Mandaue school pilots Project WATCH

CEBU, Philippines - Education officials in Mandaue City hope to produce more students who value time and honesty following yesterday’s launching of Project WATCH or “We Advocate Time Consciousness and Honesty.”

According to Arlina Amante, principal of the Mandaue City Comprehensive National High School (MCCNHS), they have prepared some activities for the students to urge them to follow the correct schedule, as well as to become responsible citizens.

She said the project will promote school-based initiatives like as Honesto Day, Watch Corner, cleanup drive in the community and Early Bird awards for students who report for school early.

Aside from these activities, the school will also establish a Lost and Found Corner and Honesto Store.

Amante said while the project has been implemented in other schools in the Philippines, MCCNHS is the pilot school in Cebu to have formally adopted the project.

Its launching was among the highlights in their celebration of the World Teacher’s Day yesterday at the Mandaue City Cultural and Sports Complex graced by MCCNHS students, teachers and other officials.

Amante said that for many years now, Project WATCH has been conducted in other schools in the country, especially in Mindanao. But it was only in August this year that MCCNHS was able to attend a summit in Baguio where the schools implementing the project presented their activities in line with the program.

After learning of the positive impact of the project among the students, Amante said they have decided to follow suit.

MCCNHS Supreme Student Government President Trisha Gayle Almodiel said they will set up the Honesto Store to impart the value of honesty on the studentry.

The store, she added, will not be manned by any personnel and will rely on the student-customers’ honesty in paying what they have taken from the store.

Almodiel also said students and everyone in general should drop the mentality of reporting late for work, classes or any appointment as she discouraged observing the “Filipino time.”

"We know that Filipinos don't usually follow the right time. In the Philippines, we're having what we call the ‘Filipino Time.’ Instead of coming on time, we go to places two minutes late," she said.

With the project officially rolled out in their school, she now hopes that these issues can finally be addressed.

Project WATCH in MCCNHS is expected to be implemented for five years, according to Amante. After the five-year period, the school will present all the activities they have conducted during a summit in Baguio in 2020.

Aside from the launching of the project, the school also celebrated the World Teacher's Day yesterday where approximately 2,500 students of MCCNHS honored their respective mentors.

During the event, teachers were reminded to keep on inspiring their students and to continue with their responsibilities as the latter’s "surrogate parents."