Unsung heroes in Taft, Samar still remembered with fondness

I joines the whole nation in celebrating National Teachers’ Month (Sept. 5 to Oct. 5), which was declared by President Aquino through Proclamation No. 242.

Reading Dr. Floriño A. Francisco’s article titled “Have you thanked your teachers yet?” (High Blood, 9/16/13) prompted me to go down memory lane, reliving with fondness the kindness of my former teachers at Taft National High School (TNHS)  in far-flung Samar. They, too, believed in me and molded me into what I am today.

There are too many good souls to mention here. All my beloved teachers remain today’s unsung heroes. No amount of words can express my overflowing gratitude to each of them.

Schooling then was simple and was totally bereft of the superfluous gadgets and learning tools being enjoyed by today’s generation. I did not own any book, instead, the whole class just borrowed textbooks from the school. With the scarcity of books, no one had a complete set for all subjects. Each class member had to take turns for the use of a book.

I don’t remember seeing an actual microscope during my time. Neither did our school have a laboratory for science class. Just imagine the hard work that our science teachers had to exert just for the class to learn science principles purely by theory. I can’t remember if we had the globe and map for geography lessons. No newspapers likewise. Visual aids were totally alien to the class.

Still, credit goes to our teachers because despite the scarcity of books and teaching/learning materials, we learned our lessons by heart. Many of our teachers in math and other core subjects were very strict. As a result, many TNHS students have been accepted for study in top state and private universities, and many of its alumni are now successful in different fields of endeavor in the country or abroad.

May I make special mention of my English teachers in high school: Ma’am Gloria A. Hilario, Ma’am Erlinda M. Adigue, and Sir Magno D. Donozo who taught the subject with clarity and passion.

Of all my dear mentors in all subject areas, there is one great lady who stood out and would forever occupy a soft spot in my heart. Thank you, Ma’am Alicia C. Maga, my English teacher and school paper adviser, who discerned my gift of pen. Had it not been for her, I would not have discovered the wonderful world of writing.

—BELEN DOCENA-ASUELO,

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