Diwa workshop in ARMM.It was a humid morning and the road to Upi was rough and bumpy. It seemed like another ordinary day in Maguindanao. But six hundred townsfolk knew better.
Parents, teachers, school nurses, local officials and DEPED administrators gathered together to participate in their first-ever Education Summit and to witness the launching of DIWA, an Education Governance program that aims to improve learning systems in Muslim Mindanao.
DIWA stands for “Dagywang Igpaw sa Wastong Agkatao”, which means a collective leap towards excellence in learning. It is a multi-lingual phrase to represent the diversity of stakeholders in education as well as the diversity of the communities who will undertake the reform program.
DIWA seeks to improve education quality by empowering and mobilizing local communities. Synergeia’s participatory and community-based approach is adopted to strengthen the management of Local School Boards and local education finance. Good governance is expected to have an impact on the improvement of reading and math abilities of over 50,000 first-to-third-grade students through improved learning systems in these subject areas (i.e. teacher training, provision of workbooks). A parallel effort will aim to strengthen community support for education by training parents to be active participants in their children’s schooling.
With support from the USAID’s EQuALLS (Education Quality and Access for Learning and Livelihood Skills) initiative and the Synergeia coalition, DIWA will be implemented in Barira, Datu Paglas and Upi in Maguindanao and in Marawi City. DIWA also covers the whole province of Sarangani and General Santos City.
It was an April affair to remember in Maguindanao. Leaders from different parts of the country came to support the program – 20 mayors and governors from Iloilo, Naga, Bulacan, ARMM and SOCSARGEN; NGO and academic leaders from Manila, US officials from the Embassy and the USAID and newsmen and media folk. Former US Ambassador Francis J. Ricciardone led the party from USAID while Fr. Bienvenido Nebres SJ headed the Synergeia coalition.
The day opened with an education summit. For many of the participants, it was the first time that they learned that there was a crisis in education. Parents and other community leaders were alarmed when Mayor Ramon Piang reported that 60% of students in Upi drop out after grade one and that based on reading proficiency, they are two grades behind. Together, they resolved to improve the survival rate to 90 percent and to help increase learning scores to 90 percent.
Everyone was in high spirits after the summit. The presence of so many mayors, governors and Sanggunian officials from Manila and other provinces was also a big morale booster. It was a strong indicator that positive changes can be achieved in Mindanao if various partners work together.
The formal program opened with a multi-sectoral invocation: Muslim, Christian and Tiruray. Mayor Ramon Piang, welcomed all the guests in the event – from DEPED teachers and nurses to the local government officials and the US Ambassador.
As Chairman of Synergeia, Father Nebres expressed his pleasure and deep gratitude to the people of Mindanao for embracing the education reform program. It is a milestone that program such as DIWA finds its place in ARMM. It signifies an “opening up”, a forging of new partnerships with institutions within and outside Mindanao. Father Nebres also thanked and recognized the support of the USAID and the US government improving the lives of Filipinos, especially Mindanaons. Public education has been one of the most important legacies that the Thomasites left our country. It is a key towards development.
Father Nebres also spoke about his experience in working with grassroots communities, such as Gawad Kalinga. He shared how inspired he was to see community members work together for the benefit of all. This kind of reform is possible and it is up to the communities to prove that they can do it. He told them that they have the power to influence their future and the future of their children.
The moving message was followed by a commitment ceremony led by leaders of USAID, Synergeia and local governments. A grade one student, accompanied by a parent, offered each partner a Sayaf hat, symbolic of the Mindanao culture and history. In turn, the DIWA partners offered a book, which symbolized education. Ricciardone got crowd approval when he gave his USAID cap to the child. In addition to a book, other partners offered their medals.
The partners present were:
His Excellency, former Ambassador Francis J. Ricciardone of the United States
Dr. Michael Yates, Director of the USAID
Fr. Bienvenido Nebres, Synergeia Chairman and President of Ateneo de Manila
Ms. Winnie Monsod, Synergeia Trustee and Professor of the University of the Philippines
Hon. Josefina dela Cruz, Governor of Bulacan
Hon. Miguel Dominguez, Governor of Sarangani
Hon. Jesse Robredo, Mayor of Naga City
Hon. Raul Banias, Mayor of Concepcion, Iloilo
Hon. Jett Rojas, Mayor of Ajuy, Iloilo
Hon. Lowel Arban, Mayor of Lemery, Iloilo
Hon. Abubakar Paglas, Mayor of Datu Paglas, Maguindanao
Hon. Alexander Tomawis, Mayor of Barira, Maguindanao
Hon. Ramon Piang, Mayor of Upi, Maguindanao
Mr. Nasser Sampaco, City Administrator representing the Mayor of Marawi City
Hon. Narciso Grafilo, Mayor of Alabel, Sarangani
Hon. Teody Padernilla, Mayor of Malungon, Sarangani
Superintendent Leticia Cabang of DEPED General Santos
Dr. Nina Yuson-Lim, Synergeia Trustee and President of Museo Pambata
Mr. John Silva, Synergeia Trustee and Senior Consultant of the National Museum
Former Mayor Franklin Quijano of Iligan City
Bro. Crispin Betita, FMS, President of Notre Dame of Marbel University
In the end, the partners joined hands as a sign of unity and collaboration. It was a spectacular and awesome sight! To have leaders from government, academe, non-profits and funding agencies join hand in hand on stage. The sheer number of mayors, governors and Sanggunian members made it seem like a political rally. But this was not the case. It was a rally for education, a new DIWA for ARMM communities.
