Driving Education to Where It Matters

Not event rain, wind or flood can deter us from providing education to the Bicolano Youth. Awful weather greeted the arrival of the STI Mobile School here in Naga and it persist all throughout the 4day campaign showering like confetti on the daily journey from Calabanga, Ocampo, Pili to the Venice-like ambiance of Milaor National High School.

On its’ first day in Bicol, the STI Mobile School schedule was scheduled to visit Calabanga National High School. In the middle of an abandoned warehouse, adjacent the narrow gateway leading to the school, and in the face of the scorching wind and strapping rain, the student lined-up eagerly to get a glimpse of the Mobile School. They waited for their turn in a make-shift waiting lounge. One and half hour of image manipulation lesson may not be enough for each batch but they make the most of it making interesting artworks for themselves and their classmates.

The same scenario and the same bad old weather greeted the STI Mobile School team as they visited Ocampo National High School and Pili National High School on the second and third day of the journey. Nevertheless, students’ participation and excitement were never in any way held back by this amazing site of the Mobile School towering and defying the rains. The desire to experience the STI Mobile School was a collective feeling among high school students.

To add excitement, Mobile School sessions in Pili National High School were interrupted for several times as the power cable attached to the schools main power lines started to caught fire due to the slight dripping of the rain from the ceiling. Thanks to the speedy response of the Mobile School Technical Team, the fire did not reach Task Force Bravo and no alarm button has been pressed.

As if the weather was not contented yet, our next stop, Milaor National High School was flooded knee deep. The Mobile School has to be stationed at a higher ground so as water would not obstruct the entrance and exit of the students. The sight of a flooded school was something natural to the students and residents of Milaor but not to our team. With our pants wet and shoes on the sidelines, barefooted we taught the students with pride and enthusiasm, our way of giving back to them everything we know thus far in return of their fervent determination to experience the STI Mobile School.

The sun finally showed up on our last day. Lucky the students of Camarines Sur National High School. We stationed the Mobile School in the middle of the quadrangle. Students from all side come and go with smile on their faces. They have never in their entire life experienced anything like the STI Mobile School.

True to our commitment of driving education to where it matters, no matter how the weather is, STI has conquered Bicol Region by storm. Though on its initial year of visit we only have covered five schools, we are raring to expand future visits to more schools and places not yet reached by technology.

“Magda-drive pa rin kami hanggang Bicol…” to paraphrase Ely Buendia..we will drive to Bicol and its farthest corners to bring STI education, an education for real life.