11 JUNE 2007

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IT’S AN attitude that is obviously a relief to Principal Capacio. ALIVE’s early days were not easy, he says. “There were parents who did not welcome the idea that their children will have to work for longer hours,” Capacio says. Eventually — and with the efforts of the asatidz who worked to convince those parents — the classes began logging higher attendance.



SCHOOL officials hope more pupils will attend the Arabic language and Islamic values classes. [photo by Vinia D. Mukherjee]
Still, not all of the school's Muslim pupils show regularly for their ALIVE classes. At the time of PCIJ's visit, one class had only 22 attendees, and the second, 44. Asatidz Saripah and Esmail are hoping that if they are able to institute the program such that the classes will no longer be seen as a “burden,” then more students will attend.

When Capacio asked ALIVE Coordinator Babai Baguinda to examine the initial implementation of the program, she came back with a report that noted in part the lack of interest among the pupils and their parents. “For them it is a waste of time,” says Baguinda. She theorizes that one reason could be the absence of an “incentive” in the form of a grading system for the ALIVE classes. Perhaps, she says, if students attending the ALIVE classes were graded in the same manner as in their regular schoolwork, they would be better motivated to participate more regularly and study in a more earnest manner.

But that’s not the only problem the program is encountering at MCCES. With classrooms in the entire school, in general, in short supply, the ALIVE teachers have had to resort to “borrowing” the classrooms from the teachers of the regular classes so they can have a place to hold the classes. Recently, 14 classrooms were gutted in a fire. “Our students are cheek-by-jowl in their classes here,” says Capacio.

For the two asatidz, the lack of dedicated classrooms is a clear liability for the program. “We don't even have our own place to keep our books and other teaching materials,” laments Saripah.

Baguinda is also recommending the payment of a higher honorarium for the two asatidz. At present, the school can afford to pay each of them only P2,500 every month. According to Capacio, the amount may soon rise, since DepEd’s Boransing promised that ALIVE teachers would be included in the department’s plantilla beginning this school year. That would mean DepEd would be providing a counterpart amount of P2,500 to what the asatidz are now receiving as honorarium from the district office.

Recognizing the inadequacy of funds provided by the local school board, Capacio has also started lobbying local government officials for more funds, as well as tapping the assistance of private entities. He is optimistic about ALIVE’s chances of survival, pointing out, “We’re just starting. And every problem has a solution.”

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