A Letter by: Simeon B. Botor

A LETTER


11:00 pm
August 4, 2007


My Dear Blog,

I will tell you something. It concerns about my life – the first dawn of consciousness with awareness, the aspirations, the dreams and the experiences. It embraces my struggles, pains, loneliness, frustrations, happiness, and my very little success due to patience, perseverance, hardships, and determination. It divulges my beliefs, principles and philosophies which I hold and protect so dear and maintain throughout my life. It springs of course from my very self, from my family, close kins, neighbors, friends, associates, institutions and generally from the environment where I have been meshed. This disclosure might impute me whoever reads it of who and what I am and how I become. Nevertheless, anyone who has an access to such might be able to glean lesson or lessons and wisdom from it. Please understand me my blog if I present those above at random. Every item with or without title however, is closed by a short parallel line and the whole things would have the heading:


“THE MANY BITS OF MY LIFE”

The Many Things I Have To Be Thankful...

The Many Things I Have To Be thankful…
by:
Ma. Rowena M. Bayrante

There are so many things I have to be thankful. First and foremost, I am thankful for my parents for giving me the opportunity to live. Because of this I was able to experience how it is to cry and laugh. They tried to give me the best education that they can offer me by letting me pursue my course in one of the prestigious schools in the Philippines. This is despite their meager income and the uncertainty of me finishing the course that I have chosen. This in able me to showcase my talents and develop my personal being to the fullest.

I am also thankful for my brothers, sisters, my relatives and other members of my family who are ever willing to support and assist me in all my undertakings. Whether I succeed or not they are always there to accept me for what I am and not for what they expect me to be. Although I could say that I am more privileged educationally and intellectually, they treated me as a simple and ordinary person who is prone to commit mistakes and ever willing to change for the better. They never question my actions and kept their trust in me no matter what. They are always there whenever I need them may it be financially, emotionally or whatever kind.

I am likewise thankful for my husband because of Him I was able to stand up from the greatest trial of my life. He accepted me for what I am and not for what he expects me to be. He was ever willing to support me in all my endeavors even if it would mean freeing me from doing household chores. He is very understanding to always give in during times of conflict and misunderstanding. He is always there to give more than what he can offers. Despite his being an only son he is very willing to learn and forget about his principle if only for the good of the family.

I am thankful for my beautiful children who are ever ready to serve and compromise for their shortcomings as well as me and my husband’s shortcomings. They are always ready to patiently observed and wait for the time when I am ready to give them my assistance and guidance. They are God-fearing who understand the reason of why they have to do things in accordance with the teachings of God. They never complain for the less time I have spent with them and always look forward to the time that we will have family bonding either by eating together in a restaurant or by simply travelling to places they haven’t reached.

I am greatly thankful to all the persons who in one way or another have inspired me and contributed significantly in my life. These are my mentors, my students, my co-workers, my friends, my classmates and all those who in their little ways have contributed to what I am now. They drive me to be more ambitious, innovative, experimental and responsive to the challenges of time. Be it academic, social or personal dealings. All these have contributed to the greatest achievements of my forty-three years of existence. I still look forward to learning new things, meeting new friends, more exchange of ideas and challenges in the pursuit of knowledge.

I am a Teacher

I am a Teacher
Reflection by:
Ma. Rowena M. Bayrante

I firmly believe that a teacher is born the first moment that a question leaped from the mouth of a child. This is because, when a child starts to ask questions this marks the beginning of the quest for knowledge. Although they have parents to respond to this quest not all of them are equipped with the right answers to their questions. This is because their parents may not be academically prepared to give and explain the answers to these questions. This is the reason why teachers are needed in order to respond to this particular situation. This also marked the beginning of the teaching profession.

A teacher is a representation of all the people who tried to make a significant contribution to knowledge in many places. She could be Socrates, Anne Sullivan, Aesop and Hans Christian Andersen who made significant contributions in their own field of expertise. Truly because her ideologies maybe representing or product of these different personalities.

A teacher is indeed a paradox who is very effective when he listen the most. She is one who is willing to accept students’ opinions, suggestions and reasoning not purely imposing what she thinks is right. She respects students ability to analyze and react to situations according to his emotions and beliefs Her greatest gift is what she receives from students not counted by the material gifts but how students honed their talents and skills.

