NO HEART FOR PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHERS

REMEDIOS S. CATAP

There is a clamor from public school teachers for the DepEd Secretary Leonor Magtolis Briones to resign due to the negative remarks she gave on why teachers are in a serious debt to private lending institutions.

She said that teachers should not blame the Department of Education for their loan sharks to PLI... it was them who used the money and spent them in buying things that are not necessary like car and travelling abroad.

With this statement, teachers were deeply hurt as they said that the secretary didn’t even give the teachers the dignity and respect. She is supposed to be the mother of the institution but she has no heart for them.

— oOo—

The author is Teacher III at Pampanga High School

— Helen Keller.

The 4Ps of the government or the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino ProgramformerlyAhon Pamilyang Pilipino, is aconditional cash transferprogram of thePhilippinegovernment under theDepartment of Social Welfare and Development. It aims to eradicate extreme poverty in the Philippines by investing in health and education particularly in ages 0–14. The parents and their children have some counterparts to avail of he said pr ogr am.

We are all recipients of such P’s only indifferently, uniquely and miraculously. The millennials are here. Trolls are anywhere. The digital natives are reactive. There are 3P’s and 2P’s we need to value, revalue and devalue.

One of the Ps we should be careful of is the POSE. It is usually a resemblance of your totality to seek attention. Your hands, your pouty lips, makeup, gestures, wardrobe and accessories may not be a common denominator to what others view of you. To add injury to some pose is when you are with someone, somebody or group of people who may be an accessory to beautify or destroy your pose.I was once on the chubby side 3 or 4 years ago since it runs in our genes courtesy of our paternal side. Not mindful of my looks since I am perfectly fine and contented of my body weight. But now, as I age gracefully, I took a stand on making the motto: “Health is wealth,” in order to serve longer as a public servant. I am now slimmer and able to dress appropriately and lo and behold, more positive responses are being fed my ears everytime they see me in pictures and in person. My Pose have never been more confident.

Post. One of the Ps may also define who you really are according to world wide web. It is here that you publish, announce and advertise to the public notice. Every letter counts. Every number counts. Wrong grammar is not acceptable so don’t post. Everything is scrutinized to the judgemental reader. It may even be viewed the exact opposite of what you meant. It may even reach those unconcerned people and define it as referring to them as individual or as an organization. Trolls begin to follow you, bash you and worst, you are under trial by publicity. Can you retrieve what has been posted? Sorry. As one TV network advocates, TBYC (Think Before You Click).On account of using the Social Media as an avenue of sharing your life to the public and the memory being shared on the same date after how many years, it’s always good to post anything that would invite positive remarks than negative ones. It will always give a smile to someone else day once seen.

Pause. The third P which is the best of all times in whatever generation we are in. Whenever you are in trouble or in great agony and turbulence, give yourself a pause, a break. When our heart is full of hatred, it will just bring out mouthful of wastes we can never erase. Indeed, it is easier said but to undo it is the hardest. No educated person can be educated in action and in words when he is high not in drugs but so high with anger. I always keep my calm when a storm is heading towards me. Most of the time, pausing creates a room of silence wherein both parties involved may either get tired of talking or surrendered to the idea that if it’s not meant to be, the time has not come. Pausing has a healing effect that no amount of titles can battle the power it can give to a person.

Prank is the fourth P which may not rhyme as the three but it is something so humiliating and dehumanizing especially if you are the victim but to the offender it’s a joy in their blood. Some pranks together with the sponsoring pranksters exchange life for fun. I was once a victim of a prank in one of the Faculty Meetings I had with my teachers. I was in awe and lost for appropriate words to utter not to mention I lost my pose and pause. The prankster did not mean to harm the sensibilities of all who have been a witness to the event taking into consideration all the stress being felt by the prankster of the gargantuan task and reports for the end of school year. On a lighter note, an expression of sincere apology gave everybody something to smile. Life must go on. Staging an act is no joke and erasing the effect has it’s toll on his fellow workers. All the Life is once lived just to end up because of a planned joke prank. There are many ways to kill a cat, not thru a prank.

Prayer is the most important weapon we can count on. It can move mountains. It should be valued utmost. We don’t want the damage to be done. Teachers are not trained to do everything in their power and capacity but they survive. Financial rewards are not satisfying nor could really send a child up to the preferred course in College but they were able to fulfill duties and obligations by settling to augment needed finances through availment of different loans may it be from the sharks or lions den. Family concerns most of the time matters but most of the time too, relationships are being compromised due to the nature of work and heavy load a teacher has. How could you imagine a School Heads life as well? In between ifs and buts, sighs and smiles, all is being surpassed because everything is anchored in prayer and with prayer. It is the most POWERFUL WEAPON anybody can have every second, every minute and every hour of our entire life.

We don’t regret nor remorse in the beginning. Just be careful with 3Ps plus the 2Ps in our daily life.

Pose, post and pause should be weighed accordingly on which one should you consider most or less, while prank is a no-no, prayer still the best of all times. In numerous Ps are applied in our life but let’s keep our life on Mother Earth worth living for ourselves, our family and others. God is in control of our being, let Him control us.

— oOo—

The author is Principal II of Angeles City Senior High School, San Ignacio Subdivision, Pandan, Angeles City