ONE homeroom meeting pre-pandemic, public secondary school teacher Lesley Anne Englis Ticaro met a parent who was assisted by her daughter. She asked the parent to write her name down on the attendance sheet, but the parent’s response caught her attention and sparked an advocacy which she is now waving to the national level.
Lesley, 27, shared that the parent was clueless and even asked her daughter to assist her as she only knew how to sign. Writing her name was not something she was taught as an indigenous individual in a remote village in Malangas, Zamboanga Sibugay.
“That very moment touched and awakened me. That’s when I realized literacy should be given more importance because not all of our indigenous people were schooled even with basic education. This is the reason why they are easily fooled by opportunists because they are deprived of this basic right,” she said.
Lesley, who is now one of the official candidates of Binibining Pilipinas 2021, chose “Functional Literacy of Indigenous Cultural Communities” as her advocacy.
“I want to educate them on the basics like writing and understanding their names, understanding how powerful their names are. My experiences as a teacher in far-flung areas opened my eyes to the reality that there is still a lot to be done in indigenous cultural communities when it comes to literacy. I would like to shed some light on this reality so our IP brothers and sisters will be equipped with at least the basics of reading, writing, and arithmetic and use these skills to perform tasks and serve their communities,” she said.
Apart from raising her advocacy, Lesley also would want to show her students that any dream is possible when one prays and works hard for it.
“When I asked my students who they want to be when they grow up, they always say they wanted to be like a doctor or teacher but they seem hopeless when sharing these due to their current social and financial situations,” the former Binibining Davao del Norte 2018 shared.
She added she wanted to inspire them and let them know that their dreams are valid and possible.
Lesley also shared that when she was assigned in Catituan National High School in Zamboanga Sibugay during her first few years in teaching, she decided to stay in the area for a deeper understanding and appreciation of the community.
On pursuing national pageant
The 27-year-old Binibini, who is representing Tagum City in Davao del Norte, admitted that joining a national pageant like Binibining Pilipinas is a life-long dream.
“But beyond that, I always tell my students, 'Practice what you preach.' I always tell them that they should follow and fight for their dreams. Hence, I am here wearing the Tagum sash across my chest in the Binibining Pilipinas pageant,” she said.
To be an official candidate entails sacrifices and struggles and Lesley is no exception.
“As an independent candidate, I’d say my preparations are tedious and laborious. However, I am very blessed that I have people surrounding me that offer selfless assistance and encouragement. I am doing the best that I possibly can,” she said.
The Binibining Pilipinas 2021 Grand Coronation Night is happening on July 11, 2021, at 9:30 p.m. and will be live-streamed on Binibining Pilipinas' YouTube channel. (ASP)