Talk about different.
Schools all over the country normally rally all the children to perform on stage to pay tribute to their educators come Teacher’s Day. Not in Siasi. In this small island in Sulu almost at the southernmost tip of the country, teachers have been doing the entertainingfor their co-teachers for two years now.
Synergeia Foundation through the Education Quality and Access for Learning and Livelihood Skills Project (EQuALLS2), a joint undertaking between the Philippine government and USAID, and also together with the Siasi local government, have been spearheading these unique celebrations to make the teachers themselves active participants in the events.
“Usually, school events are put up for students, but this one we really reserved especially for the teachers; here they are the participants, not just the coaches or the assistants,” said Ibrahim Lakibul, Synergeia-EQuaLLS2 site coordinator in Siasi.
About 600 Siasi teachers from both public and private schools had a blast last October– the only worries they had were on devising ways on how to best each other in fun-filled activities like “battle of brawns” to simple parlor games.
They played “egg catching” and the classic “bring me” game, while some jumped in their heels in the sack races. For those who loved guessing games, the TV-inspired “Pinoy Henyo” became a battleground of wits and entertainment. Some even participated in a tomato golf tournament, while those tough enough participated in the tug of war.
There were also serious competitions like extemporaneous speeches and a chorale competition. Some even sang alone or danced to the ethnic beats of Pangalay (an ethnic dance). Apart from parlor games, there were also team-building activities to promote smooth relation between colleagues.
“Kahit pagod masaya, and the games were challenging,” said Abdela Anuddin, a teacher in one of the EQuaLLS2 sites.
The highlight of the event was the presentation of the awards for the best teachers in two categories: rookie and veteran. Government officials led by Assistant Superintendent Saudi Janang gave out the awards. The award aims to inspire the teachers to do their best despite the trying conditions.
The winners were:
Siasi 1 sites
Nur-aina D. Piago - Veterans Category
Bandalina P. Ayjani - Rookie Category
Siasi 2 sites
Salma Puddin - Veterans Category
Mir-i-nisa Abil - Rookie Category
Laminusa sites
Madeleine T. Daggi - Veterans Category
Abdilla A. Maung - Rookie Category
Although students were not part of the program, they joined the festivities by cheering on their teachers and holding up placards of praises during the morning parade when the educators went around town. They also sang a short serenade as they placed garlands on their teachers.
The local government made Teacher’s Day a priority by declaring it a school holiday in recognition of the hardships they faced daily in a war-stricken environment.
Sulu Mayor Arthur Muksan came to the event and delivered a speech. He congratulated the team on the successful event and their accomplishments in other parts of Mindanao.
He said despite the problems being encountered in the ARMM, the celebration managed to lift up the teachers’ morale and bring a state of normalcy in the conflict areas around the region.
“This year’s event – which we made even bigger than last year’s – was truly a success. It gave our teachers a boost despite the problems we have here in ARMM,” Lakibul said. “It allowed everyone to have time to bond and just have fun.”
