Education is for all. This was felt and seen again in the latest episode of Diri sa DepEd Onse aired on November 5.
This online broadcast of the Department of Education (DepEd), aired every Friday at 3 in the afternoon via DepEd Region XI Facebook page, features different stories in all corners of Davao Region. Last Friday, DepEd Mati City Division showcased the importance of education.
Two unique stories have proven once again that learning knows no boundaries.
The stories of a 55-year-old woman who chose to enroll as Grade One learner in Bugakan Elementary School and a factory worker who became an Alternative Learning System (ALS) passer and later got his college diploma as cum laude (with honors) will surely make us believe that education is a necessity of life.
Theirs is a story of determination showing that our decisions in life determine our future. Theirs is a story of hope proving that nothing is impossible when we are willing to learn.
The story of Momina Mapada, who is now 59 years old and a Grade 5 learner, is inspiring especially when she chose to be in formal schooling. Before the pandemic, she is seen inside the classroom learning together with her young classmates.
She wanted to learn how to read and write. She was not reluctant and, in fact, decided to go through the whole process in formal schooling rather than enrolling in ALS.
Now, she is proud to say that she can read and write, and she hopes to finish elementary next year at the age of 60.
Her teachers who are even younger than her are so proud of what she has become. They have seen her interest to learn. With the modular learning now, Momina goes to school to return and get her modules.
Another inspiring story is the strength of character of Guillermo Bello Jr., who needed to go through hardships in life but ended victorious from all the challenges.
At 39, he went back to school through the ALS program and became an ALS passer in 2015.
Jun, as he is called, needed to leave school when he was in third-year high school. He had always wanted to become a teacher so when her mother told him to stop schooling and return all the books because they can no longer afford it, he felt the world was shutting its doors for him.
He needed to work instead to help his family. When those his age enjoyed school, he needed to sacrifice and triple what he can do.
He did house chores for families, worked in a factory, and tried all means to earn. He wanted to work abroad but he could not show any high school diploma. So, at last, when he went back to Mati City, he enrolled in the ALS program and then took the Accreditation and Equivalency Exam.
He passed and enrolled later in an Education course at Davao Oriental State University (DOrSU) as his dream to become a teacher was always in his heart.
At first, he was not allowed to take the Education course being an ALS passer, but he pleaded for a chance to prove that he can pass all the subjects. True enough, he did not only pass but he graduated as cum laude in DOrSU. A feat not all with a broken dream and a tired body can achieve.
Now, Jun works in Philippine Statistics Authority as a registration kit operator facilitating the registration for the national ID. He has not taken the Licensure Examination for Teachers yet because of the pandemic but he hopes to pass the exam and be the teacher that he always dreamed of.
The story of Momina and Jun is no longer new to us. It looks like familiar scenes in movies or topics that our neighbors have talked about. They have unique stories, but they are going in one direction.
They believe in education. They believe that life would be better when we are educated. They believe that literacy counts a lot in this challenging world. They believe that learning has no limits.
True indeed. Learning has no limits except the ones we make.