Timanan Central Elementary School (TCES) is a school that serves the diverse community of South Upi dubbed as the “Haven of Empowered Tri-People” referring to their mixed populace of indigenous people (IP), Christians, and Muslims. They are known in their community as a unique school that accepts learners of all identities and backgrounds. This is a rare sight, especially within a context where the exclusion of marginalized groups may exist and where resources may be inadequate to cater to their identity and needs. Added to this is the reality of being geographically isolated and effectively left behind in most programs, including education. 

To address the barriers to education that learners in Timanan and the Bangsamoro region face, Australia invested in the KaISA Project or the Inclusive Schools Approach, initiated and led by the Ministry of Basic, Higher and Technical Education (MBHTE). This upholds their mandate that no child in the Bangsamoro shall be left behind in education. TCES was selected as the site where the pilot Inclusive and Supportive Center of Learning (ISCL) shall be established, with the school community as part of the design team. These ISCLs shall serve as innovation hubs that all school communities can refer to for resources on inclusive education. 

After months of preparation through training and co-designing sessions leading up to the launch of this pilot ISCL alongside other TCES educators, Lourdes Germo, School Principal of TCES, reflects on her journey as an indigenous person and educator who dreamed of being a role model and duty bearer to make quality education a possibility for all children, including the IP children of their community. She aspires for a reality where education transforms the future of learners from underrepresented groups and gives them a chance to live out their own dreams. 

What does it take to make this dream come true – and why is inclusive education a challenge worth taking on to make this happen, especially in a context where this may be difficult to achieve? 

A principal’s dream 

Lourdes L. Germo, Principal I of Timanan Central Elementary School (TCES) dreamed of becoming a beacon of hope as an educator. Having grown up with financial difficulties as a member of the Teduray community in South Upi and thus motivated to lift her family out of poverty, she pursued her academic career as an educator to improve their quality of life and serve as an inspiration to her community. Her story, along with the successful Tedurays in professional field, can inspire other fellow tribes to reach their dreams. 

“Sa amin, gusto naming ipakita sa kapwa namin Teduray na may Teduray ring may alam din. Gusto namin ‘yong [role] model kami para sa kanila. Para ‘yong mga walang interes sa pag-aaral, at least, ma-encourage namin sila… Then sa position ko ngayon, at least natulungan ko ‘yong aking kapwa Teduray.” 

(For us, we want to [show] fellow members of the Teduray that Teduray people also have something to offer. We want to be role models for them. So that those who may not have an interest in education can at least be encouraged… In my position now, that is how I want to help my fellow Teduray.) 

An IP educator advocates inclusive education for IP learners 

For indigenous learners, education is a path to a better life outside of all kinds of poverty; at the same time, the same poverty hinders them from accessing this. This is the reality Germo grew up with and continues to be dealing with as a school principal who is also an IP and caters to IP children. 

One day, the School Division Office (SDO) of Maguindanao I reached out to TCES through Alvin Antallan and Wilma Grace Rivero along with representatives of the project’s implementing organizations. They visited the school premises to assess if TCES can be the location of the pilot ISCL: physical infrastructure, accessibility of government agencies, availability of resources, sociocultural environment, and the predisposition of school towards inclusive education practices. After this assessment, TCES was eventually selected.  

When this idea of designing and implementing the pilot ISCL was first introduced to TCES through Principal Germo, she initially felt apprehensive of this big responsibility thrust into the hands of their school. The pilot ISCL was not only aiming to reach IP learners, but all learners of all backgrounds – how could their humble school manage this pressure of designing and implementing a project of this scale?  

Despite these fears, she realised something that changed her mind: TCES was a school that many individuals and organisations outside of South Upi were showing interest in. She also realised the value of the KaISA Project, that it was not simply about them and their capabilities – it was also about what they can achieve for their learners.  

“[After ‘yong mga assessment]… sa last talaga, kami rin ang napili. So, siyempre masaya ako. Bakit ako masaya? Siguro sabi ko [nakita nilang] maganda ang school natin, and then sabi ko baka may nakita sila dito sa atin… na makatulong dito sa programa natin. Parang proud rin ako… Masaya ako.”   

([After the assessments]… in the end, we were selected. So, of course I was happy. Why was I happy? I said, maybe they saw that our school is capable, and then I said maybe they saw something in our school… that can help with our program. That makes me proud… I am happy.” 

Gradually, she and the TCES school community found their confidence in training and co-designing sessions with the implementing organizations who guided them throughout this process. These sessions built what they envisioned for an inclusive learning center for learners in their community can look one step at a time, from its policies, processes, infrastructure, classroom setting, and learning resources. 

