How does one find the strength and motivation to still pursue teaching after nearly losing one’s life?

For Marites Magno, an Alternative Learning System (ALS) mobile teacher from San Isidro, Nueva Ecija, this challenge was not difficult to overcome. Teaching is what kept her alive amid her near-death experience after suffering from hemolysis, elevated liver enzymes, and low platelets (HELLP) syndrome in 2015.

Teacher Tet, as she is fondly called by her learners, was not even traumatized by her experience after giving birth to her first child.

“‘Yun po ay full-blown HELLP Syndrome na kung saan kasama ang pagdilim ng paningin sa loob ng dalawang buwan at ang dialysis every other day. Naging unconscious po ako ng dalawang linggo at isang buwan na naratay sa ospital,” Teacher Tet shared.

Nueva Ecija Division ALS Coordinator Robertita Fernando commented, “Talaga pong isang milagro na buhay ngayon si Tet pati ang kanyang anak. Hindi na po siya nagsasalita noon. Talagang maga na ang kanyang katawan. Pero sa awa ng Diyos, dahil siguro kailangan pa siya at marami po siyang misyon kaya po nakaligtas siya.”

Her ALS learners, whom she wants to serve and help succeed in life, gave Teacher Tet the strength and the motivation to rise above her illness.

“Sa ALS kasi, yung mga learner natin ay iba-iba. Sila ay mga nanay, tatay, mga batang produkto ng broken family, at yung mga maagang nabuntis. Sila po ang inspirasyon ko para magpatuloy. Noong panahon na malabo ang paningin ko, isa lang ang hiniling ko kay Lord na maibalik ang paningin ko para tuparin ang pangarap ko na tuparin ang mga pangarap ng mga learner,” Teacher Tet stated.  

“Naramdaman ko po, nung ako’y nagtrabaho sa Special Program for the Employment of Student (SPES) at nagsu-survey kung ilan ang mga out-of-school youth (OSY), na mayroon akong kailangang gawin at gampanan,” Teacher Tet added.

Teacher Tet has been in service for 11 years. Even before her appointment as an ALS mobile teacher, she already reached out to the out-of-school children in a GK Village by teaching them every afternoon following her classes in Tabon Elementary School.

“Noong panahong iyon, gusto ko pong gampanan ang pagiging teacher sa formal school at sa ALS upang mabigyang tugon ang pangangailangan na nakita namin pagkatapos ng aming OSY mapping,” Teacher Tet shared.

Her mission, as she continues to fulfill her new lease on life, is to give the second-chance education to those who need it

“Kung nadapa ka, hindi na iyon importante. Ang mahalaga ay kung paano ka babangon. Walang huli pagdating sa edukasyon, basta ginusto mo at nasa puso mo, kaya mo. Pagtutulung-tulungan natin at sabay-sabay nating tuparin ang iyong mga pangarap,” Teacher Tet concluded.

END

 
By:  Michelle Lacson
Regional Information Officer
Region III