TO commemorate World Teachers’ Day, a sparkling event was held last Oct. 6 at the Manny Reyes Hall to honor all the work, and passion educators have for their students and the professors, moderators, and administrators of the College.

The Student Executive Council (SEC) spearheaded the event in collaboration with the Bedan Educators’ Society (BEdS), hosted by Dane Raphael Oquias (IV-BSBA-MM), SEC External Vice President, and Aaron Jaime Tolentino (IV-BSBA-HRM).

The Benedictine Spirit with Versatility

To formally start the event, a mass was held at the St. Bede chapel. Fr. Gerardo Ma. De Villa, OSB Rector-President, reminisced about his school experiences with his teachers being the ones who always encouraged him to do his best and to come out of his shell. He emphasized that despite the mischief and emotional immaturity that he and his classmates showed during that age, his teachers were always there for him and that is what makes these educators so special to a student’s life. Fr. Gerardo ended with a quote, “Good teachers are mentors for a fruitful life. I’m confident that we, a Bedan Teacher and one of your students in the future, would one day reflect on how much their life has changed because of you.” 

The Sacrifices of an Educator

Dr. Andres Ignacio C. San Mateo Jr., the Vice President for Academic Affairs (VPAA) encouraged all the teachers and even the students. He continued to discuss the importance of the teaching profession and how most educators teach students not for monetary gain but to teach the students to become good people, especially in the working profession. He highlighted the hardships and struggles that the teachers faced during online distance learning, such as the terrible internet connectivity, the long hours sitting in front of a screen, the lack of student participation in discussions, and how he was thankful that they all raised to the challenge.

In Honor of All That They Teach

Performances from Teatro Bedista and Himig Bedista, along with heartfelt video messages from the extra-curricular and co-curricular organizations of the College were also presented. It was followed by an awarding of “student-voted” awards & trophies for the professors. 

To give his closing remarks, Atty. Juan Ruffo Chong, JSD, the College Dean, proceeded with a meaningful speech that emphasized the teaching profession and how it is not financially rewarding. Atty. Chong shared, “The real treasure is in what you do and the impact on what you do on the lives of the students. Even after you pass away, you will live on to your students; and hopefully onwards to the next generation; you have given them all the values, everything that we had, and the best of what we had.” He ended his speech by stating that the students must honor them as individuals and as teachers and that the teaching profession is the noblest profession of them all.

An Inspirational Exchange

The Bedan Herald reached out to some of the College professors to personally ask them about what makes being an educator such a rewarding and fulfilling lifetime profession and vocation. 

Dr. Robert N. Recana, PhD., believes his vocation is to serve people, and becoming an educator responded to that calling. It is the willingness to help others, specifically students under his tutelage. Dr. Recana added that an essential attribute of being a Bedan educator is to exhibit Benedictine values. “In that way, each educator will efficiently and effectively transfer those values to the learners and become the true living example of the Benedictine culture,” he added.

When asked about the best parts of being an educator, Dr. Ryan M. Sicat, PhD., answered, “[It is] when you inspire students to become better people.” Regarding his decision to choose the teaching profession and what inspired him to continue pursuing it, he explained that he never dreamt of being a teacher because he saw his relatives’ difficulties in the profession. However, he found a deeper meaning to its boundaries by simply looking up the Latin meaning of it, which means “to guide” and “to lead.” He continued, “Since then, that has served as my guiding principle in education. As an educator, I guide, and I lead young people to the truth, to God.”

Such words from these passionate educators show that this profession is not as easy as it seems. They chose to become teachers despite the low wage, personal hardships, and the many sacrifices one has to make to take up this profession. The difficulties mentioned above barely scratch the surface of what so many teachers sacrifice to teach what they can and to the best of their abilities. Thus, the celebration of World Teacher’s Day is an eternal reminder that we would not be who we are as students, as people, if not for our teachers.