she also has a military background, an experience in admin and personnel works that he may not be so knowledgeable about.

“I want to support him in everything that he does because aside from it is what I vowed to during the day of our wedding, it also makes me happy and fulfilled,” she added.

Toledo also left a reminder to people deciding to marry a military man.

“Be guided by his lifetime mantra: ‘Duty first. Family always.’”      /rcg

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