The Department of Education (DepEd) in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) paid tribute to the region’s teachers during the celebration of World Teachers’ Day on October 5.
This year’s observance has become more meaningful for hundreds of teachers in the region whose lives were in danger for several months last year.
When the war in Marawi erupted in 2017, schools inside the city had to shut down and living in and near conflict areas have become very risky.
For Mona Miscille Domato, 38, the saying “Teachers are the students’ second parents” hit her hard during the Marawi siege.
As a teacher of Sugod Central Elementary School in Marawi, Mona recounts the effects of the siege for her and her students.
“Schools were closed down during the siege, but I urged my fellow teachers to continue our classes. If the students will be left home, their minds may be corrupted by the war," she said.
True enough, almost every student talked about the number of bombs that dropped in the city daily.
A mother of nine children, Mona said she treats her students as her own. During the siege, she also felt the pain her students manifested. “Many of my students were hungry and helpless. I also felt the hunger and the pain of these children," she said.
Instead of being pulled down by negativity, she took the situation as an inspiration to serve as the students’ second mother.
Continuing their classes despite the siege to provide safe spaces for children, she turned their classrooms into a ‘fun zone,’ allowing her students to talk about the ongoing war casually.
“It allowed us to process all our thoughts. Having an all-Muslim class, we also reflected on the teachings of Islam – that inflicting harm to others is not Islamic,” she said.
By providing a space where students can be ‘afraid’ together, she also found a strong sense of family. “We made a strong support system among ourselves,” she further said.
Now that the war in Marawi is over, she is thankful that her students no longer have to be afraid of their security.
She said that the student population in Sugod Central Elementary School grew this school year because of the influx of children of evacuees from other villages.
“Mas madami na ang mga anak ko ngayon (I have more children now.) I’m more inspired to teach now because despite what happened last year, we remained strong as a community. That’s the key to teaching, when you treat your students as your own, you stand by them through their ups and downs. You become excited for their future,” she said.
A teacher for 16 years, Mona is proud to have produced professionals from her former students.
“My heart is full everyday knowing that the students I have today will give back to our community in the future,” she added. (Bureau of Public Information-ARMM/PIA-10)
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