Klasrum ng Pag-Asa - Sulu

As a teacher, I thought I've seen it all. Having been in the service for 5 years now, my attitude of been-there-done-that keeps me resilient for the past years. Teaching is one thing but igniting the passion to dream and hope is another. I, together with the parents and the community, are greatly committed to nurture every child. Whatever their passion is, we are here to support them and unleash their potentialities. Not to be this or that but be the best person they desire to be. And that's my philosophy in teaching.

And this is the same reason why we went to Sulu. After enduring the perilous trip to the province of Sulu, the group was ready with a common goal with energized hearts. Through the collective efforts of wonderful groups we were on a mission to spark some hope to the future generation of the country. 

Here are the groups:

Klasrum ng Pag-Asa
(Classroom of Hope)

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Kindred spirits bonding and working together to build, augment, re-construct repair Public School Structures in the underserved areas of the Country from the Northern Peaks to the Southern Shores 

- Klasrum ng Pag-Asa's Facebook page

The Entire Nation (TEN) Moves

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The TEN Moves is a campaign to raise enough resources to build 10,000 classrooms in public schools all over the Philippines. Its main strategy is to get 2 million people to donate P10 per day for 10 months. That will be P300 per month or P3,000 for the entire 10 months. Because of the huge target and the massive mobilization that this will entail, this public fundraising campaign requires mobilizing a large number of organizations and people around the country. It is expected to be supported widely by Filipinos and even non-Filipinos working together to address an urgent problem of the country. Thus, the name TEN Moves! also means “The Entire Nation Moves!” 

- TEN Moves' website

The Philippine Marines

The Philippine Marines - Marine Battalion Landing Team 6 or The Sixers of Brgy.Buhanginan, Patikul, Sulu headed by Lt.Col. Antonio G. Mangoroban Jr. PN(M)(GSC) and the 2nd Marine Brigade. The Marines were always there to assist in construction, giving the groups a temporary shelter, providing security and their mere presence and support to all the groups and the whole community were much of a big help.  

Art Attack

Ayala Foundation

Barangay Kaunayan

Black Pencil Project

Center for Humanitarian Dialogue

Children International

Dive for a Cause

Juan Portrait

Kaunayan Elementary School

2nd Marine Brigade

Marine Battalion Landing Team - 6

Municipality of Patikul

Patikul MPO

Rotary Club

Sanggunian Kabataan

Sulu Photograpeace Club

Sulu Provincial Government

Toy Library

Txt2teach

The chosen school for this project was the Kaunayan Elementary School in Patikul, Sulu. Just the mere thought of going to Patikul is an adventure in itself; mind-boggling and staggering. The school is a 30-year old public school which deemed to be needing assistance in the repair and construction of their classrooms to provide a more safe and potent learning environment for the students. Through the efforts of all the concerned groups and communities, the mission was carried out easily. There's really strength in numbers with common a vision. 

quaint

rugged

I am so privileged to be a part of the Juan Portrait group with 8 great souls (all men) on the Sulu project. The "micro-mission" was to take photographs of the school kids and print them out on our very efficient photo printers. And then, we must hand it out to them for their own personal use. So armed with our cameras and the desire to carry out the mission, we went to Kaunayan Elementary School to click those shutters and have some fun with the kids.

the group

the school kids with Kuya Pultak of Klasrum ng Pag-Asa

The shutterbugs were given their respective group of kids to be photographed. The kids were all prepped up for the said occasion. I was assigned to take photos from almost all grade levels - Pre-schoolers up to 6th graders. It was challenging at first. Maybe because of the language barrier and the fact that I find it hard to take "staged" portraits. I am more of the capture-that-moment-candidly shooter. Or that's just me deviating. 

But then after I got my groove, I couldn't be stopped - I could've consumed the 8gb memory of my SD card just to get that perfect shot of my 40 kids. The thrill on their faces upon seeing their portraits on the display screen were priceless. And all I could think of was to not fail them. And so I did my best to engage them in the activity. I know I didn't produce the most fabulous shots in the bunch but I enjoyed every moment of it. If only I could do this everyday and see the smiles on their faces. If only. 

pure

piercing

puzzled

pensive

my kids

happiness is an understatement

Other groups also fulfilled their "micro-missions" for the day in the said school which made the whole day event really festive - with our military escorts everywhere of course.

the Black Pencil Project handing out pencils

the Art Attack Team painting a classroom wall

The Marines nourished the kids - boodle fight style

Kristoffer Brugada (screenwriter) showing his indie film "Patikul" 

Back in our base camp, we edited and printed the photographs we took that day. And as the photographs were revealing themselves, we couldn't help but show it to everyone and share a little story behind it. Mixed feelings of happiness, contentment, melancholy and laughter echoed the camp for the rest of the afternoon. 

We went back to the school the next day and saw the kids patiently waiting for our comeback. And then the moment when we handed their portraits to them. If I wasn't as lazy photographer as I am, I might have captured their smiles and giggles when the photos were given to them. But I chose to stay on my own space and froze that moment in my mind. It just feels so great. That simple thing (as some of us would probably think) of a printed photograph in their hands makes all the difference. Whichever they prefer to use it, it's theirs. Their own printed portrait. 

compact photo printer is the bomb

work station with mani

Christian's bunch

Jenilyn and her portrait

you want another one dear?

The next day was the turnover ceremony of the classrooms. So together with all the groups, the leaders of the town, other guests of honor and the community of Brgy. Buhanginan, Patikul, Sulu, the culminating  activity went on as scheduled and everyone had so much fun on the special numbers from the students and the military mascot named Diego. 

peace

waiting

ardent

Diego

an honor to have served

More than the new classrooms, more than the newly painted walls, more than the photographs in their hands, more than the pencils, more than the boodle fights and much more than our presence on that occasion, it's the hope that flickered and sparked from the project. Whatever it is that these school kids were hoping for at that moment, I felt they realized it straightaway. I wish the wish they wish and I hope the hope they hope. 

This would be the perfect time for me to thank all the men behind this very admirable project. Thank you for letting me experience it all with you guys. Kudos to all the unnamed heroes of this project and a special shout out to all the Marines who assured me that they would shield their body just to protect me if they have to. I've taken home with me not just the memories of this great adventure but a new viewpoint of life in general. I would never get tired of sharing this experience and the people I met to all my students and friends. 

Magsukul!

*My solo, candid and staged photos were all by LP - chong salamat!*