THE INCREDIBLE OPTIMISM OF A FILIPINO SCHOOL BOY / 24 M RETURNS TO SCHOOL
[PHOTO - Gary as mountain guide high above the Puerto Galera beaches. (Michael Wolf/The Epoch Times) PUERTO GALERA, Philippines]
PUERTO GALERA, PHILIPPINES, JANUARY 4, 2011 (EPOCH TIMES) POSTED ON JANUARY 2, 2011 - By Michael Wolf Epoch Times Staff- A Cup Half Full - Although the Philippines remained relatively stable during the recent global recession, poverty has increased over the past two decades with over 32 percent of the population currently living below the poverty line.
"It's good to start life being poor," said young Gary Clemenso to one of his friends. "Imagine being born rich and then becoming poor. … Wouldn't that be worse?" he asks.
Gary's simple logic is quite puzzling for me, and I was surprised me to hear such a statement coming from a 16-year-old whose family numbers among the Philippine's poor.
While his friend has developed the habit of constantly complaining about the poor living conditions he has known since birth, Gary, living in similar or worse conditions, looks at life quite differently.
Gary grew up in the "boondocks" (Filipino for mountains). The nearest town is over six miles away and the next small village is three miles away. Since he was 6 years old, Gary has walked along narrow mountain trails to reach school everyday before the 7 a.m. flag ceremony.
I met Gary several years ago when I hired his older brother and sister as gardeners, and they would sometimes bring small Gary along. He hardly knows his mother because she left the family shortly after he was born and his father died two years ago after falling out of a coconut palm. With neither uncles nor aunts to care for him, Gary lives under the umbrella of one of his elder sisters.
I visited Gary's school and asked his schoolteacher, Mrs. Mora, about him.
My saddest moment was when I was living alone with my father and he didn't come home. [The] next day, I found out that I was the last to know that he had died the day before when he fell out of a coconut tree.
"Gary is always attentive and a nice boy," she told me. According to her, his weak point is not always being on time.
I asked Gary what he wants to do, "I'd like to become a civil engineer and incorporate some of the ideas I have seen in some rich foreigners' homes, into Filipino housing projects."
He said that before he gets married he wants to be settled and have a good paying job.
I asked him what the happiest and saddest moments have been in his life so far.
"I was really happy when I was asked to represent my elementary school in a math competition with other schools. I didn't win but I had never dreamed that they would ask me to represent them," he said.
"My saddest moment was when I was living alone with my father and he didn't come home. [The] next day, I found out that I was the last to know that he had died the day before when he fell out of a coconut tree."
But he added with his amazing sanguinity, "On the other hand, that was also a time I can recall with some joy. It is because just two weeks after my father had died, I was still able to graduate from elementary school and was even awarded two medals."
In the Philippines, where nearly one out of four children does not complete a primary education, it is a significant achievement for children like Gary to finish elementary school.
Gary also sidelines as a jungle guide, showing tourists the mountainous rain forest where he grew up.
I hired him for a day and experienced his seemingly endless energy firsthand. He showed no sign of fatigue after hiking for an hour to meet me, and over the next eight hours as we hiked up to the highest peak in the area, at nearly 4,000 feet, Gary swung his large "bolo" (Filipino machete) to clear the path.
When we came back, Gary didn't look tired at all, quite the opposite of me. I gave him his well-earned money, knowing that it would take him another hour to reach his sister's house lower in the valley.
I wished him all the best and we parted. I think his will have a great future because Gary always sees his cup half full, with the possibility of it being a little fuller every day. The major factors contributing to poverty in the Philippines are high population growth, income inequality, lack of basic services in rural areas, and vulnerability of poor areas to natural disasters, according to a report by the Australian government in July 2010.
24 million students return to school By Rainier Allan Ronda (The Philippine Star) Updated January 03, 2011 12:00 AM
[PHOTO COURTESY OF MANILA STANDARD - MANIC MONDAY: People wait for a ride on the first school and working day of the New Year along Commonwealth Avenue in Quezon City on Monday. (Photo by KJ ROSALES)]
(STAR) MANILA, Philippines - Classes resume today in all public and private schools nationwide after the long Yuletide break, Education Secretary Armin Luistro announced.
Luistro expressed optimism over the resumption of the school year, after President Aquino signed the 2011 national budget with the Department of Education (DepEd) getting a 19 percent increase.
"As we welcome you back to school and begin the year 2011, I really pray that our students, teachers, and staff will usher in fresh hope for the country and show that DepEd is ripe for change," Luistro said in a statement.
Of the 24 million students returning to school today, 20.17 million are in public schools representing the bulk or 86 percent of the student population in basic education, or those in the elementary and secondary levels.
The 24 million students include 1.33 million in preschool, 14.61 million in elementary, 7.10 million in high school, almost 400,000 in the alternative learning system, or youth and adults who do not have regular access to formal education and are taking up alternative learning programs of the DepEd.
DepEd has 501,158 teachers in public schools. Of this number, 10,000 are new teachers with majors in English, Math, and Science.
The P207-billion budget allocated to the DepEd for 2011 will enable the department to address the major concerns confronting the country's public education system and raise the achievement levels of learners.
"As we build classrooms and upgrade facilities, let us also exert every effort to ensure that we use these valuable resources responsibly to bring up the quality of education in the country," said Luistro as he encouraged the entire DepEd family to start the year right.
Luistro vowed to maximize the use of his department's allocation more judiciously.
"This is the best time to leave behind systems that don't work, practices that corrupt and time that is wasted," he said.
Luistro urged DepEd personnel to uphold the integrity of the department "as we push for the priority programs in line with our Education For All by 2015."
"Let's build school communities with fiscal and academic integrity so we can build a nation of honest and hard-working citizens, responsible stewards of our collective wisdom and protectors of the environment," added Luistro.
With the DepEd being the largest government bureaucracy, Luistro said he is counting on all its employees to always live as good examples to the people, specifically to the children entrusted under their care.
In 2011 and with the huge budget, DepEd is set to implement the universal public kindergarten program for five-year-old children to give them basic education and proper preparation for the rigors of schooling.
In line with this, DepEd encourages parents to pre-register children in the kindergarten program this January to avoid the usual enrolment rush in May and June as part of the ongoing campaign of the department to bring all school-aged children to school.
The DepEd is currently doing the groundwork on the 12-year basic education cycle, which starts with a strengthened kindergarten program.
The proposal to add two more years in basic education is aimed at producing high school graduates who are better prepared for the world of work, self-starting ventures or college studies.
Meanwhile, Luistro reminded students to start reviewing their lessons as the schedule of their third quarterly examinations will be on Jan. 17-18 based on the school year 2010-2011 under DepEd Order No. 26, series of 2010.
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