Afterwards, it was Ambassador Ricciardone’s turn to give a message. He won over the hearts of the community with his fluency in Arabic. He addressed them in a traditional Muslim greeting to which the crowd loudly responded. He talked about giving people in Mindanao opportunities to help themselves and about the United States’ interest in seeing the island prosper. He mentioned other US-funded programs such as the GEM project as well as other partners in the EQuALLS initiative.
Ambassador Ricciardone said that education is one of the most important weapons against poverty. If young people are educated, they can lead better lives and be participants in society. By focusing on increasing access to quality education, we can make sure that joining rebel groups is not the only option for young people in Mindanao. Education gives people the power to choose what they want to make of themselves. Ambassador Ricciardone also shared that he was once a teacher, thus children and education are close to his heart.
He also thanked Synergeia and its partners for their commitment to improving learning systems in all parts of the country, especially the conflict-ridden areas of ARMM. He values the opportunity to work with Synergeia and pledged his support to the DIWA program.
Ambassador Ricciardone described his feelings during the launch as “inspiring”. The presence of so many community members as well as support from so many local government officials is a positive sign of the many achievements that private-public partnerships can bring about.
A grade one student gave a response to the commitment expressed by all the partners in the DIWA program. Simply, she said “I want to learn. I want to read. Thank you for your gift.” The crowd gave her a standing ovation.
With that, the formal launch of the DIWA program officially closed. Local government partners, Synergeia members and the project management teams shared lunch at the Municipal Hall. It was a time for sharing best lessons as well as program difficulties.
On their own, Synergeia LGUs and ARMM LGUs entered into sister-brother-relationship so that that can help each other. The “buddy” or senior-apprentice system was organized where the Iloilo mayors will mentor the officials from Datu Paglas; the Negros Occidental mayors will mentor Barira; Governor Josie de la Cruz from Bulacan will mentor Marawi City; and Naga City Mayor Jesse Robredo will team up with Mayor Piang of Upi.
The Synergeia Big Brothers are local chief executives who have been implementing a Synergeia education governance program. Learning from their experience and expertise, they will mentor their ARMM counterparts. It is another spectacular sight: local chief executives leading and willingly pledging their support to other chief executives to help more Filipino children, no matter where they are from.
Synergeia is a coalition of individuals and institutions working together to improve the quality of basic education. Its Education Governance Program is being implemented in more than 250 municipalities all over the country: including four provinces (Bulacan, Nueva Vizcaya, Negros Occidental, Benguet), six cities (Naga, Malolos, San Jose del Monte, San Fernando, Pampanga and Lipa) and key municipalities in Iloilo, Antique, Negros Oriental and Pampanga. As of January 2005, 450,000 children are enrolled in a Synergeia reading and mathematics program. The programs are co-financed by local governments, corporate donors and private individuals.
Synergeia is expanding to 19 new areas in 2005 including 4 municipalities in Cagayan, Quirino and in Tanauan City with the Altria Group; in Tondo, Manila with Credit Suisse; 4 municipalities in Laguna, Batangas and in Tiwi, Albay with UNOCAL; and Roxas City and Capiz Province.
For more information on Synergeia and its programs, please visit our website at http://www.synergeia.org.ph/.
DIWA is Dagyawang Igpaw sa Wastong Agkataw. Dagyawan is a Visayan word that represents the Filipino bayanihan spirit. Igpawan in Ilokano means leap. Wasto is the Filipino term that denotes correctness brought to the level of excellence. Agkataw is the Maguindanao term for intelligence.
DIWA means spirit or theme. It is a cause of inspiration or energy, an influence that stirs up and rouses. DIWA is the partnership of institutions and individuals who are dedicated to good governance, resulting to higher competencies of children in reading and mathematics.
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