First allow me to accord utmost courtesy to the great men and women behind Synergeia.
If we will measure the value that Synergeia has given us way, way before, I don’t know if we can be compensated. They have helped our learners, especially now in light of the two adversities that have befallen Marawi City since the siege until now, during the pandemic. They never tire of helping us. They have this extreme compassion for the learners of Marawi City. For this, Ma’am Nene at sa lahat ng dumating ngayong—matagal-tagal na ang last visit ninyo. Two years. And now that you are here again in our beloved city and for that we thank you very much. We would like to tell you that we, in return, will serve our learners with utmost care, delivering quality education.
Allow me also to accord utmost courtesy to our best partner, the CLGU, the chief doctor, the boss of the City Health Unit, for the alleviation of the health of our learners and our teachers. We, too, are stringent in implementing the various protocols, like vaccination and all. What we are doing now in this health summit will strengthen more, give us more knowledge, capacitate us more, in protecting our learners especially now that we are doing face to face classes here in the City Schools Division of Marawi. We would like to inform Ma’am Nene na dalawa na pong paaralan namin ang nagbukas – Nanapun Elementary School and Mapandi Elementary School. And soon, when it ends, on March 21, iba po sa Central. They have one year in Marawi City because we follow the Inter-Ministry Memorandum Circular vis-a-vis the Joint Memorandum Circular. Two months sila, tayo po isang buwan. We will do another expansion when we are done on March 21, expanding to 11 schools. So, with your help, with everybody’s help, we will do better. We will be more equipped, healthy, safe in delivering quality education through the different programs that we will give to our teachers and learners in Marawi City Division.
Ako po ay nagpapasalamat uli na hindi kayo napapagod na tulungan kami sa Marawi and I would like to say this again. I always say this, every time I speak. Until we transition our last child, the last Marawi displaced child is transitioned to our permanent school in Ground Zero, please do not tire helping us. Because right this moment, we are still rising back. So, kindly don’t tire helping us until we transition our last displaced child to a permanent school.
Maraming-maraming salamat po. And in behalf of the entire City Schools Division of Marawi, welcome again. I hope that you consider Marawi your second home.
Cagayan de Oro City through its Local School Board (LSB) recently conducted the “Nanay, Tatay, Okay Ka Ba Diyan?” wellness workshop for parents in partnership with Synergeia Foundation, Inc. and the Oro Wellness and Development Center. Over 100 parents of Kinder to Grade 3 students from public schools in the said city in Northern Mindanao joined the virtual event which is part of the local government’s efforts to sustain its education program.
Honorable Mayor Oscar S. Moreno of Cagayan De Oro City praised the parents for their resilience and perseverance in helping their children adapt to the sudden shift of learning modality. In his welcome remarks, Moreno assured the participants that the local government has deployed numerous initiatives to help the people cope with the new normal.
According to a study, when COVID-19 hit the Philippines and impacted all sectors, the top most critical problems faced by families were food security, education opportunities and access to health care. The loss of income forced parents and caregivers to consider drastic measures that will impact the well-being of children. For education, both parents and children were concerned of the obstacles to distance learning.
Held to aid in coping with the challenges of the current learning modality, the parents participated in a plenary session on Parental Burnout led by the head of the city’s Social Welfare and Development Office, Dr. Rhyselle Bernadette B. Melliza-Descallar.
Specializing on mental health and well-being, the guest speaker emphasized the importance of addressing the signs and symptoms of parental burnt out to avoid its long-term damaging effects to one’s mental health. The breakout sessions were facilitated by volunteers from Synergeia Foundation, the LSB and documented by scholars of the city’s Scholarship Office.
Talking about wellness, Dr. Melliza-Descallar, who is also a lecturer on topics about health, life and love, parenting and leadership, explained the science behind a stress-free parenthood while adding that “parenting need not be a taxing and draining task to do.”
In her message, Synergeia Foundation’s President and Chief Executive Officer Dr. Milwida Guevara encouraged the parents to become role models for their children for “the kind of children we see at school reflects the kind of upbringing they have at home.”
As a champion of good local governance, Synergeia Foundation’s mission is to transform how leaders govern and to empower communities to create a better life for themselves and their children. Reinventing the Local School Board is one of the foundation’s way of promoting local government-led systemic education reforms at the community level.
Dr. Rosalio Vitorillo, the city’s Chief Education Program Supervisor delivered the closing remarks by expressing his gratitude to all partners and reiterating the Schools Governance and Operations Division’s support to the parents and children of Cagayan De Oro City.
