Consistent honor student gets 14-carat gold medal

By: Frinston Lim - 11 years ago

INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MONKAYO, Compostela Valley, Philippines – For the last 10 years, her diligence at school has brought pride and wealth to her family — literally.

Sixteen-year-old Era Jean Rivera on Friday received a 15-gram, 14-carat gold medal for being the brightest high school student in Barangay Mt. Diwata, the village that has become the richest in the country in terms of gold stocks.

The shy Rivera led the 105-strong graduating class of Mt. Diwata High School, a gold-rich community some 29 kilometers from here and known for gifting its brilliant students with real gold medals.

Expensive tradition, but…

A rather expensive tradition that has earned both pride and scorn from locals and outsiders, the medal-giving endured challenges as the changing fortune of the village gold mining industry glistened and dimmed, officials and residents said.

“We are proud to say that in the entire Philippines, we are the only barangay (village) that gives real gold medals to our honor students,” said newly elected village chief Pedro Baluarte Samillano Jr.

“This is a tradition worth keeping,” Samillano said.

Over 11 years ago, village officials led by then barangay chairman Francisco “Franco” Tito started the tradition as a way of motivating children to excel studies. It was a noble, collective idea enthusiastically embraced by the village of 18,000, with people from all walks of life— from powerful tunnel owners, financiers and gold traders to the lowly miners and mine laborers contributing varying quantities of gold nuggets used in minting the pricey medals.

During its early years, the village was giving gold medals generously, spending 100 grams of gold to mint 10 medals for all the “first honors” in the elementary and high school. That went on for seven years, or a total of 700 grams. At an average price per gram of P1,500, it was pricey indeed, with Diwalwal folk contributing over P1 million worth of the precious metal.

“But due to a slack in production at the mines and economic hardships, gold donations were also coming in crumbs, and many officials were doubtful whether to continue the tradition,” said resident Bonifacio Libres, a former village councilor who engages in gold trading there.

Bigger medals

In an effort to keep the tradition, something drastic had to be done, said incumbent village councilor Ely Zamora.

Started three years ago, bigger medals were given away— from 10 grams these were enlarged to 15 grams. There’s a catch though: only the elementary and high school valedictorians— and not 10 students receive the valuable tokens.

“That’s better than stopping the tradition completely,” Zamora told the Philippine Daily Inquirer in vernacular.

Rivera, this year’s high school valedictorian, has been a recipient of all but one of the pricey awards throughout her basic education years.

“I’m overwhelmed with happiness. My efforts and my parents’ sacrifices have paid off,” the elated teenage girl said in mixed English and Filipino, eyes misting as she delivered her valedictory address before a sea of white flowing graduation garb and togas at the village basketball court.

Rebuilding dreams

Rivera’s 48-year-old mother Cornelia, wept as her daughter stood on a concrete stage and spoke how her dreams of continuing her studies were blown away when typhoon Pablo (Bopha) struck and devastated the village in 2012.

“I’m the happiest mother now,” said the elder Rivera, wiping off tears with the back of her hand. “I’m very proud of my daughter.”

Era Jean has so far received six gold medals since elementary, an expensive collection of four 10-gram and two 15-gram tokens. With the present price per gram at P2,000, the younger Rivera’s awards cache weighing 65 grams could have been valued at P130,000.

Cornelia admitted only two of her daughter’s medals have remained (including Friday’s award). The four 10-gram tokens were “re-melted” and minted into pieces of jewelry.

“Gold rings and earrings can be pawned easily than the medals for her emergency cash needs in college,” the elder Rivera explained.

Aside from the valuable tokens, the eldest in a brood of three also received plated “gold medals” for leadership and excellence awards.

Ruchel Jane Magallanes, 12, received the other 15-gram medal the size of a five-peso coin, as elementary valedictorian last March 27.

Academic excellence

Wilson Son, Mt. Diwata High School principal, said the real gold medals have been helping motivate their students to do well in school.

“These medals are also an asset not only for the student-awardees but also for their parents because they can use these to pay for the children’s college education, just like an educational insurance do,” said Son, adding school officials have followed strict standards set by the Department of Education in ranking students for the awards.

The school principal also praised the 16-year-old Rivera for being a consistent honor student “whose intelligence and perseverance” made her excel and reap the pricey awards.

Era Jean plans to enroll in a teaching course in Monkayo town proper, where a campus of a new state college is set to open this June.

“Since elementary, my dream has been to become a teacher. I love to teach children my favorite subject Araling Panlipunan (Social Studies),” she said. “Four years after, I want to return and teach in this school.”