The State of Education in Tawi Tawi

Back when I was gathering information about the Patikul Project, I have spoken to a friend in Tawi Tawi who gave a brief of how the education system works in their province.

Thanks to a traveller friend, I got a ticket to fly to Tawi Tawi this weekend to check personally. We have visited 5 schools: Baloboc National High School, Malasa Primary School, Patal Elementary School, Boheb Basag Elementary School, and Layak Elementary School.

From the conversations I had with residents, teachers, and students, the development of schools in Tawi Tawi seems to be rather interventions from concerned groups: The seal of the organizing group such as AUSAid, or USAid, or "Donated by" labels from various Armed Forces Batallions.

Because a community is spread out in a vast land, and transportation is expensive, there are primary and elementary schools. Primary schools have been setup to address the need to travel very far away. Primary schools would normally have pre-school and grades 1-4. When students reach grades 5 and 6, they move to the more comprehenaive elementary schools where they would most likely temporarily reside with relatives nearby.

Because there is not enough classrooms and teachers, students from supposedly several grade levels (e.g. grades 1 and 2, or sometimes, even 1, 2 and 3) are mixed up into a 1-2 hours class a day.

In cases where there is an available teacher but not a room, a divider is put into one room. .But dividing the room will mean compressing the classrooms and calibrating the noise. 

dividers used to split 1 classroom into 2 grade levels

With the shortage of teachers, instructors will have to divide their time to accomodate teaching for the other grade levels. 

Mixing up grade schools, and counting the hours spent teaching at each class, I realized the teaching hours is just rounding up to around 4. I have wondered if work is not counted per 8 hours. 

Technically speaking, these teachers are volunteer individuals receiving an allowance of P2,000 per month, and this will be inclusive of any resource they may need in teaching, such as chalks, papers, etc. Truth be told though that there is not enough employment opportunity in the province; People actually chase and fight for even these volunteer opportunities. This is the most you can get for some and is actually better than nothing.

To supplement the under-employment and satisfy their needs,especially if they are raising a family of their own, they have to do some additional livelihood on the side. Hence, they can not complete an 8 hour task. On the side, they work on farming, etc. I was hoping they can have more dedication, especially their children are attending the same classes, but we can't hold them accountable as well for the little that they are receiving. 

The result, its the kids, short of what is supposed to be their right to learn.

Going into the structure of the schools, you can safely assume that the bigger and better room must have been for the lower grade levels. There would have been an estimated 40 students in a class of mixed grades 1 and 2. The enrollment then declines as they progress in school. 

Students become lazy to keep coming back to school because they have to walk 3-4 kilometers away, for an hour (or two) of class, at which the lesson would have been heard earlier; in the case of Grade 2 students who are mixed up with grade 1. 

By the time they enter grade 5-6, there would have been only less than 10 of them left from that class of 40. Consequently, they get the worse room in the school. Such as that in Patal Elementary school where their wooden, not so ventillated classroom, don't even have flooring. 

interior of the Patal Elementary School Grade 6 in Tawi Tawi

Patal Elementary School Grade 6 room in Tawi Tawi

Layak Elementary School Grade 6 in Tawi Tawi

On one of the conversations I had with the teachers, asking her about what the students could be learning out of their schooling, like if a grade 5 student can answer 7 times 8 (7 x 8 = ?), she said, maybe not. They realize they can only teach so much because of the very limited resources, and so, as per advice from their principal, so long as they can read and write, that shall be good enough.

Because there is no fund for seats, students squat in the floor of the classrooms. They would be lucky if there is a provision for linoleum cover for the flooring.  

Of all the 5 elementary schools we have visited in Tawi Tawi, only the Boheh Basag Elementary school had 1 classroom for every grade level; Thanks to the volunteer teachers who has been sharing P250 each every month since 2013 as installment payment for the purchase of materials for the construction of additional makeshift classrooms for the kids. 

Boheh Basag Elementary School in Tawi Tawi

Boheh Basag Elementary School in Tawi Tawi

Makeshift classrooms Boheh Basag Elementary School in Tawi Tawi funded by teachers

grade 6 room in Boheh Basag Elementary School in Tawi Tawi

Boheh Basag Elementary School in Tawi Tawi

One school did not have toilets. The school is nowhere near the houses of the students, so what happens is, when there is an extreme need to go to toilet, students go home, and would be so lazy to come back to school especially if they were close to the dismissal.

