'My school is no. 1'

Episode on July 2, 2007 Monday late night after Saksi Who would ever think that the country’s number one elementary school is located on a mountaintop in one of our poorest provinces? The Sindangan Elementary School in Southern Leyte surprised everyone when it topped the 2006 National Elementary Achievement Test (NEAT) given by the Department of Education for graduating public school elementary students. From its previous rank of 78, the school leapt to the number 1 spot in just two years – an unheard of performance for a school located in such a poverty-stricken region. This Monday on I-Witness, reporter Sandra Aguinaldo meets the students and teachers of this quaint rural school, and documents exactly how Sindangan became the top elementary institution, at least in terms of test performance, in the country. Much of its success can be attributed to Teacher Lea Gabriel. Lea still vividly remembers how difficult life was in Sindangan during her elementary days. When she decided to return to Sindangan to teach, she made sure that her students would get the best possible education she could provide. Teacher Lea would make creative visual aids, spending from out of her own pocket. She spent weekends tutoring her students. Her patient tutoring not only earned them the top spot in the NEAT, it inspired her students to strive harder in their studies. The Sindangan students made their own share of sacrifices. Michelle Maitim walks two hours everyday just to attend her classes. Mildred Maturan spends her weekends teaching daycare to grade 2 students, and saves up on her weekly allowance to buy candies for the kids. Abegail Cortina, the school’s top student, translates English textbooks into Tagalog and Bisaya to help her schoolmates understand them better. But many of these bright children will not go beyond their grade school graduation. Ruben, Michelle’s brother, belonged to the batch of Sindangan graduates that topped the NEAT in 2006. He now works fulltime in the rice fields. Mildred, on the other hand plans to work as a maid, to save up for her high school studies. Watch the journey of these young minds and be inspired by a little school’s giant triumph in Sandra Aguinaldo’s I-Witness documentary, “Iskul Ko, Number 1," this Monday at midnight over GMA-7.

---

'Iskul ko, no. 1' I-Witness ni Sandra Aguinaldo Sino ang mag-aakala na sa isang bundok sa pinakamahirap na rehiyon ng Pilipinas matatagpuan ang pinakamagaling na paaralan sa buong bansa? Ang maliit pero matinik na Elementary School ng Sindangan sa Southern Leyte ang nanguna sa 2006 National Elementary Achievement Test (NEAT), na taun-taong ipinakukuha ng Department of Education sa mga estudyante ng paaralang pampubliko sa buong bansa. Mula sa ranggong 78 noong 2005, nagawa nitong maakyat at maabot ang pinakamataas na posisyon sa NEAT sa loob lang ng dalawang taon, at sa kabila ng kahirapan at mga kalamidad na dumaan sa Southern Leyte. Sa dokumentaryong ito ni Sandra Aguinaldo, ipakikilala niya ang mga mag-aaral at guro ng paaralang hindi nagpatalo sa mga balakid maabot lang ang pangarap na de kalidad na edukasyon. Laking Sindangan si Teacher Lea Gabriel. Alam niya ang hirap na pinagdaraanan ng kanyang mga estudyante. Paborito siyang guro ng mga bata dahil sa kakaibang paraan niya ng pagtuturo ng Math at Science. Kahit maliit ang suweldo, gumagastos si Teacher Lea para sa kanyang mga visual aids at lesson plans. Ang mga estudyante naman kanya-kanya rin ang sakripisyo. Si Michelle Maitim, araw-araw naglalakad ng isa’t kalahating oras at binabagtas ang kabundukan ng Sindangan makapasok lang sa kanyang mga klase. Tuwing Sabado naman, nagtuturo si Mildred Maturan sa mga nakababatang mag-aaral ng Sindangan, dala-dala ang regalong kendi para sa mga bata mula sa inipong baon. Si Abegail Cortina, ang kasalukuyang 1st honor, isinasalin sa Bisaya at Tagalog ang mga librong nakasulat sa Ingles para lalo itong mas maintindihan ng kanyang mga kamag-aral. Panoorin ang sakripisyo at tagumpay ng mga mag-aaral at guro ng Sindangan sa “Iskul Ko, No. 1," dokumentaryo ni Sandra Aguinaldo sa I-Witness sa ika-30 ng Hunyo, Lunes ng hatinggabi sa GMA-7.