Letters from the field

Media

Part of The Philippine Educator

Title: Letters from the field
Language: English
Year: 1947
Rights
Fulltext: LETT t R S from the. field Dear Mr. Laya, I enjoyecl immensely reading our _pz.per. It lis very chatty and informaL It may have less coverage than other teachers' magazines, but its contents are _more interesting and illUIIl.lllatwg than the latter. It has awakened consciousness among our "downtrodden maestros." No doubt you did already receive our remittance of !'100.00 covering the membership fees from the highest paid -employees to the lowest paid Janitor. We are all one-hUndred per cent aeUve members 1n this district. We are indeed very gratified for the big and tiinely ·moves ot our "bfgwigs" ~!' our association as published 1n the previous issues of our PE. In due time we'll send you our resolution !rom this chapter, endorsing 100% all the rtoves undertaken and to be undertaken by our top leaders of our tribe to improve the teachers' lot. Ve-::y sincerely. SALVADOR ESTILLORE District Supervisor Dear Mr. Estillore: Other teachers 1n other places wUl remember the teachers of Plaridel and the spirited sehoolmen that lead them. Thanks.-Ed. Sir : The teachers are being asked _ to contirbute -so much a month for the capitalization of the proposed National Teachers' Cooperative. There has been no enthusiastic support of the drive !or funds. Wby'! The teachers do not t:nderstand what this is all about. There has not been suffieient buUdini up of the purpoSe$ of the Cooperative, 48 how it will function, what degree ot success is to be expected from it, how · it will afiect the teacherS materially: economically. and financially.•.! Teach-<: ers are - suspiciouS of "cooperatives" -, because they are informed of the experiences of a large number of coope-. ,. ratives all over the Islands that have flopped. -Is this going to be a repeti- · tion. of the same story? The mother of cooperatives, the National Trading Corporation, has not been such an inspiring example either: We have read about the miShandling of commodities that have been allowed to rot instead of benefiting the people. Why .does not the _ PPSJ'A take over· the National Teachers' Cooperative? The PPSTA is an organization that is definitely ours; we are very Sure that it will do better than the Department of ~ducation in handling'-the Coop-e.ra- · Uve. It seems that-the National Teach- · ers' Cooperative is a brain-child of the Secretary. Suppose the Secretary leaves the Department, who will carry it on since the enterprise does not have the solid backing of those below? It an enterprise is a creation of the PPSTA, we kno~ that it will go on indefinitely because the PPSTA is more permanent than the present Sec·retary's tenure of office. Very truly.· ;y-ours, PEDRO L. SANTOS Dear , Mr. SantM: Yott may have somethin&' there. The PPSTA is here, already working full blast. Perhaps it ean be of help.-Ed. Dear Mr. Laya, I realize the difficulties that you are meetin~ as I read "US". and I would like to share a bit of the burden by boosting the PE and the PPSTA. Sbarin~ U?-e burden of 57,000 would, I am aure, help the bunch of us ~et to the top without anyone "pitying" us. Do you think we should be pitied! And how do you enjoy bearing peo·, .~ PHILIPPINE EDUCATOR ple call us the· "poor teachers"? Sometimes it gets under my skin, for our work is more or. less missionary in nature and the heights we reach in our innermost thoughts, as well ql> the depths we feel in the core of o& hearts, cannot be felt by those w.ho always pity us, but won't give us a break to' better our economic conditions. May the "poetic" in you help pull the PE thru. Sincerly yours, ELPIDIA BONANZA Imus, Cavite Dear Mrs. Bonanza: As long as teachers like you, feel ~htly and promptly and generously, we do not despair.-Ed. I take pleasure in informing you that the Representative· Assembly of the lloilo Public School Teachers' Association in a meeting held on March 8, 1947, approved the affiliation of our association with that of the Philippine Public School Teachers' Association. We are still collecting the membermip fee of one peso per teacher and as soon as we have collected an appreciable sum, we will send the same to you. We are. trying our level best so that the 3,200 teachers in this province may join the provincial and national associations. Wtih the help of our Division Superintendent, who .is interested in mtking our associations strong, we are optimistic that we may secure a high, if no 100%, memoership. IGMEDIO PARCON President Dollo PSTA Dear Mr. Parcon: We need everybody's level best. Where the Superintendent is interested in the welfare of his teachers, we have not lacked membership in the PPSTA.