“In my opinion… they may need me, but I want to give others a chance… to [give way] to other administrators who will come into position. [I think] I have achieved a lot as a teacher. I have many professional accomplishments. So, I want to share [what I know] with other administrators who will come,” Germo said.  

Principal Germo pledges to serve as a consultant through the ISCL once she retires. For her, the advocacy for inclusive education does not stop with building one ISCL – this was simply the beginning of a brighter future educators are rooting for to take its full form in the Bangsamoro region, where all IPs can become professionals if they want to, and would later on take the same path as she did in championing for IP rights and opportunities. 

Though inclusive education may not be a household name in BARMM yet, Principal Lourdes Germo will continue to use her position and voice to urge others to know more about inclusive education, the ISCL, and the benefits they can reap from it. She also believes that what they have accomplished here can serve as starting points for other school communities to adopt their own version of the ISCL for their learners. 

One Teduray word that Ma’am Lourdes uses to best describe the campaign in the school for inclusive education is “fëliwawat,” a direct definition for “soar high”. From always striving to catch up with the needs of learners in Timanan, now, the TCES school community soars high to uplift every learner from their community towards a brighter future. 

When one thinks of possible solutions to make education inclusive for all learners, it is often focused on the learning environment itself: availability of learning materials, the effectiveness of a classroom set-up, how learners thrive within the school community, among others. What is often overlooked is its connection with other basic needs that may also need to be addressed. In Timanan Central Elementary School (TCES), School Nurse Jeannefel Blah especially sees how healthcare affects the journey of every learner in education.   

Food security, healthcare, and education are connecting aspects of a learner’s education path that Nurse Jeannefel Blah (known as Nurse Jing to learners in TCES) highlights as important to improving the quality of life of learners in the municipality of South Upi. Through the KaISA Project led by the Ministry of Basic, Higher and Technical Education (MBHTE) and supported by the Australian Government, she is actively working to make education inclusive in South Upi by addressing access to healthcare for all learners.  

Investing in learners to become future leaders   

Since completing her degree in nursing in Iloilo and going back to her homeland of South Upi, Nurse Jing worked as a School Nurse at TCES for 26 years. Throughout her journey with TCES as part of the KaISA Project, Nurse Jing realized inclusive education is important for schools, especially having connected with learners who study here as she provided school healthcare services to them. In her time as a school nurse, she realized that all learners are unique and must be appreciated for what made them different. For Nurse Jing, it was important to understand and, in the process, learn to love them, to provide them with what they need as an investment in their future. 

“’Pag nakikita ko ‘yong work ng teachers, nakakapagod – in giving lectures – talagang masakit sa lalamunan after the whole day of talking. But then, kung maintindihan mo sila and then you invest in children talaga, malaki ‘yong impact sa community,” the School Nurse added.   

(When I see how teachers work, it is tiring for them – giving lectures – it really sores their throat after the whole day of talking. But then, if you understand them and then you invest in children, that has a significant impact on the community.)  

For Nurse Jing, healthcare was also a way to recognize and respect the rights of every child in South Upi. By educating them with proper healthcare knowledge and how they can practice it every day, they are empowered to actively participate in building a stronger community that provides for their needs so they can enjoy a brighter future.  

“Ang mga bata, merong sariling boses, may karapatan sila. And then, by teaching them how to speak properly, how to inform the community kung ano ‘yong saloobin, malaki ‘yong matututunan ng lahat,” she continued.  

(Children, they have their own voice, they have rights. By teaching them how to speak properly, and how to inform the community what their opinions are, they will eventually teach the entire community.)  

As part of the healthcare program of the school, a child-to-child approach was implemented to teach learners and empower them to express their opinions effectively. Basic training in healthcare practices – such as household chores and self-hygiene – was provided by TCES. Nurse Jing emphasizes this as leadership training for children as they can act as “little teachers” for families and peers. The goal is to mold children into advocates and sources of healthcare practices and knowledge for their families and the community.  

Concerns to address to move forward   

Nurse Jing is hopeful for the success of the ISCL in TCES for students in the coming years. She believes that this hub will provide more opportunities for learners to develop their potential and help them flourish. She places emphasis on the importance of teaching daily activities like feeding, dressing, and using the comfort room to help learners develop their agency and further provide them with opportunities to advocate for their needs later in life. For Nurse Jing, she sees the involvement of the school community (to which learners and their parents or guardians belong to) as partners and collaborators in the design process of the ISCL essential to making sure that it directly addresses their needs and what they desire to work towards. 

For her, among the key issues to be addressed through effective interventions as part of the ISCL is taking care of infants’ nutritional needs during the first 1000 days after birth, as this is directly related to children’s health when they grow up into school age.  In this period, nutrition plays a vital role in the child’s neurodevelopment for brain function. In addition, both macro and micronutrients intersect with health and learning; hence, affect the overall development of a child. 

