One of our churchmates, Precious Ivy Bangis topped the National Achievement Test in the Elementary level this year. Have you heard of her name? I bet you haven’t.
This is the sad part of being an achiever.
Ivy comes from a poor but big family. Their house is located on top of a hill (although we jokingly call it a mountain); her parents sell fish and other goods within the community and at times—Mama would tell me—Ivy would skip school simply because she doesn’t have money to spend, so she joins her mother in selling fish in our place.
Despite this, Ivy’s family is blessed with intelligence. I could still remember that their eldest Jordz was also an achiever during our time (although he’s from Cavite Institute and I’m from PCU). Her other sister Koethy, after recovering from a heart ailment, is now a scholar in U.P. The rest of her siblings are also studious and smart. So in reality, there’s really nothing “amazing” with Ivy Joy bagging the top rank in a test administered within the whole archipelago.
What hurts me is the fact that despite the kid’s efforts to study hard and help her family, no one from the government (at least none that I know) from the National Government, to the provincial government of Cavite, to the municipal government of Silang, stretched a muscle to recognize Ivy’s achievement—something that Silangeños should be proud of. When I googled her name, I came across a website that mentioned her merely in one sentence. What a pity. (http://www.e-turo.org/?q=node/430)
Politically speaking, did the government—or whoever that should have been responsible for lauding her—ignored her simply because she’s a nobody? Were they so scared to recognize that the NAT topnotcher only eats rice topped with toyo (soy sauce)? That their “pet” students didn’t even make it to the top ten despite their efforts to extract leakages? It’s an open secret, schools would make everything—and I say everything—just to get that spot, and there they are, beaten up by a common folk.
I can picture out Efren Peñaflorida, who was a nobody as well. But after being recognized globally by CNN, the trapos suddenly became his ally. What a circus, as if the Filipinos would really believe that they support Efren. In the first place, if they really cared, why would Efren need to teach using the kariton classroom? (I shall discuss this in detail, in another blog.)
Good thing Sister Mhie Aboy had the idea of writing a letter to Wish Ko Lang, and give Ivy something that she deserves—recognition, which leads to motivation. It’s a basic principle in teaching and learning: an individual would have higher chances of learning if s/he is motivated to learn—intrinsically or extrinsically. At least, I hope, Ivy would continue dreaming; that despite the biases of the world, there are still some who believes that she will someday contribute something essential to the society.
