A Teacher’s Chosen Path
Written by Shirin Bandari
Rizaldo prepares his clothes for the boat ride ahead. A medium-sized plastic container is by his side as he sits crossed-legged on the floor. An array of papers and personal items are laid out before him as he decides what to pack for the journey. In rough waters, it sometimes takes him four hours to travel from his hometown of Araceli, Palawan to the isolated island of Kalandagan. The large waves make it harder for him to traverse the sea in his wooden boat. The island is only accessible by boat and becomes incommunicado during the monsoon season.
Left: A blue plastic container rests next to Rizaldo as he sits at home and organizes items that he will bring for his journey to Maducang Elementary School in Barangay Kalandagan. This prevents it from getting wet in the rough seas he must traverse to reach the island. | Shirin Bandari
Rizaldo Gandola has been a teacher for the past five years at Maducang Elementary School in Barangay Kalandagan.
“It can be risky. But even if it is hard, when I’m not on the island, I miss the children. I want to be with them every day,“ Rizaldo says.
His love for teaching and dedication to his students motivate him to push through the dangerous commute. He spends weekends with his family in Araceli and uses the time in town to file his reports because of the weak internet signal, and stocks up on food due to the limited supplies on the island. In his free time, he goes out to sea to fish for added income so he can afford the gasoline for his boat. But for the rest of the week after each class, Rizaldo lives alone in a quaint hut near the school. He has grown used to the routine and enjoys the tranquility around him.
The coastal towns of Palawan reaped the devastating effects of Typhoon Odette (Rai) which made landfall in December 2021. The super typhoon ravaged homes, roads, and public facilities including Rizaldo’s school in Maducang. “This is the first time it has happened, a typhoon so strong, it destroyed close to 80% of the homes.” All four classrooms in the elementary school were shattered, metal roofs ripped and crumpled like paper. Tables, computers, and books were ruined by the gale-force winds and rain.
Fishing, the main source of livelihood on the islands, was affected with boats wrecked, the island was cut off from essential aid and supplies until the weather improved so outside help could reach the locals.
Nearly a year after the devastating super typhoon, the people of Barangay Landagan are steadily rebuilding their lives through the support of the European Union Humanitarian Aid, CARE, ACCORD, and dedicated teachers like Rizaldo.
“At the time there was no evacuation area except for the school, but even that was impossible. The locals went to the top of a mountain instead to spend the night and take refuge,” Rizaldo says.
“Project leaders from ACCORD saw our situation and immediately provided hygiene kits, signal boosters so people could contact their loved ones, and invaluable solar panels that were our only source of light and energy,” Rizaldo adds.
Rizaldo stands in a classroom where he usually does the needed paperwork and other school-related documents whenever he goes home from the village of Kalandagan. | Shirin Bandari
The pandemic prevented face-to-face classes and for the past two years, Rizaldo’s students struggled to learn at home using modules. By the time classes resumed, only 70% could read efficiently. The devastation brought by Typhoon Odette (Rai) further amplified the situation and the children in the community were in dire need of help. CARE and ACCORD assisted in laying the groundwork to bring in volunteer teachers to focus on the children who needed more attention in learning how to read, write and count, easing the pressure on Rizaldo and the rest of the three teachers on the island.
“It has been a tremendous help to receive learning kits, training materials, and storybooks, which were crucial in improving the standard of education in Maducang, where children face limited opportunities,” Rizaldo says. “In the years I have been teaching on the island, families are too poor to buy new bags, shoes, and uniforms. “
In times of disaster — food, water, and shelter are urgent concerns, but as the community recovers, continued access to education is equally important.
Rizaldo is often asked by family and friends why he chooses to teach under such difficult circumstances. “The people of Maducang have been good to me, I do not want to leave the school because I have come to love the children”.
“It is my dream to help them finish their education. May they learn something from me, so they can have a chance to experience a better life.”
The Immediate and Comprehensive Response for Communities Affected by Typhoon Rai (Odette) is funded by the European Union Humanitarian Aid and jointly implemented by CARE Philippines, ACCORD Incorporated, Action Against Hunger Philippines, National Rural Women Coalition (PKKK), and Plan International in Dinagat Islands, Palawan, Southern Leyte, Bohol, Negros Occidental, and Cebu, in the Philippines.
