They say that teachers are our second parents in school. I believe that they are more than that. They are our mentor, they help shape our minds and motivates us towards growth. They are our inspiration and they inspire us to be the best that we can be. They help us recognize our talents and mold us towards becoming a better person. They are there for us in school, to guide us and help us achieve our goal.
It was very nice to have been around more than 20,000 teachers from different parts of the country last Sunday, October 5, 2014 at the PLDT Gabay Guro Grand Gathering held at the SM MOA Arena.
In celebration of the National Teachers’ Month, PLDT Gabay Guro (2G), the teacher advocacy group of the PLDT Smart Foundation (PSF) and PLDT Managers’ Club Inc., organized the biggest-ever tribute to teachers through the PLDT Gabay Guro Grand Gathering Throwback Party.
2G has been supporting teachers and students who would like to take up the teaching profession for seven years now. All of 2G efforts are aligned with its six pillars, which are:
- Teachers’ Training that presents new modules on Emotional Intelligence and
- IT Literacy and Sustainability;
- Housing and Educational Facilities;
- Livelihood Programs;
- Broadbanding and Computerization of Schools; and
- Teachers’ Tribute, highlighted by the 2G Grand Gathering.
So far, 2G has awarded around 1,000 scholarship grants to aspiring teachers. It has enabled more than 300 scholars to graduate from its 40 partner schools nationwide. Five of the 2G scholars have continued their quest for higher learning and received Master’s Degree scholarships from the Philippine Women’s University.
In June this year, 2G and PLDT Hong Kong launched a scholarship program for Overseas Filipino Workers’ (OFW) children and dependents. They also sponsored 110 OFW teacher-candidates in their review and venue fees for the Licensure Examination for teachers.
2G and its partners have also donated some 28 classrooms to various public schools in the country, especially those that are located in the calamity-ravaged areas. It was the first organization to build permanent structures in the form of sturdy classrooms after the 7.2-magnitude earthquake that devastated Bohol in 2013. It was likewise one of the first responders in the rehabilitation of typhoon-damaged Leyte.
With all that 2G has accomplished and achieved, I thought that the PLDT Gabay Guro Grand Gathering is a formal event which will award some teachers. To my surprise it turned out to be an astounding throwback concert featuring popular celebrities old and new.
Celebrities who graced the event includes:
Side A Band
Eric “Eruption” Tai who gave out gift packs after several teachers performed some of their talents via a”sample“
Jim and James of UMD, Joshua and Jason of the Manouvres, the Sexbomb Dancers
UP Pep Squad
Pops Fernandez
The Voice Kids Winners: Juan Karlos Labajo, Darren Espanto, Darlene Vibares, and Lyca Gairanod
Noel Cabangon
The pretty Ms. Alice Dixson
Ate Gay, who had me laughing for a good 30 minutes!
Binibining Pilipinas Winners
Rachel Alejandro, Manilyn reynes, Jessa Zaragosa, and Dingdong Avanzado
Sam Milby
M.s Regine Velaszuez and Ogie Alcasid
Aside from the concert, PLDT Gabay Guro Grand Gathering also gave out lots of raffle prizes!
Prizes includes 500 mobile phones from Sun cellular, 500 mobile phones from Smart, laptops from PLDT HOME Bro, laptop and tablet in-one from Microsoft, electric fan with oven toaster package from Fujidenzo, gift packs from various sponsors, myPad3 from myPhone, Cignal prepaid kits, quad core polaroid platinum tablets from PLDT HOME Telpad, Samsung tab 7, a trip for two to Hongkong, tricycle from Honda Philippines Inc., and a motorcycle from PR Savings Bank.
The major prizes include a house and lot from Camella Homes, a brand new HAIMA car from Laus Group of Companies, an APE Piaggo three-wing van from Auto Italia, 10 PLDT KaAsenso Cyberya Internet Café setups, Retailer Phone Kits and Sims from Smart and Sun, and cash prizes.
Among all of the prizes, the most interesting prize was the PLDT KaAsenso Cyberya which I would like be talking about on a separate post, so stay tuned!
For the mean time, you can drop by Gabay Guro Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/gabayguro and PLDT KaAsenso Facebook Page : https://www.facebook.com/PLDTKaAsenso for more details and information.
14 Responses
Hello! Thank you for your post. It’s great to have an event that honors our hardworking teachers. Great job by PLDT!
The tribute was star studded. It’s also proper that teachers get a tribute for their contributions. They are the real hero.
Wow, it is such a celebration, and full of well know artist too
I’m so happy to see that the Gabay Guro program is still going strong. This for me is one of the best projects of the PLDT Smart Foundation.
Wow, what a great event and that’s a lot of people in there!
I salute all the teachers for their hard work and passion to teach our children. Good to know that this kind of tribute to teachers is still happening despite the problems in the education sector.
It is good to know that support is given to teachers nowadays, something that teachers before only dreamed of.
Nice tribute from PLDT. Last October 3, we don’t have classes because all teachers in Catholic Schools in Laguna have their own celebration of Teacher’s Day.
I was invited by PLDT to join this celebration last year. It was really fun. But the best thing really is that teachers get to feel appreciated and are rewarded for their hard work. They really deserve all the help that the company is giving them.
Kudos to all the Teachers and PLDT! I am glad there’s a company like PLDT, who appreciates them.
with all the hardwork these teachers do, deserve talaga nila ang mga ganitong klaseng events 🙂
we had our teacher’s day in our school, hindi kasing bongga nito but enough to make the teachers feel na appreciated sila ng mga students 🙂
Nice that they have celebrations like these for teachers who really helped shape our nation’s future. 🙂 Kudos to PLDT for this event.
What was the scholarship about? For Master’s degree?
I love that the pillars of PLDT’s advocacy include EQ, that’s been neglected for years in our traditional schools.