We deliver different parenting workshops depending on the needs of the LGU. We conduct “Nanay-Tatay Teacher” Workshops to build the capacities of parents to support the improved learning skills of their children. We teach parents to inculcate positive attitudes in their children including love for studying and love for reading. We guide them on how they can participate in School Governing Councils and be more active in school activities of their children. A special workshop is conducted by Fr. Michael McGuire, Ph.D in Clinical Psychology, on “Being a good parent means being a good teacher.” He teaches parents to recognize ‘teachable moments’ and use the ‘language of virtues’ with their children. Parents learn how to set clear boundaries and at the same time, to moderate their behavioural controls on their children. “Ako’y Isang Mabuting Magulang” Workshop aims to make parents good role models for their children. Parents start with a self-reflection exercise followed by a short sharing session on their parenting practices and experiences. There are sessions on understanding the rights of children, and on gender equality and sensitivity. Parents have exercises on positive discipline and developing good manners and right conduct so their children can grow up to be good citizens. We help parents deliver education in the new normal. We run a webinar entitled “Nanay-tatay-ate-kuya-tito-tita-lolo-lola Lahat Sila Teachers” Program online and in parallel, developed a parents’ manual that we share with LGUs. We teach parents techniques on how children can learn best such as setting rules, enriching their comprehension skills, through motivation and constant review of lessons, and recognizing that children have different skills and learning styles.
We hold “Pandemic Awareness” Workshops to brief parents on the covid 19 pandemic and health care practices to follow. Parents were taught practical ways to cope with the pandemic such as making an anti-viral solution using zonrox and water which they can use to clean and disinfect surfaces. They also learn how to make simple do-it-yourself (DIY) face masks. We teach simple skills in our “Livelihood Training” for parents of out-of-school children. Mothers and fathers learn haircutting and therapeutic massage. In addition, mothers are taught make-up and manicure-pedicure skills. Parents can apply the livelihood skills they learn to earn income for their families and enable them to send their children to school.
It is often said that empowering communities begins with providing them access to information. With this principle in mind, Mayor Milliard Villanueva, a staunch advocate of education reform, proudly presented the state of education in Concepcion during the recently held Municipal Education Summit. His address highlighted the pivotal role of the Local School Board (LSB) as a platform for fostering transparent, accountable, and inclusive development. He detailed how the Special Education Fund (SEF) is strategically utilized, emphasizing its contributions to a brighter and more inclusive future for every Concepcionanon.
The regular meetings of the Local School Board have become a cornerstone for addressing challenges faced by the education sector. With over half of the municipality’s school buildings located on islands, urgent issues such as infrastructure development and the construction of essential facilities take center stage. These meetings serve as a venue for ensuring transparency and amplifying the voices of schools, guaranteeing that the local government addresses their specific needs and concerns. For School Year 2023-2024, the two educational districts of Concepcion received allocations of Php 4.7 million and Php 3.3 million, respectively.
The town’s dedication to improving literacy and numeracy is evident through initiatives like *Project BATA* (Bata Alerto, Talentado, Asensado) and *Project Milliard* (Multiple Integration of Localized Learning Interventions on Arithmetic and Reading Development). These programs received a significant Php 2.9 million from the SEF budget, reflecting their priority in the municipality’s agenda. Furthermore, since the reopening of schools post-pandemic, Concepcion has rolled out a range of municipality-wide programs. These include remedial education, specialized training for teaching and non-teaching personnel, supplemental feeding, and early childhood care development—all aimed at supporting the holistic development of learners.
For Mayor Villanueva, the transparent and effective use of the SEF embodies his administration’s unwavering commitment to education and the well-being of every learner in the community. By fostering collaboration and addressing pressing challenges, Concepcion continues to build an educational system that empowers its people and shapes a brighter future for all.
“Before you are a leader, success is all about growing yourself. When you become a leader, success is all about growing others.” – Jack Welch
This paradigm is clearly manifested by Mayor Agatha Cruz of Guiguinto, Bulacan who believes that leading and learning are indispensable to each other.
As a game changer in education, she brings new power to listening, consensus-building, collaboration and partnership in creating a more solid foundation to good governance and education reforms.
Listen to how Mayor Agay, who also now chairs the LEARN Council whose members include the Local Chief Executives from Central Luzon, Southern Luzon, National Capital Region, Eastern Visayas, and Surigao del Norte. leads by learning and innovating with a heart for her community’s goal to put education at the forefront of change and continuous improvement.
“I am deeply honoured and grateful to have been chosen as one of the stories of purpose and triumphs that will be immortalized in this book of Ulysses Espartero / Yul Viriña Espartero that pay tribute to 100 Influential Filipinos in the Gulf Region.
I came to Dubai with just one goal and that is to be successful. Fifteen years later, my view of success seems to mean a lot more simpler than I have anticipated. This truly has humbled me and has caused me to further reflect. And perhaps mostly, I hope that my story demonstrates that hard work pays off and that dedication to one’s craft and a purpose driven life can bring you to a state that you can be proud of.
