Caramoan mobile educator is Global Teacher 2020 finalist

GO THE DISTANCE Mobile teacher Windel Alvarez has been traveling far and wide—by boat or by foot—to reach out to his students. —WINDEL ALVAREZ

An alternative learning teacher from Caramoan, Camarines Sur, has made it as the only Filipino among the 50 finalists in the Global Teacher Prize 2020.

Windel Alvarez, a mobile teacher for Alternative Learning System (ALS) at the Sitio Lipata Community Learning Center in Gogon, Caramoan, Camarines Sur, was cited by the award-giving body for his passion to teach out-of-school youth and adult learners in underprivileged, marginalized and hard-to-reach areas of his country.

The other Asian finalists are from Turkey, Korea, Japan, Malaysia, India and China.

The annual Global Teacher Prize organized by the Varkey Foundation recognizes exceptional teachers who have made a significant impact on their profession and community. The winner will take home $1 million.

Since he started teaching, Alvarez has helped over 100 remote students pass accreditation tests for elementary and secondary education, and has helped bring various educational resources to the communities he serves which includes libraries and testing centers.

Aside from basic education, Alvarez also teaches health and sanitation, financial literacy, tree planting and environmental care.

Earlier, Alvarez was named 2018 Civil Service Commission Outstanding Government Worker. He also won the 2018 National Alternative Learning System Teacher Achievement award.

“Being a finalist is very heartwarming. I am touched and happy that I am able to help uplift the dignity of our Alternative Learning System learners,” he said.

Alvarez said making it as one of the finalists is merely a consolation as teaching ALS learners is already an “opportunity” and a reward in itself.

“To teach ALS learners and out-of-school youth, it’s an opportunity to improve and add dignity to their way of living. And giving them hope is my biggest achievement in life,” he said.