Toilet in Patal Elementary School in Tawi Tawi

It was also ironic that while the other schools did not have enough rooms, there were schools, such as the Malasa primary school where there was a new structure built, whereas the old structure could have just been repaired, and excess from funds could have been used for other necessities such as chairs. Moreover, there seems to be only 1 volunteer teacher for primary school, grades 1-2, and grade 4, and then another teacher courtesy of an NGO for grade 3. In turn, only 2 out of the 4 classrooms are actually used. The vicinity of the school is also quite bushy and forested. 

Malasa Primary School

abandoned buildings in Malasa Primary school in Tawi Tawi

abandoned buildings in Malasa Primary school in Tawi Tawi

As mentioned on the shortage of chairs, one of the rooms of the abandoned structure had chairs which could have been used, but for some reason, they were locked inside the old building.

We also spotted some new books hanging loose on the floors of the locked abandoned building. Later, we asked the teachers why books are not being used, and we were told these were provided for K-12 curriculum (which is an impossible concept in this province because of the lack of resources; not even the grade school 1-6 system is working). 

Last February, we were able to provide a small amount of Laboratory Materials for Balabac National High School. 


To see other schools in Sulu,
see here for Tandu Bagua Primay School
Tandu Dagmay Primay School



For other efforts in the SULU, see our #SULOngSULU page

Back when I was gathering information about the Patikul Project, I have spoken to a friend in Tawi Tawi who gave a brief of how the education system works in their province.

Thanks to a traveller friend, I got a ticket to fly to Tawi Tawi this weekend to check personally. We have visited 5 schools: Baloboc National High School, Malasa Primary School, Patal Elementary School, Boheb Basag Elementary School, and Layak Elementary School.

From the conversations I had with residents, teachers, and students, the development of schools in Tawi Tawi seems to be rather interventions from concerned groups: The seal of the organizing group such as AUSAid, or USAid, or "Donated by" labels from various Armed Forces Batallions.

Because a community is spread out in a vast land, and transportation is expensive, there are primary and elementary schools. Primary schools have been setup to address the need to travel very far away. Primary schools would normally have pre-school and grades 1-4. When students reach grades 5 and 6, they move to the more comprehenaive elementary schools where they would most likely temporarily reside with relatives nearby.

Because there is not enough classrooms and teachers, students from supposedly several grade levels (e.g. grades 1 and 2, or sometimes, even 1, 2 and 3) are mixed up into a 1-2 hours class a day.

In cases where there is an available teacher but not a room, a divider is put into one room. .But dividing the room will mean compressing the classrooms and calibrating the noise. 

dividers used to split 1 classroom into 2 grade levels

With the shortage of teachers, instructors will have to divide their time to accomodate teaching for the other grade levels. 

Mixing up grade schools, and counting the hours spent teaching at each class, I realized the teaching hours is just rounding up to around 4. I have wondered if work is not counted per 8 hours. 

Technically speaking, these teachers are volunteer individuals receiving an allowance of P2,000 per month, and this will be inclusive of any resource they may need in teaching, such as chalks, papers, etc. Truth be told though that there is not enough employment opportunity in the province; People actually chase and fight for even these volunteer opportunities. This is the most you can get for some and is actually better than nothing.

To supplement the under-employment and satisfy their needs,especially if they are raising a family of their own, they have to do some additional livelihood on the side. Hence, they can not complete an 8 hour task. On the side, they work on farming, etc. I was hoping they can have more dedication, especially their children are attending the same classes, but we can't hold them accountable as well for the little that they are receiving. 

The result, its the kids, short of what is supposed to be their right to learn.

Going into the structure of the schools, you can safely assume that the bigger and better room must have been for the lower grade levels. There would have been an estimated 40 students in a class of mixed grades 1 and 2. The enrollment then declines as they progress in school. 

Students become lazy to keep coming back to school because they have to walk 3-4 kilometers away, for an hour (or two) of class, at which the lesson would have been heard earlier; in the case of Grade 2 students who are mixed up with grade 1. 

By the time they enter grade 5-6, there would have been only less than 10 of them left from that class of 40. Consequently, they get the worse room in the school. Such as that in Patal Elementary school where their wooden, not so ventillated classroom, don't even have flooring. 

interior of the Patal Elementary School Grade 6 in Tawi Tawi

Patal Elementary School Grade 6 room in Tawi Tawi

Layak Elementary School Grade 6 in Tawi Tawi

On one of the conversations I had with the teachers, asking her about what the students could be learning out of their schooling, like if a grade 5 student can answer 7 times 8 (7 x 8 = ?), she said, maybe not. They realize they can only teach so much because of the very limited resources, and so, as per advice from their principal, so long as they can read and write, that shall be good enough.

