Emergent leader transforms tribal village: Ramon Magsaysay awards 2014

MANILA, Philippines - For seven years now, Ramon Magsaysay awardee for Emergent Leadership Randy Halasan has been crossing treacherous rivers and trekking mountains to reach the Pegalongan school in the hinterlands of Davao to teach and serve the Matigsalug tribe.

“I guess I’ve gotten used to it. There are times when I’m afraid to cross the raging rivers but I can overcome my fears,” Halasan, 31, told The STAR yesterday when asked about his daily ordeal of crossing the Sinod and Davao rivers and walking for four hours to get to Pegalongan, one of the remotest villages.

Halasan said there was a time when he nearly drowned while crossing Sinod because the water suddenly rose, but that did not faze him. Nothing discourages him from coming back to school – not the lack of electricity, TV, phone signals or Internet connection. Halasan has fully embraced the community.

Beyond the classroom

Back in 2007 when there was just one classroom and two teachers, Halasan proactively lobbied with higher authorities to expand the Pegalongan school. Today, the school is fully cemented with nine rooms, eight teachers and 210 students.

Halasan has also taken his advocacy beyond the classroom. He has worked with local government agencies in Davao to give the parents of his students a sustainable livelihood.

“At the back of my mind, I wasn’t contented that the children were just in school. If I only focus on education, nothing will happen; the children will continue to get hungry. I wanted the parents of my students to have a sustainable livelihood. So with the help of the local agencies of the Departments of Agriculture and Environment and Natural Resources, we were able to encourage the Matigsalug tribe to plant fruit trees and vegetables so they can be food sufficient and have something to sell as well,” Halasan said.

Today, the Pegalongan farmers have a collectively owned rice-and-corn mill, a seed bank, a cattle dispersal project and horses for transporting farm products.

“The villagers are also now taking part in a forest rehabilitation program that by 2014 will have a hundred forested hectares with the Matigsalug of Pegalongan as stewards and beneficiaries,” Halasan said.

At Pegalongan school, Halasan makes sure that his students get the same learning as the students in the city. The children in Pegalongan have K-12 education just like anywhere else.

He also established a cultural minority high school where he taught and promoted the values of self-help and egalitarianism in the community.

“I’m proud to say that some of our graduates are assisting their elders protect their future and the legal rights to their domain. Because they’re armed with knowledge, they know now how to defend and protect themselves,” Halasan said.

Likewise, he continuously holds dialogue with the parents of his students to convince them to keep their children in school and discourage early, pre-arranged marriages.

Looking back, Halasan said what made him stay at Pegalongan despite extreme conditions were his compassion and love for the children.

“Like me, they also have to walk miles and cross dangerous rivers as well just to learn how to read and write. They endure hunger and most of the time they fall asleep in class from hunger and fatigue but still they persevere. If I turn my back on them, who will help them? It has to start with me. And now I’m happy that there’s already seven of us doing this,” Halasan said.

His happiest moment at Pegalongan would always be during graduation.

“Come graduation time, I really couldn’t help but cry as I see my students’ hard work, persistence and patience pay off. I know that education is their key to a good future and I’m happy to be a part of it. Some of my students are already in college,” Halasan said.

For him, teaching will always be one of the noblest professions. “Teaching is serving without expecting anything in return. No one got rich out of teaching; it’s your legacy that matters.”

Halasan said that he sees himself staying in Pegalongan for a few more years.