Director's Cut: (This portion features the thoughts of DepEd 11 Regional Director Susana Teresa B. Estigoy, Ceso IV to all stakeholders and recipients of the efforts to improve the basic education) I do not consider my job as plain work --- rather it is my LIFE. "We have to continually examine what succeeds and fails, and why. We have to uphold and live true to our battlecry and slogan of governance: "Education For All (EFA) 2015: Karapatan ng Lahat, Pananagutan ng Lahat"
* * *
I grew up always asking myself on the things that I could still do to improve myself so that I could be an effective agent of change in our society. I firmly believe that in everything that you aspire for the good of other people must emanate in your own being. No one could ever tell other people how should they are supposed to do things without first doing it himself. People would always offer you their hands to support you and to make things easy for you but then again, you have to start helping yourself first.
What I am trying to say is, the attitude of self determination and self sufficiency is true to their root words --- self. Even God in the Bible says, "lihok tawo kay tabangan ko ikaw". And who does not know the golden rule, "Do unto others, what you want others do unto you."
We always hear people throwing invectives to people in authority who they say should provide them with their basic needs. It is common to hear people talking about their problems and only few mouthing solutions to solve them. And how many people could we hear saying, "What about me, what could I get from joining it, by showing my support to it?" It is not surprising that if we have a handful of these kinds of people in our midst, chances are, we could hardly move forward to our destination since we would be taken aback by this negative disposition of self.
But could these be remedied by changing people running our organizations and institutions? Could we say that a new leadership doing it by example could propel us to magnanimity in due time? The answer is uncertain as seeing a fish in a long abandoned fish cage. In my previous readings, it was always emphasized that more than the change of men it should be the change in men -- the inner self. It should not be done by one but instead should be a shared responsibility.
We have voted a new President trying to lead by example and always telling the people: "Kayo ang aking lakas." The power that emanates in us should be our citadel to achieve our dreams and aspirations for ourselves and our country. We should not wait for our neighbor to start it or our elderly family member giving a blessing for us to do our thing but it should be our own volition to find our place under the sun.
How could we start? First, ask for Divine Guidance, for signs of His approval and/or disapproval. No one could claim that they always succeed in their first try.
Neither I could not dare tell you that because I reach this position early in my life and had traveled a lot that I was able to get them the easy way.
Failures should not be taken as the be all and end all of our dreams, rather it should be the take off ground for doing something new and something better and that it involves careful planning and effective and efficient course of action.
Along the way, periodic monitoring should be done to rectify wrong moves and capitalize on the right ones to check if it deviate or stick to original plan as these two are possibilities to consider.
But if everything that we have done failed in the end, leave to the Master Planner the benefit of the doubt and consider other options which might, in the end, lead us to a better result and bountiful returns.
Habang may buhay, may pag-asa.
* * *
You can access DepEd Updates, latest issuances and other relevant information through our website: http://www.deped.gov.ph. For comments, suggestions and/or contributions, email me at renzthescribe@gmail.com. Or visit http://renzmendoza.multiply.com. For photos and other relevant information. For queries, complains and other concerns, call DepEd Region 11 at (082) 227-9342 or fax to (082) 227-1102 and (082) 221-6147.
* * *
Lorenzo E. Mendoza, M.A. is the Regional Supervisor in Filipino for Secondary, Regional Information Officer, Regional ICT and Library Hub Coordinator.