The Bayanihan Spirit Lives On: A school community-led approach vs COVID 19
by NIÑA L. SOLANIA
A Filipino characteristic defined as working together towards a common goal, the Bayanihan spirit was evident in Butuan Central Elementary School (BCES) as it copes with the adversity brought by the pandemic this school year.
No task is too big nor too small in Butuan Central’s fight against COVID-19. Teachers, parents, alumni associations, service barangays, LGU’s and private institutions all worked together to support the school’s implementation of distance learning.
According to the Adopt-a-School Coordinator of BCES, Mrs. Mayzette K. Garcia, for the first and second quarter (January – June) of CY 2021, the donations received by the school already accumulated to ₱318,381.75 in which most of the partner’s contributions were intended to learner’s school supplies and printing needs for the reproduction of modules.
“Our stakeholders play a very important role in managing the school especially at this time of the pandemic. They provided assistance to supplement our transition to distance learning and helped teachers reproduce learning modules for their pupils,” the school principal of BCES, Dr. Luisito G. Pero said.
To aid the school’s distance learning initiatives and support pupils with educational resources, the Ayala Foundation has donated Globe Wi-Fi Devices to the online and blended modality pupils and Grolier Incorporated also donated books and learning materials for the learners.
Several local affiliates have sourced and donated health and safety kits for the teaching and non-teaching personnel who put their welfare at risk just to ensure that learning will continue.
Aside from the educational and safety needs, parents also donated voluntarily for the maintenance of the facilities, beautification, and cleanliness of the school grounds.
“The partners of the school play a huge role through the financial and material (bond paper, soap, alcohol, mask, face shield, etc.) support. That is why the BCES-GPTA office and the 11 service barangays in BCES are willingly doing our best to work together with the school administrators and teachers,” GPTA President, Mr. Silvestre C. Cariño has pronounced.
Bayanihan is indeed the rallying spirit behind the school and stakeholder’s effort to ensure the continuity of education. Extending help, no matter how big or small, can produce a ripple effect to the learners and the school community as a whole. ###
