The school that chooses to live

Initially I thought today’s column would be titled, “The school that refuses to die.” On second thought, I chose a more positive title,  since all these years, this school has chosen to live — despite some difficulties. And lived it has.

Here’s a bit of history on the school.  It was organized shortly after Liberation, in 1946,  by Rev. Graciano Alegado and his wife Rev. Florentina Alegado, both ministers of the United Church of Christ in the Philippines,  and some believers who were respected members of the community. The first private elementary school in the town (now city) of Gingoog, Misamis Oriental,  Gingoog Institute, grew, adding  a  kindergarten, high school, then college, departments.

GI’s graduates have included two Gingoog town mayors (Dodo Lugod and Romulo Rodriguez), judges, medical doctors, nurses, certified public accountants, journalists, educators, local government officials in places around and far from the town, and entrepreneurs.

Proud of the accomplishments of  some of its graduates, GI, however, found itself struggling against the resources of educational institutions that sprouted in the city. Its student population dwindled to less than a thousand heads, and since its source of revenue was simply tuition fees (which were much lower than those of  the other schools),  it could hardly make both ends meet, and so  closed down its kindergarten and elementary school. The board of trustees, after much soul-searching, adopted as a  revival  strategy changing  the school’s name to Gingoog Christian Colleges, but relented, due to  the insistence of sentimental alumni, to use the abbreviation GiCC.

Three years ago, the school had no president. The board of trustees requested a former alumnus, Gideon Z. Alegado, PhD, an executive of an institution in the US, to take on the presidency. Gideon, son of the two founding ministers of GI, agreed but only to serve six months of the year. With his unbridled enthusiasm,  educational  expertise and credible fund-raising drive among his peers in the US, he, along with the new executive vice president Samuel M. Briones (an archeologist by training and with a short stint with a United Nations agency), and the board of trustees (chaired  by Besben Y. Maquiso), the school has taken a new lease on life.  

GiCC has a population of about 1,500, including pupils. Its academic programs are a complete preschool, Grade I, high school education and baccalaureate degrees in physical science and  elementary education, and non-degree programs of two-year associate in arts and computer secretarial. “We are proud that GiCC’s graduates are board exam passers,”  Briones told me last week. The school, he added, is a member of the Association of Christian Schools, Colleges and Universities, and is accredited by the Commission on  Higher Education.

I was at the GiCC’s 68th anniversary celebration. First thing I noticed was an improved campus ground, on which stand three newly painted buildings (where there was only one during my time, in the 1950s) and a stage for performances. The atmosphere was festive, with activities ranging from  a Walk and Run for a Cause, a family day, a Miss GiCC 2014 pageant, a hip hop competition, an ethnic festival, an academic olympiad, athletic competitions, a thanksgiving culmination service, and an alumni night.

Adding great sounds was  a new drum and bugle corps leading the parades around the city. The corps had been revitalized  through the efforts of my brother Warto, a retired University of Lyceum humanities instructor, who solicited contributions to purchase musical instruments for the band. Warto, one of us ten Torrevillas children who attended Gingoog Institute,  is now an active  volunteer GiCC development officer and capital campaign coordinator.

A premiere vision is the purchase of a “Lot of Dreams,” actually a  vacant 4,350 sq.m. property right  beside the school campus.  Its acquisition will mean, according to Dr. Alegado, enabling GiCC “to fulfill its dreams to be of greater service to the community and the country by providing educational opportunities to many young people.” God willing, a commercial building will be built and rented out, the proceeds to be used for the institute’s operational needs. Said Alegado: “In other words, from its past hand-to-mouth existence, GiCC will eventually be self-sustaining.  So, now the fund-raising activity will focus on inviting donors to enable the purchase of the lot.” (Donors may be send contributions to Gingoog Christian College (indicate “Capital Campaign”), the Cashier, Gingoog Christian College, National Highway, Barangay 23, Gingoog City. For contributors from the US, write out check or money order to “First Presbyterian Church” (indicate GiCC Fund), and mail to Gingoog Christian College, Overseas Office, 2428  NW  llth Street, Corvalis, OR 97330.)

Bisben Maquiso is hopeful of a good future for the institute. He is proud of the administrative and faculty staff, among them the college dean, Dr. Myrna S. Motoomull and acting high school principal Josefina J. Malazarte. Giving a lot of morale booster is Rev. Ligaya F. San Francisco, UCCP senior minister.

For us alumni, it will be good to live by the institution’s  mission to “dynamically initiate, mold, nurture, enrich and sustain through Christian education, the development of the whole person whose intellectual competency is morally and ethically responsive.”

*  *  *

There’s another Torrevillas about whom  I’d like to say a few words of praise. She is Louvenie “Jekjek” Torrevillas Ellana, daughter of my late sister Louella. Jek is a GiCC product – from kindergarten up to high school – and is currently teaching the fifth grade at the Gingoog elementary school.  Like many teachers, she applied for a job abroad, was accepted to teach in China, but once there, she and her co-teachers found out they had been gypped by their recruiter.

She came home disappointed, a bit skinny. The court case against the recuiter ended up with nothing. She was faced with the hard task of repaying the debt she incurred to go to China.

But she rose up, like a sphinx,  so to speak, put up a small carinderia  while working as a school teacher again.  She is, I am surprised, a very good, innovative cook. She told me, “Lola told me my cooking ability comes naturally.”

But what is even more inspiring is her running a program, during her free time,  with the assistance of a young teacher, that teaches four-year-olds with zero knowledge of reading, to read. After three months, the kids can read! After ten months, even read Comprehension is of course, to be developed.  Parents are happy about the results of the program.  When their kids enroll in a regular kindergarten at school opening, they can read already. They pay a very, very small amount just to help the teachers have meals and buy schooling materials. A father is working at our garden two mornings a week to pay for his son’s “schooling.”  

    My email:[email protected]