The Filipino teacher is the perfect picture of nobility. Teaching in this country is the profession of the overworked and underpaid. That’s why some of them grabbed the opportunity of working abroad to give their families a comfortable life, as what Gloc 9′s song says,
“Napakaraming guro dito sa amin
Pero bakit tila wala ng natira
Nag-aabroad sila”
May matitira pa kayang guro dito sa atin? Is there an enough reason for them to stay? Definitely yes, their loved ones are here but they need to leave. If only they can find a good job here in order for their families to live decently.
Thank you is not enough. The noble educators have their own share of hardships to battle with. Their salary always ends up in London, “Loan Doon”, rather.
They are struggling to meet both ends. This is the sad state of the league of the Filipino teachers. It seems like this country lacked recognition and importance to them. How long will they ever endure?
In the Visayas region there are forty-three thousand (43,000) teachers presently employed but only nineteen thousand (19,000) are regulars and the rest are contractuals, not mentioning the kindergarten teachers who only receive 3 thousand pesos honorarium. Visayas needs one hundred four thousand (104.000) teachers to handle basic education. “Nakikita niyo na ba kung gaano kalala ang sistema ng edukasyon sa ating bansa?”
In 1993, UNESCO (United Nation’s Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) designated every October 5 as World’s Teachers Day in recognition of the efforts of the teachers in shaping the youth. Teaching leads the efforts to hone and develop the country’s most important resource, its human capital, the qualities needed for the Philippines to be globally competitive. This country is greatly indebted to the teachers. “I think Filipinos will be a little diminished if we forgot our teachers. Our campaign is simple; it’s not about money. Our wish is for every Filipino to remenber what the teachers have done for them.” Education Secretary Armin Luistro had said.
The teachers become a great part of our lives. We have known many different faces of a teacher. Some of us even met the terror ones. Grumbling about how they mercilessly piled us with requirements is nothing new. But come to think of it, tese terror teachers once terrified but nevertheless challenged us. They are hard to please and that makes us struggle more to be a better student. And there are also the kind and nurturing ones who never ceased to inspire us and left an indelible mark on our lives.
Think of what may happen to us if there are no teachers? Will there be Jose Rizal on this country? Will the doctor know to give the right prescription to such illnesses? Will you be given a chance to go to school? Now lets put ourselves in the teacher’s shoes. Will you choose to stay and face poverty or leave and give your family a comfortable life? “ Maam, aalis ka din ba?” Now is the time that the country must do something. Give the teachers what is due so they don’t need to choose.
Our dear teachers are outnumbered, overworked, underpaid and even under-appreciated. Their endeavor shouldn’t be a thankless one. The only thing we can do for them is to show our appreciation because at this point we cannot help them in their struggle to have a decent living. But we can help them in achieving their greatest joy, that is to see more children given a chance on education to help a child to become a doctor, an engineer and to be a teacher. Even if it means that they will still be teaching on old, hot and crowded rooms beaten by floods with worn-out sometimes flooded books and scarce chalk. They are not just teachers but the major pillars of progress. And I quote to what Rep. Antonio Tinio had said, “Their would be no greater appreciation than a higher priority given to education ands it’s workers.”