“Teaching Math the Singapore Way: A Training for Teachers and Tutors”
On the state of Mathematics in the Philippines
By Queena N. Lee-Chua, PhD
Licensed psychologist, columnist, professor, and mathematician
February 5, 12, and 19, 2022
Synergeia Foundation
Slowly, we will make students learn Math better. They need to learn Math better because, when they grow up, they are the future of our nation. We have to do this for the sake of our country. That’s it.
I am handling many Math classes. I teach in Ateneo. I volunteer. I am also handling a Math class at Far Eastern University. And this is part of what I show my students. I think this is why Ningning invited me. This is why my son and I decided to do this to help the Philippines. You can Google everything that I say.
I will start with a bit of bad news. Unfortunately, our poor country remains at the bottom of the world in international Math, Science, and Reading. This is a wakeup call for all of us. We will have to get our act together. Tayo lang ang bansa na hindi magaling sa Math. We find it funny and, minsan, ipinagmamalaki pa natin. That’s a very bad attitude, kasi kung ganyan tayo, we will not progress. Kaya nga, yung ibang bansa, they are making a lot of progress.
We are trying with the help of NGOs, like Synergeia. Our LGUs are trying their best. But our culture is a culture that feels that learning is difficult. Gusto natin, ma-entertain tayo. Gusto natin, palaging madali. Gusto natin, instant gratification. Mahirap yan sa Mathematics. Sa Mathematics, ang kailangan, tiyaga. Kailangan ng effort, kailangan upuan natin. Kaya nga, three hours in three days. Hindi namin kayang bilisan ito. We need you to really understand.
I will show you the international surveys. This is PISA. PISA is the program for international science, an international assessment. In 2018, we participated in this one. Reading, Math, and Science. Countries are ranked in descending order. The highest are several cities in China. Singapore is there (that’s why we are doing Singapore Math), Macao, Hong Kong, Estonia is doing very well, Canada, and Finland. Magaling din yan. Many of you know the Nordic countries, magagaling yan. United States, medyo nasa gitna. Japan, Australia, Taipei.
Nasaan tayo? Baba pa. Ito ang nakakaiyak noong nakita ko. Philippines: ang pinakamababa. Philippines in Mathematics—we are second from the bottom. Dominican Republic is lower than we are. In science, we are also second from the bottom. Dito kayo magugulat. Akala natin, mas magaling tayo sa Ingles, di ba? Pero in English, we are at the bottom. Math and Science–we are second from the bottom. Mas mataas pa ang Math and Science natin kaysa Ingles. Nakakagulat di ba? I am not surprised. In Ateneo, usually the ones who are doing well in Math are also doing well in English. So it is not true na kung inglesera ka or nasa arts ka, hindi ka magaling sa Math. Hindi yan tutoo.
Math is a language. English is also a language. Filipino is also a language. So how do we learn English? How do we learn Filipino? Natututo tayo kasi bata pa tayo, we talk to our parents in Pilipino. Kayo sa Northern Luzon, you also know Ilocano. We learn language by practice. So, sa Mathematics, ganoon din. We learn Mathematics by practice. Problema kasi sa atin, yung mga kababayan natin, takot tayo sa Math. At kung takot tayo sa Math, ayaw nating i-practice. Kung hindi natin i-practice, we will never become better. That is the key. Kung ayaw natin, ina-avoid natin. That shouldn’t be. Kaya kawawa tayo. Sa buong mundo, tayo ang pinakamababa. Can you imagine that? Mas mababa pa tayo sa Kosovo. May civil war diyan. Morocco. Lebanon. They are poorer than we are. Palagi nating sinasabi na kasi mahirap tayo. But poverty should not be a hindrance.
I am very inspired by what Synergeia does. I am very inspired by what you do. Nakita ko mga two-way radios na pinakita ni Fr. Ben. Yung sa GK Northern Luzon. He told me that many of these children, mga guro na walang Wi-Fi nakita ko sa video nila, nag-aaral sila ng Math and Science through two-way radio. Napaiyak ako sa galak. Sabi ko, ang galing! There are so many people who want to learn. Kasama kayo doon, dear teachers. Sabado ngayon. Mas madaling matulog. Sabi ko pagod na pagod ako. May klase ako hanggang kagabi. Pero mahal ko ang bansa natin. Ayokong makita ang Pilipinas na kulelat. Dapat naman may dignity tayo and hindi lang for international purposes. Mathematics and Science run the modern world. Zoom is made possible because of Math and Science.
