A mission to help IPs

A GREAT leader once said the best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others. This is exactly the belief of our 2015 Bayaning Guro award recipient.

Benjelita Laguidong Batao, 34, was recognized as the national winner in the Teacher Category of Gawad Geny Lopez Jr. Bayaning Pilipino Awards Bayaning Guro 2015. She teaches at Tagasan Elementary School in Upper Tagasan Gupitan in Kapalong, Davao del Norte.

Benjelita was Top 2 nationwide in the Licensure Examination for Teachers in 2008. But even if she was second place and had the opportunity to teach in the city, she chose to be assigned in the boondocks to teach Ata-Manobo learners.

For Benjelita, this was her calling. This was the fulfillment of the promise she vowed to God 14 years ago.

At 21, Benjelita became a Christian missionary and was given the opportunity to serve the same Manobo community for six months. Together with the missionary team in 2002, Benjelita shared God’s gospel and promised to return to the community to help them.

True with her words and her commitment to serve and teach, Benjelita returned to the community in 2009 after she finished her Bachelor of Elementary Education degree.

She said she was mentored by great missionaries but it was more than that.

“What influenced me is the compassion God put in my heart for the tribal people because they lack committed teachers who will help them be empowered,” she added.

Benjelita intends to apply for transfer in SY 2017-2018 in Marilog district where she can also serve the Matigsalog tribe.

“I want to teach tribes of the Philippines. I want to be where common teachers do not want to be assigned. I pray for our tribes,” she said.

She was assigned in Tagasan ES in 2009 and handled multigrade classes for six years. Her most unforgettable experience was when more than 70 students crowded the room.

“The class was so cluttered and it was so strenuous but it was fulfilling at the end of the day. They are now our first graduates,” she said.

For Benjelita, one of her great contributions was when she helped the school become complete elementary after teaching multigrade classes for six years.

“Before we were only three teachers including the school-in-charge. Now we are 7 teachers with one teacher per grade level,” she said.

She also said the pacing of teaching was slow before because she needed to cater all three grade levels at the same time. In fact, when the National Achievement Test was about to be conducted she needed to take another schedule.

“The Grades 4 and 5 students started very early in the morning; Grade 6 students stay very late in the afternoon but those who live afar needed to leave early,” she said.

Benjelita received a medal and 100,000 cash prize as her award. She allotted a portion for her family and she donated some for her school.

“I donated flower boxes for the school and I spent for the field trip of our Grade 6 pupils who have never seen a city and a beach. We gave them the opportunity to stroll around Tagum City,” she joyfully remembers.

There were times she had to spend her personal money for the pupils’ school needs. She needed to shoulder some school supplies for their school activities.

“They are poor. Sometimes they go to class with an empty stomach, with no slippers, and sometimes they don’t change clothes anymore,” she said. Sometimes she provides food and asks support from friends so they can be provided food and supplies.

Benjelita also experienced frightful encounters between NPAs and the AFP. She said some were afar and some seemed to be so near. Sometimes they had to stop classes and there were times she needed to lie flat on the floor. She also experienced pangayaw in the community.

She is still single and although Benjelita also hopes to have a family of her own, she says she leaves it all to God.

“God will give me someone who will understand my mission and who will be my partner in helping our IPs,” she said.

Although born in Manay, Davao Oriental, Benjelita grew up in Davao City. She spent her basic education at Bolton Elementary School and Sta. Ana National High School.

From Davao City where her home is, Benjelita needs to travel three hours to reach Kapalong and another 2-3 hours by habal-habal to reach her station. She needs to cross one seemingly deep river so the motorcycle must be shifted through a bamboo raft or she could also cross the river and walk one to two hours to reach the school.

She lives in the cottage of the school and, most of the time, she spends her weekdays in the community to share spiritual matters. This is part of her mission. She devotes her weekends to teach Manobo parents on effective parenting with Christ.

She only goes back to Davao City if necessary like attending meetings and seminars and moments to spend with her family.

When life was rough in her younger days and she had to stop schooling because it was the only way, Benjelita never lost hope. This was her strength. She graduated at 26.

Her older sister helped her with her tuition fees in the University of Mindanao where she finished college. Aside from that, she sold peanuts, stick bread, and sandwiches to her classmates to augment the expenses in school.

She is a clear epitome of “poverty is not a hindrance to success”.

With all her experiences, Benjelita has this advice for Education students. “Live not just for yourself but for others and most especially for the glory of God.”

For co-teachers, she said “I hope they will make a difference in the lives of their students with a mission of empowering them to be better individuals and not just for the remuneration they will receive.”

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