“Sana maintindihan ng lahat na during conception hanggang sa paglabas ng bata, hanggang sa before siya mag-aral [na] darating dito sa school, talagang napangalagaan na ‘yong kanyang kalusugan. Para ‘pag dating ng panahon na mag-aaral na siya, kayang-kaya ng katawan niya, ng isip niya, ng emotion niya, na maka-adjust kung ano ‘yong mga kailangan na gawin dito sa paaralan,” the School Nurse denoted.  

(I hope that everyone would understand that during the conception of a child until they are born, until before they enter the school system, their health really needs to be taken care of. So that in the future when the child starts to enroll in school, their body, mental, and emotional health can handle what needs to be done in school.)  

Nurse Jing sees the establishment of the pilot Inclusive and Supportive Centre for Learning (ISCL) through the KaISA Project as an opportunity to answer BARMM’s call to promote education rights and inclusivity for all learners in the region. The success of this pilot initiative was a direct result of training and capacity building that involved the entire school community composed of educators, leaders, learners and their families, and sector representatives, allowing Nurse Jing to understand the culture of inclusivity that Timanan is striving for. The pilot ISCL designed by the TCES school community demonstrates the importance of inclusive education in the community and how it will effectively target their needs, including healthcare. Recognizing the impact that the ISCL shall bring to their community, Nurse Jing committed to continuously researching and utilizing her time to provide accurate and sufficient healthcare services here. 

Nurse Jing, like many healthcare practitioners in the region, believes that healthcare is a key component to creating more inclusive and progressive communities that shall be sustained into the future. Through the ISCL and the KaISA Project, school communities can bring their vision of inclusive education to life for all learners, for all their needs. This is proof that inclusion is only possible by ensuring that all learners are cared for, so that they may focus on creating a future for themselves and their community. 

Story provided by Schools Division Office of Lanao del Sur I, Nashrema Mauyag 

Under the educational sector, the province is divided into three Schools Division Offices (SDOs) to focus on the educational welfare of the Bangsamoro learners, in which the SDO Lanao del Sur I leads the campaign for the KaISA Project, also known as the Inclusive Schools Approach (ISA). 

The main goal of the ISA is to reach every child by addressing their functional difficulties, documenting their lived experiences, and bridging the circumstances of the Bangsamoro learners with the current education system to make it more inclusive. The 20 Days to Reach Every Child Campaign was initiated by the Bangsamoro Ministry of Basic, Higher, and Technical Education (MBHTE) as part of the KaISA Project supported by the Australian Government through the implementation of Education Pathways to Peace in Mindanao with partner The Teacher’s Gallery. In line with the Learning Recovery Plan, the activity in Lanao del Sur I – led by Team Leader Nobaisah Ibrahim, JD and 10 field enumerators, with the support of the School Divisions Superintendent Shanee Macarampat-Sumagayan, Ph.D. – garnered more than 2,000 respondents1.  

Education serves as a ticket to a better life for children by giving them knowledge that would allow them to navigate social, political, and economic aspects of life. However, when education infrastructure may be insufficient to meet any learners’ unique needs, this may be difficult to achieve.  Rema Hayfah Agasor, a 9-year-old child with disability enrolled in Grade 3 (as of July 2022) from Barangay Radapan Poblacion of the municipality of Piagapo, is one of many children here who yearn to enjoy the education that they deserve.  

Rema has an undying love and enthusiasm for learning. Nashrema Mauyag, a Field Enumerator from the Schools Division Office of Lanao del Sur II, described her as a ‘jolly’ child. Rema is a unique child who sees the value of education, eagerly seeking to learn and deeply interested in attending school. However, the physical accessibility of the nearby school (only about 500 meters from her home) makes attending school a difficult option for her as a child with mobility issues. 

Rema Hayfah’s backstory 

Rema’s mother conceived her through a twin pregnancy, but unfortunately she miscarried met with the miscarriage of her twin due to a rare condition identified upon consultation with medical professionals at the time. With this, Rema needed to be birthed before recovering the body of her twin who passed away. After the safe delivery of her mother, newborn screening was conducted for Rema in a local hospital and found no forms of disability.

Two months after she was born, Rema was taken care of by her grandparents as her parents went to Manila for a living. When she was just learning to walk, her legs suddenly crossed which made it difficult for her to stand on her own. Soon, this affected her ability to walk permanently. Now, she uses a locomote to move around.

