Stand when we fall

DIRECTOR'S Cut: "I am your team leader and you are my teammates; together, let us work as a team." - DepED 11 Regional Director Gloria D. Benigno, CESO IV.

- o0O0o –

The spirit of the Filipinos is always strong despite of the numerous trials that come his way. Not even a supertyphoon like Pablo can dampen the earnest desire of every Filipino to succeed no matter what.

I have witnessed the resiliency of the Filipinos in the severely hit towns of Compostela, New Bataan, Boston, Cateel and Baganga that despite of what happened, they are already starting to pick up the shattered pieces of their dreams and aspirations for themselves and their children.

Yes, the devastation is unprecedented in this part of the country once touted as typhoon-free. Yes it was too much to bear. But no, this is not the time to stop and be affected by the depression brought by this "force majeure." As what they put in their walls and streamers "Babangon Tayo New Bataan," "Bangon Baganga," to name a few, there is that drive to survive and win the battle against hopelessness as retreating would only mean accepting Pablo's wrath as one's downfall.

In his third visit to Davao Region since Typhoon Pablo made landfall on December 4, DepED Secretary Armin A. Luistro saw by himself the damages wrought by the supertyphoon to the schools. He had also witnessed the pupils and students who went back to school on January 3, 2013 to start the year right.

Sec. Luistro met the students in their temporary classrooms they called 'learning space', the tents provided by the NGO, 'Save the Children' from their houses where the tents/tarps mostly came from USAid.

Luistro greeted the learners and the teachers with a "Happy New Year" and cheered their spirits so that the stigma of the disaster would be buried in the past and the hope for a brighter future will overcome whatever pains and anguish they have suffered. The other Deped officials from the Central Office who went to Comval and provinces in Caraga have also expressed their support to the children, their teachers and the community helping them to rise again.

The schools are too devastated to start the class but, in a way, the Secretary and the rest of the Deped people and all those helping in the rehabilitation are one in believing that it is only in starting that we will face difficulty.

As all kinds of assistance are coming from places inside and outside the country, Pablo's victims (or shall we call us survivors) have all the reasons to believe that we need to stand where we had fallen. We have all the reasons to start anew not anymore for us but most especially for our children.

People in the government, from private sectors, from international organizations and from almost everyone and everywhere are pouring every possible effort to be of help for us survivors to have a second lease of life.

We are not forsaken. We are showered with so much love and care by these people. Let us be grateful by showing to them that we appreciate their help not merely in words but in deeds.

Is it too much to hold our hands together and make a ripple of positive influence towards each other in these trying times? Certainly not because doing so will make us better Filipinos who are prepared for every eventualities that will come our way.

Let us stand back up when we fall.

- o0O0o -

You can access DepED Updates, latest issuances and other relevant information through our website: region11.deped.gov.ph. and our official Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/deped.regionxi

For comments, suggestions and/or contributions, email depedregion11@gmail.com. For queries, complains and other concerns, call DepED Region 11 at (082) 227-9342 or fax to (082) 227-1102 and (082) 221-6147.