If you were given the chance to go abroad to work, would you seize it for a better future?
Amid the ongoing crisis in the education sector in the Philippines, the story of Angelica Llona Baroso, 24, who ranked 4th in the March 2024 Licensure Examination for Professional Teachers (LEPT), provides light and hope.
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| Photo courtesy: Facebook/Angelica Baroso |
According to data from the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) from 2011 to 2017, nearly 1,500 teachers leave the country each year to work abroad.
Most of this is reportedly due to low wages, challenging working conditions, and burnout. However, Baroso's dedication to staying in the Philippines to teach serves as an inspiration, despite the increasing demand for teachers both locally and abroad.
Baroso grew up in a humble family in Libon, Albay, as the daughter of a farmer and a housewife.
According to Baroso, “I was fortunate enough to be surrounded by passionate and dedicated teachers whose examples inspired me to follow in their footsteps at an early age.” The teachers who introduced her to the beauty of teaching greatly influenced her.
She continued her studies at Bicol University-Daraga campus, taking up Secondary Education majoring in Science in 2018. However, she had to take a year off due to a health condition that led to surgery for a bilateral hernia.
Despite the challenge, Baroso saw this as an opportunity to strengthen her resolve and desire to graduate. When she returned to her studies, she was determined to achieve her dream of becoming a teacher and to be the first degree holder in her family.
According to the United Nations, the world needs 44 million teachers by 2030 to achieve the Sustainable Development Goal for quality and equitable education. However, in the Philippines, many teachers go to China, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Japan, and Thailand in search of better opportunities, according to the POEA. But Baroso, while admitting that the idea of working abroad had crossed her mind, chose to stay in the country.
Baroso explained, “My heart literally beats for the Philippines.”
She added that to encourage young teachers to stay, they need adequate support from the government. This includes aligning pre-service training with the subjects that new teachers will teach, as well as reducing their administrative tasks so they can focus on teaching. They should also be given access to modern technology and other resources to enhance their teaching skills.
Baroso's determination to succeed as a teacher shows that with the right support and opportunities, young teachers can be the solution to the country's shortage of educators.
— Noel Ed Richards, The Summit Express
