Zamboanga Sibugay June 18, 2014 – As other children sharpen their pencils, don their backpacks and head back to school, it pains to think that far too many secondary school aged children, there are still thousands in the region cannot enroll in school. These children are generally the poorest of poor, for whom even a free education comes too steep for a price, may it be attributed to transportation and daily allowance, distance or to the availability and conduciveness of classroom being occupied.

Pierced roof, muddy floor and ravaged wall—this is how Nenita N. Gabutan described their makeshift classroom before in Barangay Baga, Naga, Zamboanga Sibugay. “Pag umuulan, kailangan talaga naming ihinto ang klase at sumilong para hindi mabasa ang mga estudyante. Kasi butas-butas ang bubong. Tapos maputik pa ang sahig, hindi rin kasi simento. ” (We really had to stop the class whenever it rains and look for a place where we can stay so that the students won’t get wet because the roof is ripped. Plus the floor is muddy because it’s not cemented.) she began.

Nenita is a 39 year old teacher of 3rd and 4th year students in Baga High School. She started teaching in Baga since theestablishment of the said school in year 2010. This is why she can’t forget all the difficulties that their school community had faced before it was still starting with 1 makeshift classroom subdivided into three to cater all their students.

Despite the situation, parents still diligently send their children to Baga High school who seem to have no qualms placing their children under the scorching sun or hard pouring rain—with just a nipa shielding them from the glare and the occasional rainfall.

Lileth Montebon, a graduating student also shared how their studies were affected by their situation in occupying the makeshift classroom, especially when the weather doesn’t cooperate. “Hindi po talaga kame makapag-focus sa klase kasi di namin marinig ang teacher pag masyadong malakas ang ulan. Hindi po talaga kame komportable, pero tinitiis na lang po naming kasi yun lang room ang meron kami.” (We can hardly focus on our lessons because we couldn’t hear our teacher when the rain is pouring hard. We were really not comfortable but we had to put up with it because it’s the only room we had back then.)Lileth narrated while trying to remember how they were before.

Yes, these were all in the past as DSWD’s Kalahi-CIDSS came to Barangay Baga, Naga in 2013 opening the door for development in the community and empowerment among its citizenry.

“Nung nag-assembly, sabi nila kailangan ng volunteer. Wala nang iba sa utak ko noon kundi classroom talaga. So sabi ko magvovolunteer ako. Kahit sinabi ng husband ko na wala raw sahod. Sabi ko naman okay lang basta mabigyan lang tayo ng room.” (During the assembly, they said they needed volunteers. There was nothing else in my mind that time but the classroom. So I told them that I will volunteer. Eventhough my husband told me that I won’t get anything from volunteering, I told him it’s okay with me for the sake of the classroom.

Inspite of her determination to render service as a volunteer, Nenita was still hesitant about her decision since she thought that volunteers should be articulate and communicative which she doubted she has it in her. “Nanlamig ako nung ako yung pinagsalita nila sa harapan. Nahihiya talaga ako.” (I got really nervous that time when they asked me to talk infront of many people. I was so shy.) Nenita said as she was clenching her hands as a gesture of feeling cold. However, she still pursued volunteering until the Municipal Inter-Barangay Forum where Nenita has even more stories to share.

“Iniyakan ko talaga yang MIBF. Dahil ako ang napili nila magsalita para kampanyahin yung project namin, nagdala ako ng mga pictures ng makeshift classroom namin para makita talaga nila ang sitwasyon ng eskwela namin. Nagmakaaawa talaga ako doon kasi iniisip ko yun na lang ang tanging paraan para masolusyonan ang problema.” (I actually cried during MIBF. Since they chose me to speak regarding our proposed project, I really brought the pictures of our makeshift classrooms for them to see the situation of our school. I really pleaded because I think that was the only way to solve the problem.)

While Nenita was convinced enough to volunteer, others in their community were cynical that the project will materialize. “Ay yung mga tao sinasabihan kami ay hindi naman yan totoo na magkaroon ng project. Sabi ko naman itesting na lang natin, pero sa loob-loob ko natatakot narin ako mapahiya sa barangay namin.” (Some people would say that it’s not true, that we are not getting any project, but I told them that there’s nothing wrong if we try. But deep inside, I was really worried that I might embarrass myself.) Nenita added. Aside from this, she also had to sacrifice her job as a teacher to be able to attend to her duties as a Kalahi-CIDSS volunteer. Nevertheless, she was still grateful that she got other people who believed in what she wanted to fight for.

“Napapansin ko lagi na siyang nag-aabsent sa klase. Pero nung sinabi naman ng mga kasama nya na nasa kalahi, naintindihan ko. Sinuportahan namin kasi para sa mga bata yan.” (I noticed that she was always absent in her class. But when her co-teachers said that she was in Kalahi, we supported her because we know what she was doing was for the children.) related Romeo K. Villaflores, Baga High School Principal.

In 2013, the door to progress has finally opened for barangay Baga when it was included in the prioritization list of Kalahi-CIDSS-PAMANA first cycle implementation. Nenita still remembered how everyone had taken their part in volunteering. “Lahat talaga ng mga teachers nagbuhat ng mga simento, mga hallow blocks ba.” (All the teachers really helped in carrying hallow-blocks.)

The agony of waiting for the classroom building to be funded was replaced by the excitement while waiting for the project to finish. “Yung mga estudyante laging nagtatanong kung tapos na, o pwede na ba daw sila doon magklase, sabi ko naman sa june, sa sunod na opening, pwede na talaga. Excited talaga sila.” (The students would always ask if we were already done with the project or if they can already use the classroom. Then I’d just assure them that they can already occupy the room in june, the next opening. They were really excited.) said Nenita.

The 1 unit 2 classroom high school building was completed in no time though Kalahi-CIDSS – PAMANA Project funded by the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace Process (OPAPP). Now, students and teachers in Baga High school have a more comfortable learning environment.

“Masaya po kami kasi may permanenteng classroom na talaga ang mga estudyante na komportable at talagang makakatulong sa kanilang pag-aaral.” (We feel so happy that finally there are already permanent classrooms that students can occupy and will really help them learn better.) Nenita said, as delight widened her eyes.

From 90 students now there are 160 students enrolled in Baga High School occupying the 1 unit 2 concrete classrooms for 3rd and 4th year levels. The faculty sees the increase in the number of enrollees as a good manifestation that the school has improved in delivering quality education through providing conducive facilities thereby opening a new frontier for rural education.