Teachers are not just educators, but many also become their students’ second parents. And that role is religiously accepted by many teachers, many of whom go above and beyond their call of duty to help their learners.
Take for example Sir Emil Bal-iyang, a teacher of Lamag Elementary School in Lamag, Quirino. This dedicated teacher personally caught fish from his cage in the river and distributed these to his students’ families for free! Wow.
This impressive teacher wowed netizens after his story was shared by Josephine Gironella, another teacher who also went for another post about teachers in their school providing relief goods to their learners, out of their own pockets!
SEE: Teachers Use Their Money to Buy Relief Goods for 200 Students and Their Families
According to the post, Sir Emil had promised his Grade 6 students that they would have a picnic with their families by the river after their graduation. But that was before the COVID-19 crisis hit the country.
Photo credit: Josephine Gironella / Facebook
As the school year abruptly ended, Sir Emil was not even able to say goodbye to his students! As the cases continue to rise, the president extended the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) in many places. This meant that Sir Emil couldn’t bring his students to that promised picnic anytime soon.
With that in mind, he decided to still give them a treat for completing the school.
Photo credit: Josephine Gironella / Facebook
Upland Municipalities like Quirino let farmers and fisherfolks go out to check on their farms to gather vegetables and catch fish, as long as they don’t spend too long there. So, with the help of fellow teacher Sir Frederick Daumen, Sir Emil went to his fish cage in the river to get some fish for his students.
Photo credit: Josephine Gironella / Facebook
Photo credit: Josephine Gironella / Facebook
The two caught the fish and divided the catch equally among the students.
“Tunay ngang hindi lamang sa pagtuturo ng iba’t ibang asignatura magaling ang isang guro. Gaya ni sir Emil, nakakaya pa rin niyang mag-alaga ng isda sa palaisdaan sa ilog at magtanim ng iba’t ibang gulay para lang may makain ang kanyang mga mag – aaral. Ika nga niya, ‘Kung may itinamin, may aanahin, at may kakainin,’” shared Ma’am Josephine.
Photo credit: Josephine Gironella / Facebook
Photo credit: Josephine Gironella / Facebook
Aside from being a part-time fisherman and farmer, the teacher also dedicates his time as COVID-19 frontliner by going on duty at a barangay checkpoint. Kudos, Sir Emil!
