Metrobank honors 10 outstanding teachers

OUTSTANDING TEACHERS (from left): Dr. EmilynQ. Espiritu, Dr. Alfredo C. Robles Jr., Maria Lorna L. Garnace, Dr.Maria Teresa M. Bautista, Marcelo T.Otinguey, Dominique J. Maquiran, Rodel C. Sampang, Cherry G. Vinluan, Dr.Mitchel V. Rodriguez and Fely A. Batiloy. RICHARD A. REYES

MANILA, Philippines—The Department of Education and Metrobank Foundation on Tuesday recognized 10 teachers for the passion they put into their craft.

The 10 are this year’s Outstanding Teacher awardees, coming out tops in a nationwide poll that asked people to acknowledge and thank a teacher who has made a difference in their lives.

The recognition ceremony is part of the celebration of National Teacher’s Month.

The first awardee, Fely Batiloy, who teaches at the Special Education Integrated School for Exceptional Children in Iloilo City, was recognized for her contributions to the preservation and teaching of Ilonggo folk songs.

Mitchel Rodriguez, a teacher at the Odiongan Central School in Gingoog City, was honored for her passion in developing a reading program which helped improve reading habits in her school.

Cherry Vinluan of Guagua Elementary School in Pampanga was cited for her creative teaching methods, for pooling resources to build a reading center in her school and for her research on how to improve reading comprehension for slow readers.

Rodel Sampang of the Pedro Guevarra Elementary School in Manila was feted for his excellence in teaching Heograpiya, Kasaysayan at Sibika, and tying lessons to real-life situations.

Dominique Maquiran of the University of the Philippines High School in Iloilo City was honored for empowering students to reach out to the community and relate social studies lessons to real-life issues.

Marcelo Otinguey of the Ampusongan National High School in Bakun, Benguet, was awarded for his contribution to preserving the Bakun Kankanaey indigenous people’s cultural heritage.

Maria Teresa Bautista of the Bacnotan National High School in Bacnotan, La Union, was recognized for her reading intervention programs, which help poor readers develop better reading habits.

Maria Lorna Garnace of the Eastern Visayas campus of the Philippine Science High School in Palo, Leyte, was feted for her wide array of classroom activities aimed at making learning a fun experience.

Alfredo Robles Jr. of the De La Salle University in Manila was awarded for his unrelenting efforts to train young professionals, especially teachers,  on how to learn.

Finally, Emilyn Espiritu of the Ateneo de Manila University in Quezon City, was awarded for her research as an environmental scientist, particularly in the fields of environmental management, toxicology and solid waste management, and for sharing her expertise with her students and society at large.