BBFI and DIWA laud four trailblazing educators at A Tribute to Teachers 2018
Four inspiring teachers were recognized by Bato Balani Foundation Inc. (BBFI) and Diwa Learning Systems Inc. (Diwa) in A Tribute to Teachers. The event culminates the foundations annual The Many Faces of the Teacher (TMFT) campaign, a yearly search for educators whose stories are inspiring and worth emulating.
A Tribute to Teachers, which is an annual gathering of educators that pays homage to those who have risen above themselves to become true catalysts of change, was held last October 5, 2018 at the Grand Ballroom of Okada Hotel. The day also coincided with World’s Teacher’s Day and the end of National Teachers Month.
Ms. Lodema Dela Cruz Doroteo, Mr. Ruel Eballar Janamjam, Mr. Ricardo Trota Jose, Ph.D., and Mr. Dominic Rover Ocampo are this year's TMFT honorees. A common theme among the honorees was that as teachers, they are all trailblazers who lead the way to various paths of hope and opportunity to improve the lives of the communities they serve.
Ms. Doroteo is the first among the Dumagat tribe to finish college and become a teacher. Beyond that, she even established a community school for her tribe so that they would not have to go through the same hardship she endured to complete her education.
Mr. Janamjam is a community teacher and leader who helps the Matigsalug tribe in Davao. For his solidarity with the community and efforts to lead the tribe on issues such as improving the tribe’s livelihoods and creating access to education by building a school on the tribe’s ancestral land, he was conferred the title of datu by the tribe—an honor only previously bestowed on the descendants of royalty.
Dr. Jose is the country's pre-eminent scholar on World War II in the Philippines and the Asia Pacific. Over the years, it has been his mission to teach history by making his students feel it and touch it. As the generation gap widens between millennials and those that experienced the war, he continues to build bridges between the past and present through his research and lessons.
Lastly, Mr. Ocampo is a mobile teacher and mountaineer who serves the Mangyan communities of Oriental Mindoro by giving them light, literally and figuratively, through his project called 'Backpack Alitaptap'. He has not only helped the community power their homes by building solar panels, but also continues to give them the spark of education that can lead them to a brighter future.
Aside from the recognition of this year's honorees, another highlight of the celebration was the concert headlined by Bamboo, a Filipino American musician and singer-songwriter. The recognition and celebration event was attended by 900 educators from across the country.
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