TPEF Assists Remote Schools

In Magtoma Pangol National High School-Dupligan Annex, Tanudan, Kalinga

On August 5, the TPEF team went to Magtoma-Pangol National High School-Dupligan Annex located in the outlying barangay of Dupligan in Tanudan town in Kalinga, Cordillera Region for its development efforts. They travelled 10 hours by bus from Manila to Tabuk, and another one and a half hours by van from Tabuk going to the said school located in the interior part of Tanudan.

Students perform a Kalinga dance in the opening ceremony of TPEF’s two-day social development initiatives in their school

The school head, teachers, students and barangay officials welcomed the team. As a gesture of appreciation, the students performed a Kalinga dance called pattung during the opening ceremony. All 120 high school students, mostly from Kalinga indigenous group, received school kits consisted of notebooks, pens, pad papers and folder bag. The school also accepted from TPEF an overhead projector, a laptop and reference books.

TPEF volunteer and students during the distribution of school kits

As part of the foundation’s advocacy to quality education, it also provides trainings in the partner school. It conducted a training entitled “Promoting Gender Equality- A Gender Sensitivity Workshop” among 33 teachers from six (6) public schools in Tanudan, and three (3) student council officers of the school. A female teacher said that “the training reminded me to treat equally the students in terms of work regardless of their sexes.” Another female teacher realized that “as a mother and wife, I have to train our children while they are at a young age, especially in doing house chores.” A male teacher noted that “I will apply what I have learned to help in my relationship with my wife and co-teachers. A pilot training in nature, the gender sensitivity training workshop was conducted by an external volunteer trainor and assisted by TPEF staff.

Gender Sensitivity training-workshop among public school teachers at Magtoma Pangol NHS

On the next day, two simultaneous Computer Literacy Trainings were held with 18 teachers from four (4) public schools and some barangay officials as participants. In the Social Development Initiatives (SDI) in Tanudan, the TPEF staff were joined by Marte Rodriguez, volunteer trainer, Mike Rogado, TPEF BOT President, volunteer trainors Ray Anne Punzalan, Kat Delos Reyes, Yang Alberto, and Reyna Panganiban, all Torm Shipping Phils. (TSP) employees.

In Mamlad National High School, Jovellar, Albay

Mamlad National High School is located on the outskirts of Jovellar town in Albay. Access to the school is either from Guinobatan town or Ligao town, which usually takes 10 to 12 hours travel by bus from Manila. The team took the via Ligao route, then travelled by van for at least an hour and walked on a flat terrain going to the school for about half an hour.

TPEF team walk to Mamlad NHS in Jovellar, Albay

On September 23, 2016, around 170 high school students of Mamlad National High School received school kits. The Mamlad NHS was also provided with an overhead projector and a laptop as part of the TPEF’s advocacy to contribute to quality education, particularly in the most remote rural schools.

Distribution of school kits to students at Mamlad NHS function hall

The TPEF, with its volunteer trainors, also conducted three training-workshops among student leaders and teachers. On the same day, at least 34 class officers and student council members participated in the personal leadership training workshop entitled “I am. I Can. I Will. The Power of Conscious Decisions,” facilitated by Mailyn Borillo, TPEF BOT member. Simultaneous computer literacy trainings were conducted on September 24 among 25 teachers of six (6) public schools by Ms. Borillo and Ray Anne Punzalan, TPEF volunteer-trainer and a staff of the Torm Shipping Philippines (TSP). Other TPEF volunteers included Karlo Lim, Lot Caballes, TSP staff, and Joy Borillo.

TPEF team and teachers who participated in the Computer Literacy trainings

“Our heartfelt gratitude to TPEF for helping our barangay, particularly the Mamlad National High School. We are thankful that you reached out to us, a remote community, and provided school items for our students, laptop, and projector for the school and trainings. We hope that your efforts inspire our youth to help in the development of our community,” said by the barangay captain of Mamlad during the closing ceremony.

