COTABATO CITY – The Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) has hired 75 new teachers for Maguindanao.
ARMM Governor Mujiv Hataman, who signed on Monday the appointment papers of the mentors during a forum here, reminded them “to make teaching more of (a) service and commitment than livelihood.”
“You chose this path because it is your passion – because you are committed and determined that you want our youth to learn,” the governor said, adding that the regional government would support the efforts of the teachers and reward them suitably.
The governor stressed that a mechanism was made to ensure that appointees are well-distributed to schools that are in need of instructors.
Along with the teachers’ appointment is a deployment order.
Lawyer Rasul Mitmug Jr., newly appointed DepEd-ARMM secretary, has reminded the newly-hired teachers to ensure that the youth in the ARMM receive “quality education.”
An appointee, Elpigenia Apellido, 41, a single mother with two children, could hardly believe she was officially appointed as mentor in ARMM.
“Excited with fear of the unknown,” she said after signing her appointment paper and deployment order.
Apellido said she waited for two years to have her appointment signed by the regional governor.
Since her graduation in 1999, she worked as factory worker in Luzon and also as a farmer in Sultan Kudarat, her hometown.
During the past two years, she served as a volunteer teacher in Kulasi Elementary School where she did not receive compensation.
Another appointee, Johaira Ali, said she acknowledged the unique challenges in the region, especially with the threat of terrorism and the vulnerability of the youth with the ongoing recruitment of local terror groups.
“I always remind my students to be critical and to refuse when someone recruits them into an unknown group with the promise of a better life,” she said.
For newly-hired Sahira Kalipapa, 30, she said the distance between her home and school assignment might be challenging, but she was more excited to help her students.
Kalipapa, a resident of Datu Paglas North, will be deployed to Darampua Elementary School in Sultan sa Barongis, an hour away from her place.
Hataman said Monday’s appointments comprised the first batch of new teachers in the region. More appointees are expected this year.
“The process will be easier now. Our main goal is to finish all appointments, including senior high school, by first quarter of this year,” he said.
To date, the DepEd-ARMM has 25,000 employees, 22,000 of whom are teaching personnel. The region is composed of nine divisions that included Maguindanao I and II, Marawi City, Lanao del Sur I and II, Lamitan City, Basilan, Sulu, and Tawi-Tawi. (PNA)
