An ETV True Story:
Ikmoy’s Journey
He is frail, too short for a boy of 9, extremely bashful, Roderick ‘Ikmoy’ Umban gazes blankly at his teacher, trying his best to understand the lesson for the day. After walking for almost an hour on slippery mud paths and makeshift bridges in Sitio Tanglagan, Calanasan, Apayao (approximately 294 miles or 473 kilometers north of Manila) he is exhausted upon reaching his school where he is presently a first grader. He had little for breakfast – four teaspoons of rice sprinkled with salt and a quarter cup of pale coffee. Clutching his tattered backpack that contains an arithmetic workbook that he has to share with four other classmates, his eyes suddenly lit up. The teacher had just asked the school coordinator to attach an old TV set and VHS machine to a small generator – it was time to learn basic math with the aid of an educational video.
Ikmoy, like most students in Calanasan, is older than the prescribed school age in his year level. Because of poverty, most parents postpone their children’s education until they are old enough to take the daily punishment of walking kilometers each way to school and home, and strong enough to trek mountains and cross rivers on a half-empty stomach. Believing that education is their ticket out of poverty, the children persevere, trusting that each step brings them closer to a brighter future.
Saddened by the plight of the children, the Philippines Department of Education’s Third Elementary Education Project (TEEP) partnered with the ABS CBN Foundation in 2001 to implement Educational Television (ETV) in Apayao. Two days each week, children are given access to episodes of Sine’skwela, Mathtinik, Epol/Apple, Bayani and Hirayamanawari – educational video material which were donated along with a 21-inch TV set and a VHS player. It is powered by a small generator from the baranggay (local community). Fortunately, Apayao’s cool climate preserved the VHS tapes well and they are still in good condition despite heavy usage. Parents voluntarily contribute one Peso ($ 0.02) per viewing to pay for the generator’s fuel, such a small price for motivating their children to regularly attend school, rain or shine. Almost a decade later, the students demonstrate positive impacts – lively class discussions, low dropout rates and high achievement test results.
Proud parents
Trying to hold back his tears, farmer Mang Rudy, beams with pride as he learns that Ikmoy earned Second Honor and Best Attendance in school. Having finished only the second grade, Mang Rudy dreams one day of his son becoming a mechanic. His wife Aling Julita, elated by his son’s achievement, gives Ikmoy a loving pat on the head. Unmindful of his parents, Ikmoy reviews his lessons by the flickering gasera (gas lamp) a routine he does every night.
Part of the solution
There is much to be desired in the Philippine public educational school system. The shortage of books, classrooms and teachers has been a concern for decades. Worsened by poverty and the remoteness of schools in the rural areas, the future of many ‘Ikmoys’ hang in the balance. Recognizing the power and reach of media, the ABS CBN Foundation has long been part of the solution through ETV. Since 1994 it has devoted time and resources to bringing various sectors together to help distribute these media packages (a TV set, currently – a DVD player and the video library) nationwide. Based on the academic curriculum of the Department of Education, ETV has produced ten exclusive shows, and over 100 titles in its current media library, to serve as supplemental teaching aids on all subjects – including, English, science, math, history and civics. To strengthen the implementation of media-based instruction, ETV has also trained thousands of teachers from the different regions. It has become a beacon of hope for schools with very little access to information, technology and educational opportunities. Today, ETV is present in more than 8,000 schools – yet more than 25,000 still await help. The appeal for more benefactors continues.
The journey
The journey back to Calanasan made us feel a myriad of emotions. While we were overwhelmed by the many positive impacts in Apayao, we were also awakened to the realization that there are far many more public schools hoping to obtain ETV assistance. Sadly, for sitios as remote as Tanglagan, help only comes every so often. And while we feel relieved that our own children need not walk long distances to attend their classes, we think hard about all the ‘Ikmoys’ who brave overflowing rivers and risk steep ravines just to make it to school and back each day. It is up to us to make their journeys worth it.
ETV Donor Relations Specialist Suzette Catalla together with ABS CBN Foundation cameraman Gerry Constatino and driver Jaime Solis traveled 20 hours to Calanasan, Apayao to document ETV implementation in the area. From Claveria, Cagayan where paved highway ends, they traversed 80 kilometers of steep, rocky, and muddy terrain to reach Tanglagan Elementary School.
Related Links
 ABS-CBN International
Sagip Kapamilya
Bantay Bata 163
E-Media/Educational (ETV)
Bantay Kalikasan
Bayan Microfinance
BayaniJuan
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