PROFILES OF METROBANK FOUNDATION 2009 SEARCH FOR
OUTSTANDING TEACHERS AWARDEES

• As one of the youngest awardees in this year’s roster (34 yrs. old), Mrs. Matan was instrumental in her school’s being able to offer a complete elementary education program from grades 1 through sixth by implementing multi-grade classrooms where she taught two or more grades simultaneously. And while this setting presented a number of challenges such as lack of teaching and learning materials, Mrs. Matan was undaunted and instead developed workbooks for the different subjects she was handling. Consequently, these instructional materials were adopted by schools in Calbayog City. Outside the classroom, Mrs. Matan is active in community work, crusading against forced and early marriages, which are still being practiced in some remote areas in the province where minors, some as young as 13, are being married off to older men in exchange for some goods and small amount of money (i.e. a sack of rice, a pig, and P3,000). By educating the young girls on their rights and their parents on the harmful effects of early marriages on their daughters and convincing them to keep the latter in school, Mrs. Matan was able to prevent forced and early marriages in neighboring barangays. Mrs. Matan also serves as a member of the Lupong Tagapamayapa – a group engaged in settling disputes at the barangay level – in her barangay, an affirmation of the teachers’ status in the community.

• Through Mrs. Cortez’ researches on the comprehension level of Grade III and V pupils in her school, a reading intervention program designed to address the need for mastering the fundamentals of reading was launched in her school. Called the Project HATIE (Higher Achievement through Infinite Education), it aimed to equip schoolchildren with reading proficiency and develop comprehension skills suited to their grade level. Mrs. Cortez also developed instructional materials such as books, modules, and achievement tests which are now being utilized by schools in her division. An advocate for the environment, she served as a project coordinator of environmental projects such as the “Basura Ko, Lingap Ko” and “Alay Tanim Program” that made Brgy. Tamacam as one of the cleanest and greenest barangays in Amadeo, Cavite. She was also part of the team that led the construction project for a pastoral house in Amadeo United Methodist Church necessary in strengthening and expanding the church ministry.

• Mr. Martinez developed instructional materials such as prototype lesson plans and evaluation instruments for the Industrial Arts subject being adopted by the DepEd Division of Tarlac City. In order to address the limited references in teaching the subject, he also authored some unpublished reference books and manuals that served as a guide for his fellow Industrial Arts teachers. Mr. Martinez’ contribution to education does not only transcend within the four walls of the classroom but also to his community. As a founding member of the Tarlac Arts Guild and Grupong Munad, he had once served as a teacher-volunteer to the out-school-youth with strong inclination towards the arts. In 2001, he initiated an income-generating project for 20 indigent pupils by tapping their talent for making mosaic paintings using colored seeds. Proceeds from the sold paintings were divided equally among the indigent students. As a source of additional income for his family, Mr. Martinez admits that after work and during the weekends, he accepts design and printing jobs (i.e. tarpaulins, banners, etc.)

• Mrs. Imingan considers that her biggest responsibility as an English teacher is to make each pupil in her class a reader and someone who does not only recognize symbols on the paper but is able to comprehend their meanings as part of a written text. In order to achieve this, Mrs. Imingan conducted researches on reading difficulties and developed improvised teaching devices called the Reading Remediation Series, consisting of big books, charts, and flashcards that helped improved the reading comprehension of the students. To further promote and enhance the reading and comprehension of the students, Mrs. Imingan also spearheaded the establishment of an Extensive Reading Center (ERC) in her school where wide varieties of reading materials as well as learning and instructional tools are made available to both students and teachers, respectively. She also involved the families of students with reading difficulties in similar programs such as encouraging parents to read to their children at home. Consequently, these efforts resulted in the better performance of the school in the division, regional, and national achievement tests, and its reaping “The Best School Award in Reading for SY 2006-2007” from the DepEd Division Office in Olongapo City.

• Teaching English I, II, & III, Ms. Ganela developed modules and innovations to enrich her classes and to make her lessons more fun and meaningful for her students. She takes pride in one of her teaching approaches, called the Jeopardy Game inspired by the popular American game show, which she modified to become a review game before long quizzes and quarter exams. She also serves as a Drama Club adviser in her school where she conducts acting workshops for the students, which, she said, could help build the latter’s self-esteem and confidence. Ms.Ganela shares expertise in teaching and drama through outreach programs and seminars she has conducted locally and abroad. She is also an active member of a church ministry and has been holding Sunday classes to high school students since 1995.

