My journey in education is deeply rooted in faith and determination, guided by the words found in Jeremiah 29:11, “For I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
I am a Manobo Matigsalug by blood, hailing from one of the ethnic tribes in Bukidnon, raised by my parents in the hinterlands of Bukidnon, specifically in Sitio Pusod. Among 10 siblings, I am the eighth.
Unfortunately, my parents were unable to complete their primary education in the 1960s due to their parents’ belief that education held no significance. The tribe believed it was more important to simply go about the business of living, including buya—prearranged marriage. So my parents married very young: my father at 12 and my mother at 10, following this cultural practice prevalent in our community.
Later, when Sulads missionaries arrived in our village, my parents initially showed little interest in formal education. However, these compassionate missionaries kept encouraging us to attend school.
One day, out of curiosity and because our friends had joined the school, we ventured into the simple, unfurnished classroom built by the missionaries. There, with songs and prayers, the teachers motivated us and gave us hope.
You’ll be a teacher too
One teacher came to me and tapped my shoulder. Her words lingered in my mind as she expressed a belief that one day I would become a missionary teacher too, serving our people. I told my parents about this, and they laughed at me.
“That is impossible,” they said. “How do we do that? We are poor Lumads. Education is for the rich and lowlanders, but not for mountain people like us. We cannot do that. We do not have any rich relatives or friends in town.”
Still, the missionary teacher’s words echoed in my mind, and I felt a longing to fulfill that dream. I began attending the missionary school every day, studying and learning as much as I could.
It’s time to get married
When the missionary teachers’ time in our village came to an end, they encouraged me to go to a high school and work my way through. My parents did not agree with this plan.
“You need to stop thinking about education and get married,” they said.
Despite the pressure, I decided to break with tradition and pursue my ambition of becoming a teacher. God was good, and the Lord was with me throughout my high school journey, including the poverty and many challenges I had to face.
After completing high school, I earned a college degree, continuing to work hard to pay my way. I felt scared and lonely being away from my family, but one missionary teacher stayed in touch with me and encouraged me to move forward no matter what. So I kept studying, praying and working.
It took me nine years to work my way through college. The ups and downs and struggles helped shape and prepare me to be a servant of God.
The Lord is so gracious. He helped me pass the licensure examination for teachers and become a full-fledged teacher. The prayers and encouraging words of the missionary teachers two decades ago have become a reality. Now, alongside my wife, I serve as a Sulads missionary myself, dedicating more than five years to our fellow Lumads. All glory and honor belong to God forever.