Because our country is not good in Math and Science, we are also not economically good and we cannot think logically. We cannot think rationally. Yan ang importante sa math. Kaya we are also not solving the pandemic problem well. But we are trying our best. Malaki ang puso natin. Yun ang maganda sa Pinoy. We are very understanding. We are very compassionate. We help each other. Malaki ang puso natin and that is something I am very thankful for. Synergeia itself has a very big heart. What Ningning does. What Dr. Nene does. Fr. Ben told me about it. I have attended their sessions. What your LGU does. Ang galing. You are very good leaders. You are people who care.
But this is what you have to add and I have to say this because I have been teaching for more than 30 years. I started teaching at the age of 20 in Ateneo. Mga estudyante ko were one or two years younger than me. In 1987, when I graduated, deretso ako sa pagtuturo. So wala tayong problema sa puso.Marami ang gustong magturo. Yun ang maganda. Marami din ang ayaw. Wala ako pakialam sa ayaw magturo. Let’s not be distracted. I am quoting Fr. Ben. Let’s not be distracted by other people who don’t know what’s right. We want to focus on people who are working, helping.
I need to say this. A big heart is not enough. Okay na malaki ang puso natin. We should have big hearts. Wala tayong maa-acomplish if our minds are not as big as our hearts. If we want to help, but don’t know how to do it—wala! So many people say we want to help people in Math. I also help in “Teach for the Philippines.” I volunteered with “Teach for the Philippines” before the pandemic. I taught Singapore Math to Grade 6 public school students. Ang gagaling ng mga bata. Isang oras, lang pero marami kaming nagawa sa isang oras. So, tuwang tuwa ako. Sanay akong magturo sa mga mahihirap. Wala akong paki kung mahirap sila. Gusto nilang matuto. Poverty is not a reason for us not to do well.
Many of the countries doing better than us – Kazakhstan, Baku, North Macedonia—are poorer than we are, yet they are handling the pandemic better than we do. Why? Because they use their reasoning skills. They use rationality. Importante yan. Yung mathematics kasi, hindi natin puwedeng bolahin. Eh, Pinoy tayo, mahilig tayong mambola. Magsalita lang tayo, iiyak lang tayo, akala natin okay na. Or we pull strings—ok si ganito, kilala ko si ganito. But that is not the way life is. Hindi puwedeng ganyan sa pandemia. We have to know the science we have to know which vaccines work. We have to do mathematical modeling. And many of my colleagues in Ateneo are helping the government predict, like what will happen in this scenario. And that requires mathematics. Hindi puwede ang puso lang. Our head should be as big as our hearts.
I will end with this other international survey. The one who alerted me to this is Fr Ben Nebres. He has been working all his life to make our country better. TIMSS is a survey on international Math and Science. In 2019, we took a test for Grade 4 and another for Grade 8. Mga guro, yung test ng Grade 4, addition, subtraction, multiplication, division saka madaling fractions. Pero hindi din maganda ang mga resulta natin. Sino ang matataas? East Asian countries are top achievers in Mathematics by a substantial margin. Angmatataas uli: Singapore, No. 1. Hong Kong. Korea. Chinese Taipei. Japan. Russia. Ireland. England. Latvia, etc. Nasaan tayo? Hindi lang tayo second to the bottom. Nasa bottom tayo. Tayo lang ang bansa na hindi naka 300. Hindi kaya ng mga bata natin na mag add, subtract, multiply and divide. That’s what it means. They cannot really do problem solving. That’s for Mathematics. Now for Science. Eto yung mga matataas, pareho din. Tayo din ang pinakamababa.
We are a country that thinks being bad in Math is okay. Ipinagmamalaki pa natin. Takot ako sa Math! Hindi tayo nahihiya sa sarili natin. Kaya ganito ang nangyayari. Alam ko deretso akong magsalita kasi kailangan kong magsabi ng tutoo. Life is too short for me to lie to you. I am very happy to be here today because, slowly, we will make our students learn Math better. And they need to learn Math better because, when they grow up, they are the future of our nation. This is not for them to become honor students. This has nothing to do with it. We have to do this for the sake of our country. That’s it. That’s why we are here. It’s imperative. This is no longer a luxury. In the 21st century, all technology is based on Mathematics and Science. It is a need, a requirement. Hindi ito para sa matatalino lang. There’s no such thing as matatalino. No one is born matalino. Yung mga matatalino sa Math sila rin ang pinakamasipag, ang pinakamadisiplina.