And despite delays along the way, reaches children in Sagada and Besao

On November 26, the TPEF team composed of Allyson Agustin, a graduate of TPEF scholarship program and currently a 4th engineer at TORM shipping company, Jesper Jensen, TPEF BOT Chair, Cris Julaton, TPEF BOT member, Janna Anonuevo, volunteer trainer from the academe, Steph Mesias, Jhoevy Dacuyasan, TSP staff, Jiji Tolentino, and Tata Tiro, TPEF personnel, arrived in the late morning at Sagada town, after almost 15 hours’ travel.

TPEF team cross the landslide area near Mt. Polis with other travelers

The trip to Sagada and Besao took longer than the usual 11 to 12 hours due to a landslide some meters from Mt. Polis bus stopover, the boundary between Ifugao and Mt. Province and the last bus stop going to Sagada. When the local authorities announced the clearance to cross the landslide site, the team, together with other travellers, walked through the muddy track and transferred to a jeepney waiting on the other side. As cautioned by local officials, the team did not carry the several boxes of early Christmas goodies that will be given to the school children. They were advised to walk quickly bringing hand carried baggage or knapsacks only as there might be another series of falling rocks and soil erosion due to the unstable condition of the soil caused by prolonged rainfall and super-typhoon Lawin several days ago.

TPEF volunteers Allyson Agustin, Jesper Jensen, and locals carry school kits boxes for Masemayeo Elementary school children

It was already midmorning when the group arrived at the Sagada municipal hall, the venue for the teachers’ training. After the opening ceremony, one group of the TPEF team went to Besao town and hiked through the woods and rice paddies to reach the five public schools located within the farming communities in Zone 3 in Besao.

The TPEF team treks to Gueday Elementary School

The teachers and the Besao Local Chief Executive welcomed the group. Around 259 schoolchildren from Agawa Elementary School (ES), Agawa National High School, Masemeyeo ES, Gueday ES and Lacmaan ES received school kits consisted of art materials, glue, scissors, ruler, crayons, eraser, pencil sharpener, pencils, pencil case, notebooks, pad papers, ball pens, plastic envelop bag, and school t-shirt. The Agawa NHS also received a laptop and an overhead projector that will be used by the five schools in Zone 3.

“Wow, may bado! (wow, a shirt!), “may pencil case!” excitedly said by the children while they open the envelop bag with various school items inside

The pupils of Masemayeo Elementary School, wearing their new blue school shirt, with teachers and TPEF team

The early Christmas goodies received by the school children

Receiving school kits draws mixed reactions from the children

The early Christmas goodies previously left on the bus were temporarily handed over by TPEF to the Sagada municipal police station for safekeeping. Few days after, Mildred Dapliyan and her colleagues from the DepEd Division Office of Mt. Province facilitated the distribution to the children in the five schools.

Agawa NHS School Head Rico Tayne and co-teachers receive the laptop and other ICT equipment

Simultaneous with the distribution of school kits, 42 teachers representing different public schools participated in the training, “Empowering Teachers in the Classroom—a Training Workshop on C-O-N-N-E-C-T Model and Basic Counseling for Non-Counselors.” Facilitated by Ms. Añonuevo, the activity was a division-wide level, or with representatives from public schools in several towns in Mt. Province.

A teacher-participant presents the workshop group’s output during the training entitled “The CONNECT Model in Promoting Successful Student-Teacher Relationship.”

Working together to promote quality education in rural areas

The Social Development Initiatives conducted in the three remote areas combined the generosity and goodwill of external volunteer trainors, partner schools and the DepEd local offices, municipal government offices, TPEF BOT, Torm shipping seafarers and staff, friends, and advocates for quality education. Four training topics were also introduced in the said schools—on personal leadership, gender sensitivity, C-o-n-n-e-c-t model in teaching and basic counselling—another innovation engaged by the foundation to respond to the school’s needs.

Teachers from 42 public schools in different municipalities in Mt. Province, together with the TPEF training team and the staff of Dep-Ed Division of Mt. Province

Elementary students in their new yellow school shirts with TPEF team, teachers in Gueday ES and staff of Dep Ed Division of Mt. Province