The Other Side of the Coin Chelsea Audrey Paqueo Masuhay October 10 11:17 PM

Education remains to be an ubiquitous issue in the Philip-pines, and the government is doing so little about it, but I have faith that we could solve this issue, one step at a time. We are all jumping off cliffs of the unfamiliar, we are anxious because our future is uncertain, but I know in my heart that I want to be a professor- to be able to illuminate others-to touch their lives and share what I know and who I am, even if it means a crossing a thousand rivers and million mountains like those teachers in the video that I have watched. We are bounded by one unequivocal call, that is to glorify God by serving the poor, I hope that one day I could serve God like those teach-ers that I have watched. Excellence is futile, if it isn’t an excel-lence for service, I now know what I have to do- to do well for God and the poor. If before, I am jaded and hopeless with what I see (Public School Settings, Corruption, Low Salary of Teachers, and many more), after watching the video, seeing that some people are willing to sacrifice their lives for the edu-cation of the youth, I find myself more Idealistic than even be-fore. Rizal once said that the youth are the hope of the nation. Nothing can be truer. But now I see the other side of the coin: Teachers who believe and invest in the youth are the hope of the country. For without them, how then would the youth know hope, how would they return their effort and God’s Generos-ity.

Kyra Zara Tieng

Our yaya would always tell her stories on how they would walk across rivers with ther bare feet just to get to school. This is the first time I have seen teachers who would travel such secluded ar-eas just to teach. To think, these people would walk for 6 hours, cross 5 mountains just to impart knowledge to children. I really salute them because I am sure that they do not get paid much, but they were determined to go meet their students, even it means losing their life. I learnt that I am luck that I am able to go to a prestige school without any problems. Also, my image on teachers has changed because of this. They do not teach just for money; they would teach because they want to give knowledge to children. In my opinion, the government should at least make a bridge, so that the teachers won’t have a hard time crossing the rivers and mountains.