Because there is no fund for seats, students squat in the floor of the classrooms. They would be lucky if there is a provision for linoleum cover for the flooring.  

Of all the 5 elementary schools we have visited in Tawi Tawi, only the Boheh Basag Elementary school had 1 classroom for every grade level; Thanks to the volunteer teachers who has been sharing P250 each every month since 2013 as installment payment for the purchase of materials for the construction of additional makeshift classrooms for the kids. 

Boheh Basag Elementary School in Tawi Tawi

Boheh Basag Elementary School in Tawi Tawi

Makeshift classrooms Boheh Basag Elementary School in Tawi Tawi funded by teachers

grade 6 room in Boheh Basag Elementary School in Tawi Tawi

Boheh Basag Elementary School in Tawi Tawi

One school did not have toilets. The school is nowhere near the houses of the students, so what happens is, when there is an extreme need to go to toilet, students go home, and would be so lazy to come back to school especially if they were close to the dismissal.

Toilet in Patal Elementary School in Tawi Tawi

It was also ironic that while the other schools did not have enough rooms, there were schools, such as the Malasa primary school where there was a new structure built, whereas the old structure could have just been repaired, and excess from funds could have been used for other necessities such as chairs. Moreover, there seems to be only 1 volunteer teacher for primary school, grades 1-2, and grade 4, and then another teacher courtesy of an NGO for grade 3. In turn, only 2 out of the 4 classrooms are actually used. The vicinity of the school is also quite bushy and forested. 

Malasa Primary School

abandoned buildings in Malasa Primary school in Tawi Tawi

abandoned buildings in Malasa Primary school in Tawi Tawi

As mentioned on the shortage of chairs, one of the rooms of the abandoned structure had chairs which could have been used, but for some reason, they were locked inside the old building.

We also spotted some new books hanging loose on the floors of the locked abandoned building. Later, we asked the teachers why books are not being used, and we were told these were provided for K-12 curriculum (which is an impossible concept in this province because of the lack of resources; not even the grade school 1-6 system is working). 

Last February, we were able to provide a small amount of Laboratory Materials for Balabac National High School. 


To see other schools in Sulu,
see here for Tandu Bagua Primay School
Tandu Dagmay Primay School



For other efforts in the SULU, see our #SULOngSULU page

Read More »

Beware! You may be over travelling

I've had enough! I may have not been as travelled as people I had been with, back when I was backpacking, but hailing from the Philippines, I think I have seen enough.

Sometimes, I wonder how my life would have been if i did not get into the habit of travelling. It may have been "Normal" - drive a car to work, meet and have lunch with colleagues and clients, get dinner and drinks with friends. Then, simply, repeat until friday. Come saturday, shop and go mall, family on sundays, and an occasional out of town to some celebrated destinations and notable hotel. End of the story.

But since I chose to go places, it's a little different. You'd rather eat on cheap and spend on a bus ride 300kms away, even for a day trip; Or, keep your old battery depleted phone because a new one costs the same as what you'd spend elsewhere for 30 days. You barely want to spend because there is so much else to see and learn (plus you are also probably not earning any money as you travel.)

Then again, you don't care. You just want to keep moving further; And, sometimes, when you are asked where to? Again, you don't care; "Just Anywhere!" After all, you've probably been to the great beaches, falls, mountains, etc. 

Then, it reaches some point of just being able to say "Yes, I have been there." You keep exploring, and you acknowledge that you are not bound to see anything surreal or better than the ones you have already seen. You get to the sharp corners of everywhere, meeting locals, knowing how they spend their time, their livelihood, their stories, including their miseries. You enjoy your time with them better (especially these are the people who'd give everything of the littlest they have and for nothing in return all in the name of hospitality). 

Suddenly, you become so thankful of all you have. You have seen the unseen. Alongside your satisfactory existence is someone in famine, in disadvantage, in hopes to have the same life you have. Only that, they did not have the same opportunity as you. 

Not everyone sees them. None has spoken to them. Only you and a few are aware of their existence, life's joy, and even miseries.. 

You have eyes, you have ears, you have all there to figure out that something might be done better. As humans, you are capable, no matter how little, to do something.

