A letter from an EAP beneficiary

Kadaclan Elementary School

Chupac, Barlig, Mountain Province

September 13, 2012

The Commissioners

National Commission on Indigenous Peoples

Quezon Avenue, Quezon City

Dear Commissioners:

Greetings!

Way back in 1995, I was a scholar/grantee of the Office of the National Cultural Communities (ONCC).  It helped me a lot during those times because an older brother was in his senior year and Mom’s salary wasn’t enough for both of us attending college.  Unfortunately, I was out of the list the next school year because, according to ONCC rules, a grantee should not transfer to other universities to which I did, from Benguet State University to one of the schools in Baguio City.  With the scholarship gone, there were no other means to help me financially so I did my best and qualified myself as an academic scholar.  In 2000 I graduated in Baguio Central University with the degree of Bachelor in Elementary Education.  In 2001 I passed the Licensure Examination for Teachers (LET).

It was job hunting that came next, specially that I wasn’t able to run from the arrows of Mr. Cupid.  For three years since passing LET, I substituted twice and volunteered teaching for one year.  In a district like Barlig, it seems so hard to be employed.  Even if I ranked number one in the list of qualified applicants, there was no vacant position.  Then there, came NCIP, the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples coming up with a program like Indigenous Peoples (IP) teacher item for the whole country.

February 1, 2005 marks the start of my career as an IP teacher, I was permanently employed under the Department of Education as Teacher 1.

Today, I am still an IP teacher teaching IP pupils.  I haven’t met any problems dealing with my pupils and parents and that’s because we share the same culture and traditions.  It feels so good to be with my own group of people, teaching and molding them and their children to become one of the country’s asset, today, tomorrow and the years to come.

And I have the NCIP to thank for.  Everything that I have now, I owe it to NCIP.  Without it, our life will not be as easier as it is now.  The IP item is the bread and butter of my family.  And there’s one proud IP personality I would like to thank for, Atty. Basilio Wandag, not only he helped me win one item of my region but he also showed me that “Ang taong lumilingon sa pinanggalingan ay makararating sa paroroonan.”

Mabuhay ang NCIP, mabuhay ang mga IPs, mabuhay ang mga guro!

Again, thank you and more power!

Sincerely yours,

signed

JOJI K. MAKITAY