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Life as a teacher

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  • Post last modified:October 13, 2024

Hi. Today we interviewed a high school teacher in a town called Cagayan de Oro in the Philippines. I hope this article will stimulate you.

Who are you?

My name is Kristine Dorothy Eufinado. I am eldest daughter in my family, and have a sister. I have two dogs in my house that are like my little sons. I never moved somewhere out of this city Cagayan de Oro since I was born, so this is my hometown. I am now working at Capitol Univerity as a science teache.

Capitol University

Capitol University is a private institution located in Cagayan de Oro, Philippines, offering a wide range of academic programs from undergraduate to graduate levels. Established in 1971, it is known for its commitment to providing quality education with a focus on academic excellence, community engagement, and professional development.

Cagayan de Oro city

City called City of Golden Friendship. Most urbanized city in the Northern Mindanao. It is a centre of agricultural processing and has lots of multinational corporations.

Why did you become a teacher?

Um, I ask myself this question sometimes, but one reason is my high school teacher. Also, my major is social studies, and I love to speak about my major a lot. So teaching social studies is very fun for me. Not just teaching, i also learn a lot from my students. Since I’ve been teaching only for a month and I am still a new teacher, I am in the middle of being a university student and a teacher so there are still many things to learn new. And learning new things stimulate and motivate me. The biggest thing I’ve learnt is how to handle students who have been diagnosed with autism.

Autism

Autism is a congenital developmental disorder. The symptom usually appears until 3 years old. Recently, the number of people diagnosed with autism has increased, and right now 1％ of people are autistic. Each person has different types of symptoms and severity, and they have different challenges in their life.

What is your biggest experience that changed your perspectives?

It is when I graduated my university. After being an adult in society for the first time, I experienced a lot of challenges. Although I wanted to get a job, many institutions slapped me on my face and I strived a lot to live. All the pressure from my relatives since I graduated from university, really changed my mindset. Even if I pray for a lord, there’ll be no job for me on the table. It all relies on me.

the Philippines employment rate

The rate is getting higher in the Philippines. The most recent rate is 96.90％. But at the time of COVID-19, the rate declined severely.

Biggest regred in your life

During my studies, I always stuck to my academics and did not play enough with my friends at the time. So if I could go back to when I was in high school, I would play more with my friends that I had and enjoy what I could do only at the moment. After being teacher, there are less things I can do. For example even if I want to enjoy the club, I cannot do it anymore because I’m a teacher right now. Not just as an adult, but also as a teacher, there are lots of things that I cannot do. Even if I have enough finances compared to the student, lesser things I can do.


What are the good points and the problems of Cagayan de Oro?

Good point → it is the safest city in Mindanao island and the place of rest for me. Because I grew up in CDO throughout my life, even if I move to somewhere else, I will miss this city.

Fron of Capitol University when it rain a lot

Bad point → I think it is the lack of urban planning. I think you noticed but for example, the road is not unpaved so traffic jams are common, and when heavy rain starts, the road will be soon flooded. It is very inconvenient for us. Governments don’t really spend money on infrastructure and just make big new buildings like malls to increase the imply. I think they need to spend more money on enriching people’s daily lives.

There are more other aspects where government needs to spend more money. For example aid to a poor people.When I rode a zippy, some kids came and played a flute for us to gather money. There are a bunch of children on the street begging for money. Poverty are very common in here. Most of them are part of a tribal group. However, they are scattered in the city. They have their home town where most of their tribal lives, but some of them came out to the city because they believed the city would help them to find a job. But they don’t have any educational backgrounds, and as I mentioned, aid to people is not satisfied here, they become very poor in the city.

Poverty in the Philippines and Mindanao island

In 2021, 18％ of people and,26.4％ of children were in poverty. The disparity of income inPhilippiness is very severe, and 1％ of people have half of the country’s wealth. Also, 31％ of poverty is distributed in Mindanao. According to the Asian Development Park

・In health services, 11% of respondents said that the lack of government facilities forced them to use private clinics/hospitals.

・In education, 41% of school-age children do not attend school, citing economic reasons and poor performance.

・About water supply, most households rely on private wells and rainwater collectors. Only 23% avail of level III sources (considered to be the best water sources)　

ーIndigenous Peoples/Ethnic Minorities and Poverty Reduction: Philippines (adb.org)

How do you want this world to be in future?

No poverty. Poverty cannot be ignored. Of course in the Philippines but also in Japan or another country, there is poverty. We cannot make all poor people to be rich, but we can help them. For example in terms of Cagayan de Oro, the society structure has to secure more people’s basic needs. Cagayan de oro is developing quickly and it is something to be happy about. But we cannot just develop disregarding people who are in need. A society where everyone’s happiness and daily life are secure is what I want this world to be. Finally, What is your favourite word? K: My favourite world is Punhon. It means “soon” in English. Punhon I will be a teacher, and there will be less poverty. This is how I express my wish, and achieve my goals. So this is my favourite word.

Thank you for reading our first article. I hope you enjoyed it. See you in the next post!

job and voice

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