Like that of the third eye, you shall not seek it, if you are not prepared for it. It will sting. It will be a struggle to your guilt and conscience to resist not doing something. And, when that hits, that's when you know you have travelled. There's no turning back.

Your old life is nowhere ahead. You have no choice but to pause and do something. It's not like you are in wonderland... It's Third World - where travelling might just be a call to action.

Right now I am busy with some outreach projects with the help of some friends whilst studying Bahasa Indonesia/Malay in Indonesia. This is in the hopes that later I can assist in co-operational development in the (Philippines') south where after delimitation of the national boundaries, what used to be a casual crossing and migration has become an illegal and unaccounted activity that is delimiting the rights and privileges of the people.

Part of this, I'd like to contribute to opening more formal channels between our countries. We are countries of the same race, of the same language, color, food even, yet, it is far easier to get to East Asia, or even Europe, and even cultural acquaintance with the latter countries is far more pronounced... that is wrong!

Why do I do or start things alone? Well, let's just say, I like to show people the power of an individual. A lot of times, we have second thoughts of doing things just because we think we lack resources. Yes, it may be right, but it does not always mean we can't. Our worth is nowhere to be found on our own bodies, on our own house, but with others. Our worth is where our existence reaches as far out to. As it is said, no man is an island.

I've had enough! I may have not been as travelled as people I had been with, back when I was backpacking, but hailing from the Philippines, I think I have seen enough.

Sometimes, I wonder how my life would have been if i did not get into the habit of travelling. It may have been "Normal" - drive a car to work, meet and have lunch with colleagues and clients, get dinner and drinks with friends. Then, simply, repeat until friday. Come saturday, shop and go mall, family on sundays, and an occasional out of town to some celebrated destinations and notable hotel. End of the story.

But since I chose to go places, it's a little different. You'd rather eat on cheap and spend on a bus ride 300kms away, even for a day trip; Or, keep your old battery depleted phone because a new one costs the same as what you'd spend elsewhere for 30 days. You barely want to spend because there is so much else to see and learn (plus you are also probably not earning any money as you travel.)

Then again, you don't care. You just want to keep moving further; And, sometimes, when you are asked where to? Again, you don't care; "Just Anywhere!" After all, you've probably been to the great beaches, falls, mountains, etc. 

Then, it reaches some point of just being able to say "Yes, I have been there." You keep exploring, and you acknowledge that you are not bound to see anything surreal or better than the ones you have already seen. You get to the sharp corners of everywhere, meeting locals, knowing how they spend their time, their livelihood, their stories, including their miseries. You enjoy your time with them better (especially these are the people who'd give everything of the littlest they have and for nothing in return all in the name of hospitality). 

Suddenly, you become so thankful of all you have. You have seen the unseen. Alongside your satisfactory existence is someone in famine, in disadvantage, in hopes to have the same life you have. Only that, they did not have the same opportunity as you. 

Not everyone sees them. None has spoken to them. Only you and a few are aware of their existence, life's joy, and even miseries.. 

You have eyes, you have ears, you have all there to figure out that something might be done better. As humans, you are capable, no matter how little, to do something.

Like that of the third eye, you shall not seek it, if you are not prepared for it. It will sting. It will be a struggle to your guilt and conscience to resist not doing something. And, when that hits, that's when you know you have travelled. There's no turning back.

Your old life is nowhere ahead. You have no choice but to pause and do something. It's not like you are in wonderland... It's Third World - where travelling might just be a call to action.

Right now I am busy with some outreach projects with the help of some friends whilst studying Bahasa Indonesia/Malay in Indonesia. This is in the hopes that later I can assist in co-operational development in the (Philippines') south where after delimitation of the national boundaries, what used to be a casual crossing and migration has become an illegal and unaccounted activity that is delimiting the rights and privileges of the people.

Part of this, I'd like to contribute to opening more formal channels between our countries. We are countries of the same race, of the same language, color, food even, yet, it is far easier to get to East Asia, or even Europe, and even cultural acquaintance with the latter countries is far more pronounced... that is wrong!

Why do I do or start things alone? Well, let's just say, I like to show people the power of an individual. A lot of times, we have second thoughts of doing things just because we think we lack resources. Yes, it may be right, but it does not always mean we can't. Our worth is nowhere to be found on our own bodies, on our own house, but with others. Our worth is where our existence reaches as far out to. As it is said, no man is an island.