While Rema’s home is in proximity with the school and the pathway is made of concrete, the state of the road is in poor condition with potholes, making it hard for Rema to physically attend school. To make matters more challenging, the family’s earnings are not enough to buy her a wheelchair. The only other option would be to physically carry her to and from school, which is impractical and not ideal for people with physical disabilities. True inclusivity that manifests in physical accessibility must result in a facility where those with mobility issues can navigate the premises independently.

Making inclusion happen regardless of all barriers 

Regardless of all these barriers, Rema’s love for learning does not wane, and her eagerness to achieve academic growth and success remains. This is something her mother observed. In BARMM, it was common for parents of children with disabilities to hide them at home and not enrol them in school for fear of them experiencing social discrimination. But Rema’s mother was moved by her daughter’s longing for an education. 

When the pandemic hit, her mother saw this as an opportunity to enroll her in school by taking advantage of the modular learning set up that was implemented. This kind of set up was greatly beneficial to Rema and her family, given that they did not have to exert any excessive physical effort to access education – the only thing they needed was the module from the school, and Rema was able to continue her studies. 

Why inclusive education is important for children like Rema 

Rema is one of many children with disabilities in BARMM who yearn for an education that takes their unique needs into account so they may equitably learn. This entails creating learning environments that are not only physically accessible, but also providing inclusive options like modular learning set ups that can help education easily reach every child.  

As of writing, Rema is dedicated to pursuing educational pursuits with her dreams of becoming a professional teacher in the future. Of course, in the future, her dreams may change – but what matters is that the possibility of creating their own future is made open for every child. Her journey, along with the Bangsamoro children, deserves regard in their undertakings with continuous, inclusive, and supplemental systematic support.  

“Passing through the footbridge in Barangay Tubig Tanah was very scary especially when you are not used to it. Despite that, I continued the survey because I am committed to it.” This was a sentiment shared by one of the field enumerators in Tawi-Tawi when they took the initiative to implement the 20-Day Campaign to Reach Every Child, an initiative of the Ministry of Basic, Higher and Technical Education (MBHTE) supported by the Australian Government, with the goal of documenting learners with functional difficulties in far-flung and difficult to access areas of the island.  

This field enumerator was not alone in being afraid of travelling to remote and unfamiliar territories such as Barangay Tubig Tanah – fears that were warranted, considering the difficult passages that they had to go through. Some field enumerators specifically identified Luuk Siabon as one of the more challenging journeys they had to make as part of the campaign, requiring a boat ride and a 40-minute motorcycle ride through a rugged terrain that could only be caught either at the crack of dawn or at sundown. To accomplish what they needed to do, they had to catch the rides early in the morning. 

This is only one of the challenges that the field enumerators of School Division Office (SDO) Tawi-Tawi encountered as they set out to conduct household interviews with families of learners with functional difficulties. Remote areas such as those in Tawi-Tawi are faced with the challenge of providing quality education to learners here, especially with the many (figurative and literal) roadblocks that they may face.  

Despite these challenges they faced for 20 days, SDO Tawi-Tawi field enumerators would still choose to continue what they had started here until they have reached every child. What makes inclusive education this important for the island of Tawi-Tawi that it is worth going the distance for? 

Getting to know Tawi-Tawi  

The field enumerators of SDO Tawi-Tawi learned learnt many things about this place and the people who resided within it, despite having served here. The campaign served as an opportunity for them to bridge what they already knew about their school community and the context of the larger community they belonged to. This was essential not only for the goal of making inclusive education happen here, but especially in getting to know what was needed to truly reach every child who seeks to learn.  

In Barangay Tubig Tanah, children of the Samah Badjao tribe often ended up not receiving any formal education. This was common amongst Badjao families living in the areas of Pag-asa. During the campaign, the field enumerators learned learnt that this was caused by the parents’ fear that enrolling their children in school will only expose them to bullying. One of the parents claimed, “We, the Badjao Samah, are always bullied.”  

Having learned learnt the challenges that indigenous learners with functional difficulties, the field enumerators found valuable insights about Samah Badjao children and their families. These insights helped inform the KaISA Project’s understanding of the intersectional experiences that indigenous children with functional difficulties may have.  

The challenges that they encountered in the campaign implementation tested the abilities of the field enumerators. However, beyond this, what they have learned learnt about their communities is invaluable and helped them connect with people who were hindered from accessing quality education. These field enumerators proved themselves to not only be determined teachers, but also capable advocates for inclusive education that are ready to face challenges to reach every child. 

Issues and difficulties can often be the reason why most people decide not to pursue certain goals; but for the field enumerators of Tawi-Tawi at least, they see this as an opportunity. Challenges are opportunities to serve, to understand, and most of all – to make a meaningful change for the children of the island who want an education to reach a brighter future not only for themselves, but also for the communities to which they belong.