My Teacher then, my Co-Teacher now.
After years of hard work and struggle (from finishing a course to landing a teaching job), I now finally assigned as an Araling Panlipunan teacher in Motiong National High School (MNHS), one of the big schools in the Division of Samar.
For all the 24 years of the operation of MNHS, one teacher stood as its principal witness not only of the growth of the school, but the transformation of the students in this school. Teacher Maggi’s experience as a teacher is as old as our school.
Back then, our school was one of the schools in the Division of Samar with the smallest number of enrollees. Also, Motiong National High School then was on top in the Division-wide ranking of Drop-Out Rate (8.91% in the year 1999). With most parents belonging to the poverty threshold, students would prefer to help their parents in looking for livelihood for their family. If only to survive their daily expenses, parents would prefer to send their children to work in Catbalogan, City or have them helped in farming and fishing instead of letting them go to school.
This caused the frustration of Teacher Maggi. Entering a classroom with more than half of the 50 chairs vacant due to the absence of most of her students became her most challenging experience. Motivated by this scenario for years, she, one day decided to visit the parents of one of her students who was always out of the classroom. Talking to the parents, she discovered the reasons why the parents allow their children to be absent. And she understood. The next day, she visited another parent, and another parent the following day. Teacher Maggi loved talking to parents. She understood them all.
Sympathizing the difficulty of the parents in sending their children to school she, decided to help one of her students by giving her the needed school materials and providing her expenses for her transportation to and from the school. She was able to convince one of her co-teachers to help another needy student, and another co-teacher to support one needier student. The “adopted” students showed eagerness and their attendance in school increased. The parents showed their appreciation by seeing to it that their children were in the school during class hours.
In the year 1999, the “Adopt-A-Student Program” started in Motiong National High School. Inspired by Teacher Maggie’s initiative, more teachers joined in adopting a needy student offering a win-win scheme where they could finish their high school education. In return, students who were recipients of the “Adopt-A- Student Program” offered to help the teachers in their classroom chores like maintaining the cleanliness of the room and the surroundings in school. The parents likewise, out of gratitude, participated in school activities like taking charge of the canteen every time the school has big events, served as school guardians, volunteering during “Pintakasi” days and other related school activities.
In the year 2002, the “adopted” students mostly coming from deprived families in the municipality increased to 15 students where all their school supplies and other school needs were shouldered by the teachers. When the Local Government leaders learned about this program, they voluntarily expanded it by means of a municipal ordinance creating a school community that would increase the number of recipients.
It took 5 years for the whole school to be able to really raise children from dropping out, to be hooked in school, and more and more teachers have been interested to help and to join as benefactor in the “Adopt-A-Student Program” which was institutionalized by Teacher Maggi thru her skills in networking and partnership.
The program produced students who are now successful in their chosen field and very much thankful on how it changed their lives. Among the success stories of this program includes, the story of Ike Cabangunay, who graduated in Motiong National High School under the “Adopt-A-Student Program” in the year 2007. He is a graduate of Bachelor of Science in Industrial Technology. Ike, a potential drop-out then, is now working as a cameraman in ABS-CBN main office in Manila. There was also the story of Michael Jabolin, who graduated from Motiong National High School in 2001, also under the “Adopt-A-Student Program”. He was a former pedicab driver, who was able to finish his Bachelor of Secondary Education major in Mathematics. At present, Michael is still on his way of making it to the Licensure Examination for Teachers. To add in the list is the story of Mavis Ann Gabon, who graduated in 2012 under the program, and who is now serving as a Police Officer 1 in the Philippine National Police, so also with the story of Rodel Gabon who graduated in 2006 and now working at Samar II Electric Cooperative as an Electrician. As of now, there are a lot of students who finished their secondary education under this program who have very good stories to tell.
I personally can attest on how the program aided and helped students in achieving their goals, because I for one can give a concrete testimony of this. I was once one of the adopted students of Ma’am Maggi. Now that I and Ma’am Maggi are teaching in the same institution I have also an “adopted” student. I was driven by the conviction of Ma’am Maggi to change the lives of the students. I am hoping that in my humble ways, I can show a spark of hope and inspiration to them. That, I can continue to create a snowball of “adopting” a legacy who will continue to flourish the “Adopt-A-Student Program” started by Teacher Maggie.