Read More »

Outreach Event: To feed or not to feed?

Sitio Banaba, Porac, Pampanga during Aeta Feeding program by GIZ's outreach event last december

I have gone hungry after a terrible queue in the supermarket from rush last minute shoppers for Christmas eve dinner (and that includes me of course). It was 5pm, and I could not spot any more restaurant that is open; everyone closed out early to make up for the dinner. I was left with no choice but the streetfood fishballs, kikiam, etc. It wasn’t bad after all as I have been missing this anyway after being out of the country for more than half a year.

A few days before, I have been told by another co-volunteer at one of our Aeta outreach event this year, that he has seen some of the aetas of Sitio Banaba in the city, begging alms.

Although the aetas has been popular for this, I did not believe him rightaway, and instead asked him some question. As far as I am aware, this group of Aetas does not do this just like the rest. Yet, he said, he recognized their faces and these Aetas remember him too. Further, there was another follow up aeta outreach through another group just the next weekend after the first, and for this event, I was surprised to see the community very quiet. Most of them have gone down to the city, and village chief confirms it happens always during Christmas.

Meantime, As I was about to pay the roadside vendor, I saw a family of aeta, around 12 of them all in all, adults, kids, and worst, infants. I looked closely, and they are one of the families in Sitio Banaba. Right there, right before my eyes.

Suddenly, all the joys I had out of the outreach events have molten into regrets. Whatever we’ve done, whatever we’ve given, fact is , it is good enough for a short 1 day. We probably helped that 4x4 owner more by paying him enough to feed his family for a week.

I’ve asked myself this several times.. especially this is the second year that we’ve done this. Where have our efforts gone? Are they any good?

Then again, it is Christmas isn’t it? On Christmas, we buy new clothes, get Lechon, or those expensively creamy desserts, etc. We don’t do this everyday ourselves.

For a day, it is probably nice to be a little bit more free to scoop up as much rice as they want, have a taste of meat, some juice, and live a day with a stock of coffee, sugar, noodles, etc. That’s probably not so bad for the holiday season.

Nevertheless, for any other day, it might be much worthwhile to spend for something else.

I’ll forward soon some projects future concerned individuals can work on for the Aetas.


see here for a list of other aeta related articles

Sitio Banaba, Porac, Pampanga during Aeta Feeding program by GIZ's outreach event last december

I have gone hungry after a terrible queue in the supermarket from rush last minute shoppers for Christmas eve dinner (and that includes me of course). It was 5pm, and I could not spot any more restaurant that is open; everyone closed out early to make up for the dinner. I was left with no choice but the streetfood fishballs, kikiam, etc. It wasn’t bad after all as I have been missing this anyway after being out of the country for more than half a year.

A few days before, I have been told by another co-volunteer at one of our Aeta outreach event this year, that he has seen some of the aetas of Sitio Banaba in the city, begging alms.

Although the aetas has been popular for this, I did not believe him rightaway, and instead asked him some question. As far as I am aware, this group of Aetas does not do this just like the rest. Yet, he said, he recognized their faces and these Aetas remember him too. Further, there was another follow up aeta outreach through another group just the next weekend after the first, and for this event, I was surprised to see the community very quiet. Most of them have gone down to the city, and village chief confirms it happens always during Christmas.

Meantime, As I was about to pay the roadside vendor, I saw a family of aeta, around 12 of them all in all, adults, kids, and worst, infants. I looked closely, and they are one of the families in Sitio Banaba. Right there, right before my eyes.

Suddenly, all the joys I had out of the outreach events have molten into regrets. Whatever we’ve done, whatever we’ve given, fact is , it is good enough for a short 1 day. We probably helped that 4x4 owner more by paying him enough to feed his family for a week.

I’ve asked myself this several times.. especially this is the second year that we’ve done this. Where have our efforts gone? Are they any good?

Then again, it is Christmas isn’t it? On Christmas, we buy new clothes, get Lechon, or those expensively creamy desserts, etc. We don’t do this everyday ourselves.

For a day, it is probably nice to be a little bit more free to scoop up as much rice as they want, have a taste of meat, some juice, and live a day with a stock of coffee, sugar, noodles, etc. That’s probably not so bad for the holiday season.

Nevertheless, for any other day, it might be much worthwhile to spend for something else.

I’ll forward soon some projects future concerned individuals can work on for the Aetas.


see here for a list of other aeta related articles

Read More »