1.

The story of a Filipino Teacher Abroad

The resolve to sustain the financial needs of her family was one of the main reasons why Ms. Marizon C.
Ortega, a 32-year-old Science Teacher considered work abroad as an option. Life was hard for her family
in Zamboanga City back then. Apart from taking care of her husband and children, she was the
breadwinner of her sick father who needed medical attention and provided the educational support of
her siblings. With the meager financial resource, she decided to resign from her Php 8,000 a month
teaching job at Tagbao National High School, a public school located in the mountainous area in Cebu
City, to pursue an overseas job.

There was an offer for her to teach abroad. On August 27, 2008, a day after her birthday, her aspiration
to work overseas came into fruition. Despite of her apprehension to teach abroad due to the possibility
of uncooperative students, she grabbed the opportunity and brought her three-year experience as a
high school Science Teacher in the Philippines to the Ulaan Baatar Elite International School, in
Mongolia, a school administered by Turkish Nationals.

She taught as a Science Teacher and acted as Head of Science Department and Coordinator of the
Science Olympiad for the span of seven (7) years which allowed her to receive a monthly salary of eight
hundred (800) US dollar plus overtime at eight (8) dollars per hour and tutorials. The experience made
her realize what it feels to teach outside the Philippines.

It came to pass that in 2014, Ms. Ortega had to decide on the future of her teaching career
overseas. Faced with the near completion of her work contract and an opportunity for renewal for
another three (3) years, she was in the midst of deliberating, once and for all, whether to continue her
teaching stint abroad or to return back to the country for good. In her own words she revealed her
decision.

“During that time, I have made up my mind to return back to the Philippines. It was the last year
of my contract and I did not intend to renew for another three years since I really wanted to go home.
My husband convinced me to go home since that time he was also applying to work abroad as a
seaman. We were faced with the scenario that if both of us will work abroad, what will happen to our
children? My husband argued and told me about the importance of money or family? We thought that
family was more important.”
 Ms. Ortega made up her mind to return back to the Philippines having realized that she had
successfully sent her siblings to school for them to graduate. She also had to compensate for her
presence to provide the time, company and guidance of her children. She felt her family life was not
normal anymore due to the distance, since for many years she was away from her husband and their
children.

Amidst the uncertainties and fear of going back to the Philippines without a job, she applied online for a
teaching position and sent her applications in several educational institutions in the Philippines. Then,
on September 2014, she came across an article online about the“Sa Pinas Ikaw ang Ma’am/Sir” program
for OFW LET passers of the National Reintegration Center for OFWs (NRCO), which she inquired thru the
Department of Education (DepEd).

In December 2014, she received the needed information on how to apply the program. By January 2015,
hoping to become an availee of the program, she applied online by filling up the survey form.

Her online application bore its fruits upon her return to the Philippines in June 2015, and in her own
words she said: “I got the news that I was part of the program. During that time I was at the airport in
Manila for my domestic flight bound for Zamboanga City. It was around the afternoon that I got hold of
the list provided by the National Reintegration Center for OFWs (NRCO) thru Facebook. Ms. Jennifer
Cunanan of NRCO called me up for instructions and I was really very happy. I was thinking that after I will
arrive in Zamboanga, the following day I will visit the DepED district office relative to my inclusion in the
program. It’s really timely.”

At present, Ms. Ortega is working as a regular Science Teacher and a Human Resource Designate
at the Zamboanga City National High School West, Zamboanga City. She thought of her experience
overseas and this is what she has to share:

“Financially, it’s much ok abroad. But, you know, family is more important especially the
relationship. Now, I have the opportunity to guide my kids, and I can do the role as a mom, which I was
not able to do…And then I can now attend to the needs of my husband when he arrives and my bonding
with my kids and husband become more stronger. The emotional and psychological part becomes
stronger,” she said.
She has a message to her fellow OFW LET passers. “Being an OFW is a very tough job. I know it, because
I have experienced being one for a long time. You are not just affected because of distance but you also
fear for your safety. The only shield that you have is your prayers and faith to the Almighty God that
everything will be in the right place. So just be very strong always and look at the brighter side of life.”

Sa ‘Pinas Ikaw ang Ma’am/Sir’ is a program of the NRCO which aims to re-direct OFW-teachers to pursue
or resume their teaching careers in the Philippines.

Launched in the last quarter of 2014, it is a pioneering convergence project of the DOLE, Department of
Education, Professional Regulations Commission, and other relevant government agencies and seeks to
provide licensed teachers who are working abroad as domestic workers or in non-teaching occupations
to return to the Philippines to teach.

2. The story of a outstanding teacher in my community

JEJOMAR Villacorte, an elementary teacher from Tacloban City, won first place in the Asia-Pacific Centre
of Education for International Understanding’s (APCEIU) Challenge for 2020 Sharing Stories on Asia
Pacific Education Movement (SSAEM) Online Conference.

Dr. Ramir Uytico, Department of Education (DepEd) regional director, lauded Villacorte for raising the
banner of DepEd-Eastern Visayas.

“He has now reaped successes from his hard work and determination. Aside from his achievement of
being the only one from the region who passed the rigorous screening for the Philippines-Korea Teacher
Exchange Programme, he has surpassed my expectations,” he said.

“Having won in this international competition, he has proven that Region 8 is great. I hope all teachers in
Region 8 would also find ways to give honor to the Department,” Uytico told SunStar Philippines.

The SSAEM is an annual gathering of various stakeholders and the general public together.
It aims to maximize the impact of Asia-Pacific Teacher Exchange by sharing experiences of all Teacher
Exchange Programme from partner countries, according to the DepEd.

“The challenge is organized to promote the upcoming 2020 Online SSAEM Conference and provide
alumni with a broader range of opportunities to participate in the event and to produce a video for the
opening ceremony and create valuable educational materials,” DepEd said in a memorandum dated
August 3.

Earlier, Villacorte was also awarded as one of the outstanding Tacloban City division scholars for
participating in the Korea-Philippines Teacher Exchange Programme for three months.

Villacorte is currently a Teacher-III at the Rizal Central School in Tacloban. (SunStar Philippines)

3. Story of a non-Filipino teacher in other countries.