Though it was my second visit to Davao, I must say that the place never fails to amaze me, geographically and culturally. It was a trip to Talikud Island when I first visited Davao along with my co-workers, way back in 2009, as my supervisor was a “Dabawenyo” (a local of Davao city). But if there is one thing that differentiates this second visit from the first, it would be the visits to the schools.

My second visit to Davao was with my fellow graduate students last February 16-18, 2013, as the field work is part of our requirements in our Socio-Cultural Foundations of Education class in UP Diliman. Before the trip,  I already had my own expectations about the visit, i.e., what we would learn regarding the different educational systems that they have in Davao, what kind of classrooms they have, what kind of students they cater to, how teachers instruct students, what are the materials they use for teaching, etc. And as far as my observations are concerned, somehow all my expectations were met and even more.

If there is one thing that I find particularly significant about the educational systems in Davao, it would be the support, active participation, and involvement of the local government with regard to the implementation of the said systems.

For example, in the Badjao community, the ALS (Alternative Learning System) program provides opportunities for the settlers in that community to participate in socio-civic affairs, which would then allow them to raise their concerns and the issues that need to be dealt with i.e., health, source of livelihood, promotion of wellness for every family, etc.

But it posed one certain dilemma – the idea of culture slowly diminishing once the Badjaos were educated. I believe educators, through the mobile teachers, are not just sent out to the field to teach the basics of writing and reading to the people of the Badjao community, old and young.

It is also their responsibility to teach the Badjaos how to preserve their culture through the knowledge that they have acquired. For example, in folk songs, these can now be written and preserved for the future use of the next generation.

In the ALIVE Madrasah, for example, the children were taught Arabic, which preserves the native language by passing it on and teaching it to the younger generations. MTBMLE (Mother Tongue-Based Multilingual Education) also has the same aim, and in the class that I have observed, children are more receptive, they are more at ease when it comes to learning, and they do participate actively in the discussions.

The ALS at the city jail, however, may not be inclined to cultural preservation but it somehow shares the same vision to that of the E-skewala Program and the Open High School of the Davao National High School which look into holistic development of skills to those who may not have the same opportunities as what regular students commonly have.

All the educational systems that we were able to look into in the selected schools in Davao hold one very good vision, which would benefit all, both the indigenous groups and the non-indigenous groups. I see this as satisfying one very important goal and should be the main goal of every educator and every educational system – breaking down barriers when it comes to providing opportunities in terms of knowledge acquisition, cultural ventures, and holistic development of every learner.

The Pamulaan College and the ALS at the city jail are very promising projects, considering that learning is not held in a regular classroom setting/school. It posits greater challenges not just for the educators involved in running the program, but also to the learners themselves.

Indeed, the society, as a whole, has a huge part in making the program a success. For example, in Pamulaan College, one challenge that I see in the implementation of their mission is considering how open the society would be when it comes to promoting culture and passing it on by teaching the cultural traditions, beliefs, and practices to the younger generation.

The idea may sound interesting to foreigners and those who are not particularly in the area, but will the locals themselves voluntarily participate in promoting the advocacy, or will they do so only because it was required by the city government of Davao? It is imperative in every advocacy/mission that they aim for the system’s success, recognizing that its success depends entirely on community involvement, not only on satisfying the goals set by the supporters and the organizers who run the program.  

I would also like to emphasize the career opportunities available to the college’s graduates and whether they will continue to devote themselves to promoting the college’s aims after graduation. As for the ALS in the city jail, it is a huge responsibility not just for the educators but also for the government agency involved with the project to make the program not just a one-time, testing project, but ensure its implementation will remain consistent regardless of who holds office, both in the department of education in Davao and the local government.

I have observed that when it is time to change officials, the problem lies in keeping the projects running implemented by the previous officials and maintaining consistency. Newly elected/ appointed officials also would like to raise and push through with their own projects regarding the educational system and society in general.

It remains a greater challenge to achieve a very good collaboration between the local government and the educators for these programs to push through. Any difference between the two when it comes to promoting projects will and can affect the status of the implementation of said programs.

Learning the culture part is where leisure would come in. Yes, the less serious part. I must say that our dissecting Davao’s educational system started and ended on a very positive note.

And to cap off the 3-day field work, we have decided to tour around Davao City’s local hot spots on the last day of our stay there. If there is one thing I can say about Davao’s cuisine, it may not be far from the regular dishes we have in Manila, but the recipes have a slight twist to them that makes them truly Dabawenyo.

We were able to visit tourist attractions such as the Crocodile Park, the Butterfly house, and the Japanese tunnel, which all contributed to our having a very fulfilling field work/vacation. I may have been to Davao more than once already, but there will always be something more, something new, and something exciting to look forward to in Davao City. Yes, 3 days are not enough for me to completely acquaint myself with the place and learn more about its culture.