-Ed. Dear Mr. Bautista: I am pleased to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated October 15, 1947, which I quoted in the Division Letter dated October 22, 1947, a copy of which is herewith enclosed. Please rest assured that over three thousand elementary and secondary teachers, principals and supervisors in the Division of Leyte are solidly behind you in your leadership in running the PPSTA. We are watching with· keen interest the work and progress of the PPSTA and please be at liberty to call our attention to whatever cooperation you may wish us to do calculated to aid the accomplishment of the aims and objectives of our association. We pray that you may always be in the best of health in order that you may be in a position to continue the work so well started to a successful finish we all gladly desire. Very ;respectfully, BENITO SAAVEDRA Academic Supervisor In Charge of the Division of Leyte DR. VICENTE SIOJO DENTIST CORNER A-MABIN! & STA. MONICA, ERMITA FOR MODERN OPTICAL NEEDS SEE KEEPSAKE OPTICAL-SO Escolta 4!:1 I• . . ~ ·~ . .... \- I _ PJIILIPPINE EDUCATOR . . f~~i- ~~"'~-~ us .. , . . •. _ •. ' t;.::~ ~~f-~·~ .. , ~ .. .. 1 ·••'J:• ~ .J,f /lt-"\..•,., • 'I I . (C~timied f~m · pa.ge 51) .- . ·.' p~shment ~~~~ally'· on .. wrapping and mailing week. /t - -~ . •. • " . - So far we have peen talkiTI.g-,about Arellano High School a little more thar:. about other high schools. Reason: we used to run that school actively. Now, we are on a little vacation from adrninistr~tion, mostly for o_ ur health but also for OU!' C~ersonal · balance. Now we ·have a little more t~e to get to know US and perbaps we can write rollicking acco~ts , of the scoundrels and the heroes of Philippine Educat~on. Perhaps we can. 'run, -a series on the Bureau, the better to explain it to that thing we call ' th'e "field.'' I am sure there ·are many· things we can talk about that are riot' in' the annual reports and will never be but which ru;e important nevertheless and may be the real forces that turh the wheels of polic_);' and decis\on. Or who knows we .. might be- able to turn out, a novel about teachers which can be serialized 'in' the PE. It will not be another G,oodbye Mr. Chips, but at least it will fill a need fdr giving personality. to the Fili,!'lino teachers. It will be jn line with our editorial policy. .. . ¢ •' ~ MB has chosen to accept the position of ·Executive Secretary-Treasurer. He is the best from among those who signified their willingness to .accept. Those who did not so · ~ignify a~e automatically ruled out . ot consideration, for who but the willing partner to sacrifice should leaye a steady job in order to nm an unwieldly mass of US? We congratulate him on his unselfish decision and promise to root for him and if need be · come down from the bleachers to lend a h~4 at mp..ss,a~ing. t~e .. ~ght,ing, muscl-~s. 50 . t< <i ,. ~,. ;_ .... ,.. .. 9" . -~- i. ;. 'More about MB next· ... ~u~. We?I.r( ·try to ' tell you ·about him, • h~ Y~, ·• and shortcomings. , We are .. sure .. he;won't stop US even,: if our-- note be· sour. He is like that, you know~ .-.; .. CUMULATIVE • • - (Continued from page 42) ~ ., . . The above distribution . of items need not be followed absolutely. What is essential is to make the teacher conscious of the working principle which should influence him and_ guide him in his work an<;l· to make the operation of such principle eviden~ and apparent in his wqrking system, forone working under the light or within the boundS of a well-conceived clear-cut principle can mentally outline his steps and forese~ his 'go·aL The absence of such a working formula leads to cursory, desultory ~ and discursive product. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT: Acknowment is given to 1\ir. Justina Gala- ~ . no, DistriCit Supervisor of Paoay. who furnished the central theme of this paper and . who revised it ' . before it was sent for prfntingAuthor . .. l