• Mrs. Papasin served as a coach of students who won first place in national science fairs (2006 Science Fair, 2005 &1996 Sibol Award), and has brought two teams to international science fairs in Japan and Malaysia, in 2008 and 1999 respectively. To further strengthen science-research consciousness among the students and her colleagues, Mrs. Papasin replicated these events and organized school-based science fairs that produced the study on the physical, chemical, and biological properties of the Davao River, Davao City’s most important body of water. The said research benefitted the communities along the river that have been warned against drinking water from the river because it was found to be contaminated with coliform bacteria. When not supervising future scientists in the school’s laboratories, Mrs. Papasin reaches out to financially-challenged students through the Silver Hearts Club, which she founded. The organization raises funds to help address the needs of selected beneficiaries such as school supplies.

• An expert English teacher and trainer, Mrs. Romualdo has produced instructional materials that catered to the development of Higher Order Thinking Skills (HOTS) of the students using modern methods of instruction, skill-based evaluation instruments, non-traditional assessment tools, and strengthened use of English. The efficiency of such materials was proven by the students improved scores across school, division, and national achievement tests. While ensuring the high level of competencies of the students, Mrs. Romualdo also saw to it that they would stay in school by developing the Drop Out Reduction Plan (DORP) for the Province of Cotabato. The said program which is implemented by the DepEd nationwide, aimed at mitigating dropout rates in public schools by engaging multi-sector participation in mobilizing financial and human resources required in implementing its components. Under Mrs. Romualdo’s guidance, the program has saved almost 4,000 students at risk of dropping out from different schools in Cotabato in the last three years. Mrs. Romualdo also fostered the same spirit of cooperation and responsibility among the students through MAXIMIZERS, a school-based organization that provides assistance to poor students. The student members, who themselves did not come from affluent families, raise funds to support the beneficiaries. They have been encouraged by Mrs. Romualdo, who constantly reminds them that “somebody does not necessary need to have much in life to become capable of giving.”

• Mr. Pinongcos, as an Intel Teach National Trainers awardee, has conducted trainings for the Intel Teach Training Program at the national, regional, and division levels. The project helps teachers who have little or no computer experience acquire basic technology literacy skills and introduces them to 21st century approaches to teaching and learning. Mr. Pinongcos also serves as an ICT trainer for out-of-school youths and barangay officials in the town of Leganes. One of the innovative teaching approaches he developed is the “Barangay Ko Tipigan Ko” (I care for my barangay), a form of learning that promotes social and community awareness among the students in which they adopt a barangay and conduct an assessment survey on its strengths and weaknesses. The students then present their findings and propose solutions to the different problems they have identified in the community before LGU and barangay officials. Mr. Pinongcos is also an active Extraordinary Minister of the Holy Communion in the Parish of St. Vincent Ferrer, administering to the sick and the elderly every Sunday and feast days.

• Dr. Ocampo’s research on early literacy has contributed to the very recently signed DepEd Order No. 74 series of 2009 entitled “Institutionalizing Mother Tongue-Based Multilingual Education or MLE.” It was based on the theory and nationwide consultations on the policy research on National Learning Strategies on English and Filipino under the Basic Education Sector Reform Agenda (BESRA) which DepEd asked Dr. Ocampo to conduct in 2006. Since 1990, Dr. Ocampo has been investigating the effects of the use of the child’s dominant language as the medium of instruction particularly in learning to read. With over nearly 20 years, her research consistently showed that children learn best in the language they know. Dr. Ocampo is the co-founder of Wordlab School, Inc., a reading clinic that provides individualized instruction to children experiencing difficulties in reading due to dyslexia or related learning disabilities. Her research and articles on dyslexia have helped promote awareness about this learning condition. She is actively involved with the Reading Association of the Philippines (RAP), an association of teachers of reading. In addition to being an advocate for education, Dr. Ocampo is also a volunteer in many activities organized by schools, churches, and associations, where she uses her network to bridge said development groups (and their beneficiaries) and experts in the fields they are working on. Dr. Ocampo is also one of the 2007 awardees of The Outstanding Women in Nation’s Service or TOWNS organized by the TOWNS Foundation and the Metrobank Foundation.

• As a biochemistry expert, Dr. Del Fierro has conducted scientific researches on mutagenicity, clastogenicity, and antimutagenicity potential of natural products and chemical toxicology in the environment. These researches that provided information on the use of herbal plants and the effects of certain chemicals on the environment have facilitated the development of the research culture in the University of San Carlos. As Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, he has taken a lead role in making the Department of Chemistry as a CHED Center of Excellence. Dr. Del Fierro also aggressively lobbied for the creation of Non-Thesis Graduate Programs in the College and worked for their accreditation with CHED under its Higher Education Development Project. Outside the academe, Dr. Del Fierro actively participates in various professional organizations, conducting programs to promote the advancement of biochemistry in the country and harnessing its potentials in solving challenges in healthcare, agriculture, energy production, among others.