I am grateful for my family who have never ceases to love and support me. I am thankful for my friends who became my family abroad, and my colleagues both past and present that had shaped me to be who I am in my career today. I am just over the moon that all my hard work is being recognized. Thank you Yul for the opportunity and the recognition! Your work is a testament of how dedicated you are in honoring the unsung heroes overseas! Nay and Amang, your bunso is now part of a Book! This is for both of you! ”
Once a battle-hardened warrior on the battlefields, retired general and now Mayor Jon Aying’s transition as a civilian leader has been remarkable. As 200 people from different walks of life trooped to Sara National High School gymnasium to attend the municipal education summit, Mayor Aying stood tall as he delivered his Education Address to his constituents. He reviewed the schools’ performance indicators, explaining what the figures meant. Starting from enrollment figures for the past three years in elementary and high school, he explained and gave comments for his constituents to clearly understand what those pie and bar charts mean in every performance indicator flashed on the LED board. When he came across the reading proficiency and numeracy indicators, he correlated them to the dismal performance of our school children, who lagged, as shown in the PISA results with the rest of the countries of the world. He also highlighted the nutritional status of the schoolchildren. His message is to develop strategic maneuvers to teach the kids competency in every ladder of their education journey. He told his constituents how the local government spend its Special Education Fund where they matter most: payment for additional teachers, infrastructure upgrades, and community engagements. He ended his message with his favorite African proverb, “It takes a village to educate a child.” He wanted the children of Sara to remember his administration, not for the battles won but for the futures secured.
In the workshop that followed, the participants coming from the PTAs, SGCs, Barangay Captains and the Kagawads in charge of education, LGU officials, Members of the Sanggunian, the religious sector and the CSOs were unanimous in their answers.
For them, the most essential learning areas we need to improve are:
literacy and numeracy,
good manners and right conduct, and
nutrition.
Among the members of the PTA and the SGC, they push for the active involvement of parents in reading, numeracy and nutrition. A group of parents shared that they have been doing rounds of bible studies in schools to teach the kids the correct attitudes and values. Admittedly, school heads observed a decline in the enthusiasm of school children to learn because of the influence of gadgets. The heads of offices and the sanggunian members were passionate about pushing for the improvement of the health condition of the school children by actively supporting programs on health and nutrition by the local government. They commit to legislating local initiatives to improve children’s nutritional status in the first 1000 days. The barangay captain and their kagawads quickly added that every barangay and school should have their community and garden to provide vegetables for the school feeding program.
Mayor Aying presented the syntesis of their first education summit in a manila paper which he named as the Education Governance Framework.
After attentively listening to the workshop reports, Mayor Aying presented his synthesis in a Manila paper he illustrated called the Education Governance Framework. Real-time feedback based on the answers to the workshop questions showed that the various sectors in the Municipality of Sara were pushing for improving literacy and numeracy among the school children to address the continuous decline of the state of Philippine education. Corollary to that is the concern and observation of everyone that today’s schoolchildren hardly say sorry, excuse me, and thank you, to the dismay of everyone. Aside from their nutritional status, it also affects children’s memory, attention, and cognitive abilities. Mayor Aying pointed out that the identified problems are offshoots of the environment surrounding the child, which is the school he goes to, his family including its moral and spiritual orientation, the system of governance both at the local and national levels, and the kind of peace and order situation where he lives. His marching order for everyone is for all stakeholders to cooperate and collaborate towards ensuring a better future for every Saranhon.
Talaga namang “power” bicycle ang na-develop ng ilang high school students from Bulacan. Ilang padyak lang — kaya nang magproduce ng kuryente. Pwede pang mag-recyle ng papel at lapis? Tara, let’s change the game sa project cycle!
Doctor of Education, Major in Industrial Education Management Professor VI Bulacan State University
Dr. Reynaldo Salamat is currently teaching at the College of Industrial Technology of Bulacan State University (Main Campus), Malolos City, Bulacan. He is the Founding Chairman and President of Lumina Art Group from 2015 to the present and at the same time, the Vice President of Paombong History, Arts, Culture and Tourism Council.
He hails from the town of Paombong, province of Bulacan where his town is known as the “Vinegar Capital of the Philippines” and is most popular for “Sukang Paombong”, with the vinegar extracted from the sap or juice of sasa (nipa fruit).
As a Paombongeño, Dr. Rey highlighted the trademark of his town in his artwork, the Sukang Paombong in “Tukil”.
Tukil is a bamboo tube-like container used by the farmers in fermenting the sasa juice to produce vinegar. “Tukil” by Dr. Rey, as one of his best paintings shows the ingenuity of Paombongeños.
“Tukil” of Paombong, is made from bamboo hard hollow stem. This simple traditional container is used to collect the sap of Nipa palm that may convert into vinegar which is used in sweets and desserts, but also in curries and sauces.
Tukil of Paombong Vinegar is well-known for its distinct manufacturing method and deep flavor. Originating in the Philippines, Paombong vinegar is a mainstay in Filipino cooking and is renowned for its acidic flavor. As a brand, Tukil probably denotes a high bar for authenticity and quality in the Paombong vinegar-making heritage.
In Paombong, vinegar is traditionally made by fermenting sasa (fruit of nipa), which produces an acidic vinegar with a hint of sweetness. It is a versatile component in Filipino recipes like adobo, sinigang, and kinilaw because of its unique flavor character.
In addition to its flavor, Tukil’s vinegar may be treasured for its cultural value, which connects it to the culinary legacy of the Philippines.
“Tukil” of Paombong, is made from bamboo hard hollow stem. This simple traditional container is used to collect the sap of Nipa palm that may convert into vinegar which is used in sweets and desserts, but also in curries and sauces.