THE present is a miracle.
This is how it is in the Department of Education (DepEd) as the only government agency that can gather all sectors and community members together to work for one goal. People come together to share what they can offer, either in kind or services, to prepare schools for the opening of classes.
Despite the political divide, high inflation rate, the continuous threat of the Covid-19 virus and other newly named and discovered sicknesses and diseases, and all the hard times, community members find it necessary to help schools become more conducive for learning. They are not obliged to help, but they do.
This is a miracle. The shared responsibility has become a strong voice within.
Our schools have become powerful figures. Where there’s school, there’s progress. Where there’s school, there’s hope. Where there’s school, there’s change.
Since the launching of Brigada Eskwela in 2003, a program of DepEd to address resource gaps by strengthening partnerships with the local communities, it has gone a long way. Because of its great impact, it has become a permanent and important activity in the school calendar implemented weeks before the school opening.
For this year, Brigada Eskwela is implemented from August 1 to August 26 to ensure that schools are ready for their learners and teachers once classes begin on August 22.
Every year, the local communities look forward to contributing to the preparation of schools. It has become an important time of the year.
The program mobilizes and brings together parents, learners, alumni, civic groups, local businesses, government agencies, non-government organizations, and community members who volunteer their time and skills to do classroom painting, table and chairs repairs, maintenance work, and clean-up of public elementary and secondary schools.
If International Volunteer Day, proclaimed by the United Nations and celebrated annually every December 5, provides an opportunity for volunteers and organizations to celebrate their efforts, share their values, and promote their work among communities, Brigada Eskwela is our local version.
The act is all about volunteerism or bayanihan or communal unity which highlights the Filipino spirit of helping one another as a community without expecting or asking for anything in return. The domino effect of the Covid19 outbreak all over the country has not rescinded this Filipino value.
Yes, it is a miracle.
People continue to support our public schools. Private organizations have strengthened their corporate social responsibility and schools are on their list. It has become social capitalism, a utilitarian form of capitalism with a social purpose.
Miracles come in many forms. The Bible Dictionary says miracles are manifestations of divine or spiritual power. With that definition, we can discern the many miracles that surround us.
From the moment we wake up, we know we are given one more day. We are given the opportunity to do what’s best for ourselves and others. This is the miracle we encounter every day in our lives.
So every Brigada Eskwela time, the act of helping our schools is a miracle too. We advance God’s work in our lives.