Awesome April 23,2014
11:38pm
Tonight, I want to repost a written assignment I
submitted to my professor in the University of the Philippines Open University
way back 2010. I had to interview a
teacher I had known with some ready made questions for him/her as part of our requirements
for our Educ 101 course.
I called him long distance from Manila to Zamboanga City.
Thanks to his daughters, the interview was made possible. It is with much
regret and apologies that I dedicate my blog today to this great individual,
who, I wanted to send a copy of this piece and also visit…unfortunately time
and energy were not so much available.
I hope my unfulfilled promise would have been forgiven.
It took me a while for me to ransack my old back up disks to retrieve this data. I have
been wanting to blog this and finally, tonight, it is now possible:
An Outstanding
Filipino Teacher: Dr. Erdulfo B. Fernando
December 11.2010
EDUC 101 TMA#1
University of the Philippines Open University
This week, I should have been in Zamboanga city to celebrate
our 25th Alumni Homecoming from the Western Mindanao State
University. I am somewhat an honorary alumna since I was there from
Kindergarten to 2nd Year High School. Unfortunately, my very high
risk 13 week pregnancy would not allow me to travel nor be exposed to very
exciting or emotional activities.
But still ,I got a very nice trip down memory lane when I
had to interview our then Elementary
School Principal for this assignment.
Now, why did I consider him my Outstanding Filipino Teacher,
hands down?
You see, I was somehow, a maladjusted kid in school. It took
almost half of the school year in kindergarten for me to break out of my shy shell
and go into our building and be part of school. I obstinately relented
to being left at school by staying by the door only. No more beyond that. My
siblings would not stop teasing me until now that I was the very first lady
guard ever.
It took my 4th grade teacher, Mr. Cuartocruz, the
whole last morning period, just trying to make me recite in class. I stubornly sat
deeper and deeper into my chair hoping that it would swallow me up so I
could be spared the embarrassment of attention, scrutiny and exasperation of my
peers.
I suffered from impaired Myopic vision that required
correction glasses to which I refused. Just imagine all the
zeros I got in especially in Math
exams since I could not see the computation and instructions on the black board
from my seat.
How I survived from Kinder to grade six is something short
of a miracle.
Picture the pain I endured to have my test papers with all
the red Mongo seeds marking on the corridor wall outside our classroom.
It was enough for me to wish I died so I would be spared the
agony of going back to 6th grade class after a long holiday break. Then only
to be told that I was required at the Principal’s office one day.
As I trudged the long stretch from our room in one end of the building to the office, my legs
felt so heavy and I did not know what to expect. Am I
now going to be kicked out
finally from school? Will it end my misery or will it mean the beginning of
another?
I will never forget getting into the sunlit office of Mr.
Erdulfo B. Fernando. It felt like it was a piece of heaven. So bright and so
cheery, as if I could hear the chirping of birds somewhere assuring me that the
end may not necessarily mean sad and depressing.
He asked me to read a book. I think, a pile of books where ready for me to choose
from on his massive wooden desk.
Everything from the floors to the walls to the windows
seemed to glisten in the mid morning sun.
It really felt good to be able to given a choice.
Something, I was not familiar with.
Then, I started reading the book beside him while he sat
behind his desk.
At first, the print was blurry.
My voice could not escape from my very parched throat.
Somehow, I did not detect any note of impatience from Mr.
Fernando.
It was enough encouragement for me to go on until somehow my
voice and reading tempo was getting more relaxed until I reached a point where I surprisingly was enjoying it.
I cannot clearly recall anymore if I finished the whole book
or even the title of the book.
What I know now, was that, for the first time in my
elementary school years, I no longer was afraid.
Mr. Fernando gently ended our time together with a simple
compliment: That will do, you did good.
It was enough affirmation for me to be bursting with joy.
Going back to my classroom, I was somehow almost leaping and
brimming with relief and a new found voice and hope.
For the first time in my life, I saw light at the end of a
long tunnel with my newfound voice and strength.
It was a somewhat
insignificant moment, but it spelled :
LIFE & FREEDOM for me.
I did not have much exposure to Mr. Erdulfo B. Fernando
because he was sent to Manila immediately after that
for further studies until a few days ago, when I placed the long
distance call to Zamboanga.
The following interview will further affirm why I thought He
was the best.
Question #1. What led
you to the teaching profession?
Dr. Fernando explains that
He chose to take Education from the then
Zamboanga Normal School (now Western Mindanao State University ) for the following practical reasons:
1.
It was most affordable.
2.
He lived a mere walking distance from the
school.
Question #2. What do you consider is your most challenging
experience?
Dr. Fernando recalls the time He, and 14 other candidates
had to vie for the Presidency of the Western Mindanao State University. He was already the OIC of
the university from 1988 to 1990 and yet it was maybe perhaps like passing
through the eye of the needle again so to speak. The list was further trimmed down to 3. Then, after a
period of deliberation, the late President Corazon C. Aquino handpicked him to
lead the university for another 7 years.
Question #3. What do
you consider are your significant contributions to Education and to the
community?
Under his leadership, the university was conferred the
distinction of being a Center of Excellence for Teaching Education. Closely
after that, the College of Nursing and College of Architecture were given the same recognition as well.
He was able to quell some pockets of trouble and rebellion from the
student ranks now and then.
Today, at 78 years old, Dr. Fernando is still a
very energetic member of the community. He goes to mass
everyday and serves as a Lay Minister of the Eucharist and makes home visits to
the sick regularly.
He is also the Vice President of the local Red Cross chapter
in Zamboanga City.
Question #4. What are
the major issues facing the Philippine Education system? In what ways can they
be resolved?
Dr. Fernando believes that the move to lengthen the number of
academic school year by 2-5 years more is not necessary. He does not believe that length spells quality.
He suggests that the
Teacher Education curriculum be revised to make it more relevant to a
particular/given community. Teachers are
encouraged to have the missionary
zeal as they practice their profession within the community by being very sensitive to the local culture as
He/She attempts to make the pursuit of
Education as relevant and necessary as
possible.
Question #5. What is
your vision of Philippine Education in
the near future?
He envisions Education to be brought much closer to the
“footsteps” of the local Philippine
communities where the statistics show a huge dropout at grade 4 level.
He hopes that children do not need to walk miles and miles
to be able to reach school.
He hopes that Philippine Education be strengthened with ALS
or the Alternative Learning System where the focus will be developing learning
skills at the Grade 1 and 2 levels that even if
a student drops out, He/ she is equipped with skills making him/her open
to more learning outside of school. Thus making the individual self sufficient
and a not a burden to society.
In closing, the 45 minutes we had chatting animatedly with
each other was like a full circle experience for me. It left me so amazed and in awe that yes,
instinctively, I knew, way back at 6th grade, Dr. Fernando
was such an exceptional person. He lived and breathed excellence in a very simple and unassuming
manner. He never had the airs about him. He always had a cheerful disposition.
I would encounter him making his rounds around the school premises beyond 5 in
the afternoon making sure everything was in order. Something
which he
serendipitously mentioned in the
interview. I am sure, Senor Will, our
school janitor would have also attested the fact, that this special person, had
a gift of bringing out the best in a another in a momentary and simple
encounter. He has such a big heart that
gives encouragement and good regard no
matter the stature and circumstance of the person in front of him. It is not surprising
to hear him admit that Dr. Fernando finds his strength and the secret of his success in his Lord and maker.
*** photo credits:
1st picture, http://wmsu.edu.ph/index-v09.php?news=184
2nd picture, Agnes Fernando, when Dr. Fernando and I had our chat back in 2010.
