“A good teacher is like a candle. It consumes itself to light the way for others.”
– Mustafa Kemal Ataturk
As the nation celebrates and honors this month the contribution of our teachers in developing globally-minded citizens, nurturing families, strengthening communities, and building the nation, PNVSCA once again shares the inspiring stories of two (2) of our Outstanding Volunteer Awardees who happen to be good teachers.
Finding Joy through Giving
Mr. Joel dela Costa, a high school teacher at Boot National High School in Tanauan City Batangas, goes beyond sharing his time and knowledge to help his students. He also extends assistance to hundreds of people in the CALABARZON area to undergo free eye operations and free cleft palate surgeries through the “Sagip Tingin” and “Hatid Ngiti” Projects. These projects started in 2011 as he drew inspiration from one of his students who was able to overcome her shyness after undergoing cleft palate surgery through his support.
Mr. dela Costa has also helped to deliver medical services to more than a thousand residents of Barangay Boot, a far-flung area in Tanauan City. Since 2016, he has been coordinating medical and dental missions held twice or thrice a year. This project has already expanded to other barangays in Tanauan City and other CALABARZON areas, helping residents, especially children, to improve their health and gain more self-confidence.
As if these are not yet enough, Mr. dela Costa has other volunteer engagements, such as Brigada Eskwela, bloodletting, feeding program, gift-giving, animal vaccination, livelihood assistance, and relief-efforts benefiting hundreds of disadvantaged families all over the Philippines. Despite many challenges, particularly financial and time-management, as he is a full-time public school teacher, he never wavered in serving the people which he considers to be his duty as he hopes to encourage more volunteers to participate in development-oriented programs. He believes that “the happiest people are not those who are receiving, but those who give more.” Mr. Joel dela Costa was the recipient of PNVSCA’s Outstanding Volunteer Award – Individual Category in 2019.
Giving Back. Paying Forward.
Mr. Lowel Andrian Solayao, a high school Physics teacher at Pilar National Comprehensive High School in Sorsogon, decided to do volunteer work to honor his benefactor who supported his education. He resolved to share his love for reading with the children and youth in his town since his education sponsor was a reading professor at the University of the Philippines.
Mr. Solayao started the Pilar Reading Center (PRC) in 2010, which began in a nipa hut on the shore of Barangay Banuyo. He would hold storytelling sessions for three (3) children who are from among the 18 families living in stilt houses along the sea waters. What started as a simple venue for reading stories to children, PRC has eventually grown as an alternative learning hub to help children and out-of-school youth improve their reading comprehension and engage in other educational activities, such as writing, arts, games, and theater. It also offers review sessions for college entrance tests and Licensure Exam for Teachers (LET), computer literacy training, art workshops, mothers’ workshops, journalism training, spelling bee contests, reading camps, and science and technology on-line writing competition.
Seeing Mr. Solayao’s passion, his friends, some government agencies, private sector groups and the people in the community, extended their assistance to Pilar Reading Center by donating books, or volunteering as readers and literacy advocates. Some of Mr. Solayao’s students even convinced their parents to set-up a corner in their homes as a mini-reading center.
Because of his dedication and commitment to serve the children and youth in his community, Mr. Lowel Andrian Solayao received PNVSCA’s Outstanding Volunteer Award – Youth Category in 2017 and was conferred the Civil Service Commission’s Dangal ng Bayan Award in 2018.
To date, Mr. Solayao continues with his volunteer engagements as he believes that “volunteerism is sharing your life’s passion and purpose to the community; it is a way of paying forward and giving back to the people and giving honor to God.”
The author is currently the Senior Volunteer Service Officer of the Policy, Advocacy and Technical Services Division (PATSD), Philippine National Volunteer Service Coordinating Agency.
Visit PNVSCA website (www.pnvsca.gov.ph) and PNVSCA Facebook (facebook.com/PNVSCA) for other stories and information on volunteering.