Cherry Loveres Satorre

Dear teachers and parents, administrators and staff, education partners and
stakeholders: Not too long agosix years to be exactI remember making those first
cautious steps as I entered the hallowed halls of our Bulwagan ng Karunungan here at
the DepED Central Office in Pasig where I received the departments colors from my
predecessor. At noontime today, I will return home to my community of De La Salle
Brothers to be assigned to yet to another ministry still in education after a year of
sabbatical. At the start of my term, I was so stricken by the quixotic ideal to serve and
change the system. At times I would be driven with a messianic complex and seek to be
the savior of 47,000+ schools. I cant help but take things personally when I would read
about the travails of a student who would have to walk miles daily or the predicaments of
a debt-ridden teacher on whom an extended family depends. Faced with the biggest
bureaucracy in the Philippine government, it dawned on me after a while that I would
end up disheartened if I even tried to singlehandedly overhaul the educational system
just so I can leave my imprint in the department. At one stage I thought it was about
quick fixes like replacing broken glass on battered windows or painting over vandalized
walls. At another time I thought about substantial changes such as addressing the
backlog of 66,800 classrooms or even providing every learner with books they can
actually bring home. But I also thought about radical changes such as the K to 12
reform which requires a complete restructuring of the educational system that we have
gotten used to for nearly a century. I am glad that I made the conscious decision to
make unannounced visits to hundreds of schools especially those which are farthest
from the center. It may be a serendipitous move and yet it left the most profound change
in me. I realized it was not about the change that I can make in the world. Those whom I
was privileged to meet in those unannounced visits have become my mentors. As a
disciple at the foot of his master, I learned from you that it was not only about fixing
broken windows or cleaning up ala Brigada Eskwela style. You taught me that it is about
caring for every student in class as though he or she were my own child, and as though
he or she is the only one in the world. I cannot forget Principal Fe who was among the
first to welcome students when school reopened after Typhoon Sendong. While nursing
an injured leg, she was dutifully making the rounds of the campus checking on her
students and inquiring on those who have not yet reported that day. When I asked why
she has not sought medical attention, her reply stunned me: But Brother, let me first
account for every student and teacher under my care. When I am sure they are all safe,
I can start worrying about my leg. I cannot forget Teacher Lorna, a newly-hired Muslim
teacher who used her body as human shield to safeguard her primary school students
against a deranged man who ran amok in her school that day. She was the sole earner

in her family but she never hesitated to offer her life so that her students may live. She
died from multiple stab wounds on her back but her students survived. I cannot forget
Teacher Vangies calming words before an agitated police officer who threatened to pull
the pin of a grenade inside her classroom. Disregarding his threats, she asked if he had
kids of his own with dreams for themselves. Having engaged him thus, she then
pleaded with him to spare her students who shared those very same dreams. Her plea
made him come back to his senses and caused him to surrender peacefully. I thought
my task was to inspire and encourage you but your commitment and true-to-life stories
gave me the courage and inspiration to pursue with audacity the multiple and varied
needs of every learner and stakeholder. Providing classrooms and furniture, computers
and equipment took on a whole new meaning. It was no longer just about filling the gaps
and addressing the backlogs of the past. It was about knowing and touching the lives of
24 million learners and walking with them side by side to pursue their dreams. It was
about taking care of my long-lost sister and my long-lost brother. Throughout our sixyear-long journey, our reform took on a life of its ownnot without our share of critics
and detractors. Yet, amidst all the challenges and controversies, it was your passion and
optimism that kept me committed to run the race to the finish. Just as you believed in
our students, you also believed in me, and you believed in what we were fighting for. We
watched this reform evolve from a young vision, to a myriad of policies and programs
that broke barriers and reached for the farthest stars. But we were more than watchers;
we were the catalysts for its growth, and in the process we too grew with it. It has been
our life for the past six years. As you have also been my life for the past six years. I will
return to a more private life with my Brothers in a religious community setting. But every
time I would pass by a public school, I will always remember all the good times we
shared and the tears we shed in our pursuit of a better future for our learners, and
ultimately, for a better Philippines. Six years is too short a time to see big results. The
seeds we have planted need to be nurtured for years. We need patience and faith that
underneath the dark loam, the seed is alive and is growing. We need to see it through
before we can enjoy the fruits of our labor. Everyone who has been with us in this
journey will remember that it began with a simple dream to make a difference in the lives
of our Filipino learners. Over time, we saw ourselves not just doing the tasks and
responsibilities required of us but eventually investing of ourselves to make those
dreams happen. And then one day we woke up to realize that we were not just working
to reach our goals but have actually fallen in love with those whom we sought to serve.
There were disappointments and disagreements along the way. We made mistakes and
at times hurt those who shared the same dream. Our convictions were not always solid
and we also wavered and doubted and compromised. When the road ahead does not

seem as straight and clear, it is important that we return to the compelling reason for
embarking on this journeyand bring it back to life. When the fervor wanes, we need to
reconnect with an anchor for our dreams and create new fire. I cannot bring myself to
say goodbye to a family that I have learned to love and which has been my life the past
six years. With you and for you, I have fallen deeply in love with the only country I know.
For me as it is for you, one chapter ends but a new one is just about to begin. I am
excited to see how much more you will be able to accomplish in the years to come. With
everything that I hold dear in my heart, I will always remain, your brother, Br. Armin A.
Luistro FSC