“Saludo talaga ako sa mga guro, para lang matulungan ang mga anak natin matuto ng tamang disiplina at magsipag para makapagtapos” – Marissa
“Isa sa mga malaking bahagi ng ating mga buhay ay ang ating mga guro. Maraming salamat sa lahat ng turong inyong ibinahagi” – Alexandra
Marissa and Alexandra are only two of millions of Filipinos whose minds and personalities were shaped by their teachers. And for Marissa and Alexandra, leaving simple thank you messages in their social media accounts is one way to express their appreciation this National Teachers Month for the mentors who played an important role in their lives.
“Together with the people who experienced firsthand the passion and sacrifices of their teachers, Globe Telecom pays tribute to the invaluable contributions of these unsung heroes to the individual, society, and country as a whole,” said Miguel Bermundo, Director of Globe Citizenship and Advocacy Marketing.
He added: “We know that our teachers only want the best for their students but many of them do not have enough resources to prepare for 21st century learning. We believe that the best way to show them our gratitude is to help equip them with training and tools they need to deliver quality education.”
Thus, in cooperation with the Department of Education (DepEd) and three teaching innovators – Mano Amiga, Habi Education Lab, and Affordable Private Education Center (APEC) Schools – Globe was able to hold workshops on project-based learning, ICT integration in the classroom, and modules on responsible online behavior.
Teacher training is the central component of Globe Telecom’s commitment to public schools called the Global Filipino Program which also provides free internet connectivity and mobile tech equipment to the supported schools representing their DepEd division.
So far, there are already 214 GFS schools across all the 17 regions in the country, directly benefiting more than 400 teachers. These select teachers from various provinces nationwide paid it forward by cascading what they learned to other public schools within their own divisions for the benefit of more teachers and students.
At the same time, another Globe initiative called PRISM has given hundreds of public and private schools teachers a chance to be part of a three-week professional development program which includes a two-day immersive boot camp, distance project-based learning, and personalized coaching to enhance their technological skills for effective classroom learning.
Hand-in-hand with technology exposure, teachers also learned to promote digital citizenship and responsibility to their students and teachers through the Digital Thumbprint Program (DTP) of Globe. Free to all public and private schools, the DTP workshops are accessible to over 40,000 teachers and have an estimated reach of 1.6 million public school students nationwide.
All these efforts are in line with inclusive and equitable quality education being espoused by UN Sustainable Development Goal No. 4 which Globe supports.
The National Teachers’ Month is celebrated from September 5 to October 5 by virtue of Presidential Proclamation No. 242, which recognizes the need to “celebrate the unique role and service that teachers play in guiding families, strengthening communities, and building the nation.”
If you want to say thank you to your teachers, please visit #IbaKaTeacher.
A former educator and now working as a freelance writer. Simply living her own version of life’s passion – music, mobile photography, story telling, road trips and food trailing! 🙂