This public school teacher from Bukidnon received positive feedback from netizens after showing genuine compassion and care to her students.
“I don’t know if you’re familiar with the movie ‘Beyond the Blackboard.’ It’s a movie [about] a teacher who has a motto na ‘teachers don’t special training, teachers don’t need special skills. They just have to care,’” 25-year-old Mary Mechelle Reloba Remorosa told The Philippine STAR.
Teacher Mechelle has been teaching for five years now. And her duty as an educator didn’t stop in the four corners of the classroom.
In fact, she bought new shoes for their student-athletes and even let them try milk tea and Jollibee for the first time.
According to Teacher Mechelle, her feeding program project started in 2022 during her birth month.
“There’s this one kid. It was recess then paglabas ko nakita ko siyang kumakain nang wala siyang ulam. Na touch ako, naiyak talaga ako. I said, ‘Bakit wala kang ulam?’ Pag-uwi ko, my birthday was fast-approaching, t sinabi ko sa parents ko na I’m not having a birthday party dito sa bahay. I will be having a birthday party sa Tandong Elementary School together with my pupils,” she recalled.
“My first is December 2023. Nag-Jollibee party ako sa Grade 5 adviser [class] ko lang muna. I posted on Facebook, and then marami ring naantig,” Teacher Mechelle added.
At first, Teacher Mechelle used her own money to conduct her little project until someone reached out to her and showed interest to support her advocacy.
“Maraming nag-chat na parang, ‘Ma’am, why not magdo-donate ako sa other sections naman.’ I received P5,000 donation from Ma’am Sheryl. Marami din namang nag-donate. My target was 137 kids because that is our whole population. But then it came out na ang dami pa ring nag-donate so other kids na outside the school, hindi pa sila nag-aaral, nabigyan na rin po sila,” she shared.
She was able to feed 170 kids last December 22, 2023, after receiving around P22,000 donations from kind-hearted individuals.
“Sabi talaga ng kids ko, It’s one of their dreams na natupad. After the party may lumapit sa akin na parent. Umiyak talaga siya. She said na matagal na daw pangarap ng kids niya. Dahil daw sa akin natupad ‘yung one wish ng kanilang mga anak and that is to try Jollibee for the first time,” she noted.
Teacher Mechelle used to work as a call center agent before entering the academic sector. She is currently teaching at Tandong Elementary School in Kitaotao, Bukidnon.
“I am travelling almost 45 minutes a day and nagmomotor lang ako. Far-flung area. Dumadaan pa kami sa parang river. Hindi talaga madali maging guro. Kailangan mo talaga ng lakas,” she stressed.
But despite the difficulties she’s facing, she would still want to be an educator to be able to help her students.
“May favorite part as an educator is nakikita ko ‘yong kids ko na natututo at the same time, nag-eenjoy sa kanilang pag-aaral. Marami talagang sacrifices when it comes to teaching, Hindi madali, hindi rin ganon kalaki ang sahod. Pero once you see your students [succeeding] in life, ‘yun ‘yong best natural feeling na hinding-hindi mababayaran ng kahit [anong] pera,” said Teacher Mechelle.
