THIS consolidated letter of concern is intended for the Honorable Baguio City Councilor Vladimir Cayabas—committee chairperson on education and historical research, to contemplate upon, including his co-chairs, backers, supporters. And angels, if there are.
Sir Cayabas, the academe and the majority of the public school teachers knew your standing as an educator in the private sector for a very long time. For this, the assumption that you are unfamiliar with the issues in public education appears. While we do not assume monopoly in the recent consultation you called for, which aimed at various issues besetting the Department of Education (DepEd) and the Special Education Fund (SEF), we wrote this letter to explain why the lion’s share of those who put their concerns on our young learners did not attend, although they are very much willing to come.
Foremost, the consultation has been done during class hours. Cutting it short, the DepEd mafia bosses, not to include die-hard antagonists are very hesitant to send delegates to your well-intended consultation. Like the hand of César, who desires it to be washed and cleaned all the time, the bosses don’t want any pints of issues or problems to arise as a result of any teacher’s absence in the classroom. Calling them coward, lackluster, onion-skinned might be your initial reaction; but to be realistic, neither co-teachers nor head teachers don’t want to substitute the absent teacher for various reasons. So what more if we call the principal to substitute? We wish the superintendent can, yet we know it’s akin to the moon shot.
Speaking with little courage and blunt, the Mafiosi in DepEd always looks at what material things they get to their positions. And the amount increases as the position rises, but let alone those few who are dedicated to pure teaching. Again infinitely, if there are? From bribery, nepotism, parochialism, patronage, influence peddling, grafts embezzlement and all other forms of corruption, we wish not to be specific for the “carabao skinned” public already knows. However, not everyone chooses to be silent given that the well-respected profession of teaching which the noblest profession of them all, was supposed to be.
Looking at us, the majority lower ranks, we desire also material things that will make our work lighter. And we ask what happened to these things which were given to us before from the time of your uncle Mauricio Domogan, like poverty alleviation allowances (PAA), Lakbay Aral, subsidies for clothing, medical and training allowances which we all knew is what the special education fund (SEF) is meant for.
Can these necessities be given again? But to answer our very own question, we say, it might be gone with the wind and will never return. And now in our naked eye, we see unused books being rotten in public schools, vacant classrooms and buildings for the ghost to occupy and various teaching materials which in our mind were very difficult to comprehend if it were purchased for teaching or not. The sad part is that these buildings and materials were marked “funded by SEF.” Were these purchases and constructions meant for the Mafiosi to have their SOP (Siping or Pilak)?
To be continued...