ARTICLE FROM SUN STAR CAGAYAN DE ORO
THE Rotary Club of West Cagayan de Oro continues its distinctive mark of honoring unsung heroes in Northern Mindanao.
And this year, Exquil Bryan Aron from Iligan City East High School bagged the Most Outstanding Public School Teacher Award (MOPSTA), held annually by the club to honor public teachers around Northern Mindanao.
The 32-year-old teacher said the award has been unexpected, and that when it was given during the awarding ceremony last May 4, he originally intended to attend a doctorate class in Math Ed at Mindanao University of Science and Technology (MUST).
Aron has been teaching high school math for 10 years, and has been mixing Information Communication Technology (ICT) in his class to capture the students’ interest.
“I believe that education is now a lot different as in the last 20 years,” he said, adding that teachers should cope with the changing times and should teach the students to become globally competitive.
According to Court of Appeals Justice Romulo V. Borja, a Rotarian for 40 years, MOPSTA has been going on for 28 years, albeit there were gaps during the entire period. The award has been running for 12 years straight now.
“We are giving honors to our unsung heroes...and they are the teachers—the most underappreciated, underpaid, and overworked,” said Justice Borja, who heads the Gigi Borja Memorial Fund, the mother sponsor of MOPSTA.
MOPSTA, Borja said, is to inspire the teachers to abide by their code of excellence.
Rotary International District 3870 Governor Rita Abalos agreed.
“Awards like this make our teachers feel that they are valued, that they are recognized, even in our own little ways,” Governor Abalos said.
She added: “We are now professionals because we have caring teachers...and I’m very close to them because my mother is a classroom teacher, too.”
According to PP Eileen San Juan, the screening process lasted six months from the announcement in October 2008, selection of finalist by December 15, and screening by January.
The award carries with it a hefty purse of P50,000 prize and a PC set for the winner’s school. Other awardees include: Gresenia A. Rafols of Bugo Central School (1st runner-up) and Ma. Dulce F. Cuerquis of East City Central School (2nd runner up), who received P20,000 and P15,000 respectively.
They topped five other finalists: Delia D. Acle of Mahinog Elementary School, Camiguin; Jinky Arnejo, South City Central School, CDEO; Anna Liza Ocaya, Suntingon Elementray School, Bugo, CDEO; Patrocinia Menciano, West City Central School, CDEO; and Julieth Lacson, Bayabas National High School, CDEO. They all received P3,000 as consolation prize.
Six semi-finalists also received P1,000 cash prize.
The MOPSTA committee is headed by the indefatigable PP Adrian Pabayo. He is assisted in this task by PP Eileen San Juan, Teresa Elloso, Moshe Amir, PP Modesto Babaylan, Visminda Rabarra, President Armando Tarayao, Excelo Cabatbat, Rodelia Gaylo, Roy Villaro and Liezl Deloso.
Sponsors were the Gigi Borja Endowment Fund, heirs of the late Justiniano R. Borja; Cecilia Borja-Chiongbian; Christine Borja-Sagabarria; and Justice Romulo V. Borja; Sotelco thru past District Governor Narciso Nolasco and Lutt Nolasco; Luneta Dayta-Abellanosa; HP Philippines/Globalchips Technologies Inc. thru Rotarian William Y. Malagar; RC West Foundation Inc.; Pres. Adrian R. Co; Ma. Theresa Elloso; Adrian C. Pabayo and Armando A. Tarayao.
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