The teacher is among the most fortunate of all who labor together with the doctors and architects. She is allowed to see that life is reborn each day with new questions, ideas and friendships. This is because a teacher must see to it that learning is not dormant and final. Learning must be responsive to the new trends and developments in the environment as well as in the society. It must also be never ending that it does not stop at one stage but continues with the other stages. Although knowledge learned today may not be applicable in the future. There should be a connection with the present to the future. Knowledge should find its application and relevance through time.

A teacher knows that if the foundation is anchored on love and truth what she imparts will last forever. Students remember teachers who are apathetic to them. They could greatly recall teachers who are friendly, loving, truthful and caring in their dealings with students. However, they may recall teachers who are very arrogant, dominating and inconsiderate because of unforgettable experiences or hatred.

A teacher is a warrior who battles daily against peer pressure, negativity, fear, conformity, prejudice, ignorance and apathy. That is why a teacher is expected to have a balance personality who can adjust to different situations as may be required. He must learn to overcome all his battles in teaching. Together he must consider his great allies such as intelligence, curiosity, parental support, individuality, creativity, faith, love and laughter for support. These are the essential requirements for the teaching profession to prosper. The experiences that the teacher has in the past serves as her living proof to improve for the better, the present challenges the teacher, makes teaching fun and adventurous in order to experiment on things to effectively impart knowledge. Through the present the teacher is allowed to spend his days with the future. It is the present that will dictate whether the teacher would still remain in the future. That is why he needs to be very good and effective in the present in order to ensure a good and promising future ahead of him. This is the essence of a teacher and we have to
thank God for it everyday.

For Whom Is Education?

For Whom Is Education?
by:
Ma. Rowena M. Bayrante


It’s saddening that not all could afford to be educated. Some would earn a living first to feed their hungry stomach. With the very high cost of living it is not surprising that people in the lower strata of the society would not want to be educated. For the less privileged like them going to school is just a luxury. If this is the case then who would go to school? Are the rich who have more than what they need? Or the middle class who have just more than enough. Or the poor who have nothing?

Even if the government provides free and compulsory education for elementary and secondary, not all could follow the provision. With the high tuition and miscellaneous fees in prestigious universities like La Salle and Ateneo only a few could study in these universities. Even UP which is supposed to be a state university has increased its tuition fee to as much as 300%. The middle class chance of having access to these prestigious universities becomes very slim. Only the well to dos is left with lots of choices.

With this situation, the rich becomes richer and the poor becomes poorer. Inequitable distribution in intelligence, material things and even privileged would be very evident. Many people will become illiterate due to poor comprehension. English proficiency will ultimately decline because not all would be able to understand and use the language correctly. Even access to technology would be scarce. Only those who can pay would have greater access. Knowledge gain through technology such as internet would be monopolized and not distributed.

It is quite dismay that in a country like the Philippines which has the cheapest cost in education not all are given the same opportunity to be educated. Very few scholarships are being offered to less privileged but talented students. More of the government’s money is allocated to insurgency problems, infrastructure and other senseless things. That’s why many Filipinos are illiterate. That is comprehension is very poor even if they know how to read and write. This is probably the reason why Filipinos are always the victims of oppression and abuse whenever they go to other countries. They could hardly understand what is stated in their contracts and very seldom do they know of their rights.

With the escalation in the number of cases of abused Filipinos here and abroad, the government should have done something about this. However, no one is interested to file a bill that would protect Filipino workers here and abroad. It is frustrating that for them who were voted to their respective offices, all of them seem to have acquired amnesia. They are too preoccupied with quarreling with one another, getting even with somebody and aspiring to become heads of different committees that when they are through their terms are already finished. Then if they can’t be depended upon then who else will we depend on?

Will we need the intrusion of the foreigners like the volunteers such as the Peace Corps who are very much willing to extend a helping hand? Or the help of Catholic and other missionaries who are always ready to serve? Or the providence of the Almighty God? Whatever, the choice will be only one is certain, that is if we can not find help here in the Philippines then there are too many who are willing to help. But in spite all these I am pretty sure that education will still be the prime and only solution. So let’s get educated for it is only in education that we become rich in mind and spirit. Let this be a call for those who have lost interest in schooling. Let poverty not be a hindrance to education, for if there is will there will always be a way. We’ve got to think positive that whatever we can not do we lift it up to God. For he will always be there to help us. All we need is just to have faith and trust in Him. Because for so may times when we were at the lowest point of our lives He did never abandon us.