UNLAD exists to give underprivileged youth access to education they wouldn't otherwise have. This June, that mission took a leap forward in the rural community of Baruyan, Philippines.
On June 8, the first class of Grade 7 students : 40 in all, began at a brand-new high school, the first time Baruyan's students haven't had to leave their community for secondary school.
This school's story actually begins with our work at the Baruyan Elementary School (BES). Years of being on the ground there, working alongside students and teachers, showed us something firsthand: promising students finishing sixth grade with nowhere nearby to continue their education. That gap is what led Terry to donate land she'd inherited from her parents to the Philippine Department of Education in 2023, land the government would go on to name the school after in her parents' honor, Vicente Samala and Astronica Gozar. From there, political leaders: Oriental Mindoro's congressman, Calapan City's mayor, and Baruyan’s Barangay Captain, joined DepEd to bring the school to life.
A Community Effort: “Bayanihan”
We’re moved by the spirit of "Bayanihan" this project rallied. A core Filipino cultural tradition, this is rooted in “bayan” (community) and bayani (hero), describing people coming together to help others in need without expecting any reward. As part of this effort, a week before opening, local schools and groups, including the Rotary, came together in "Brigada Eskwela" to prepare the campus.
The Vicente and Astronica Gozar Samala National High School opened modestly, with two classrooms, a principal, three teachers: a first step, with our hope that Baruyan itself will one day own and sustain it. This is a Philippine public school, and we're proud to have played a small part in its beginning. Just as UNLAD funds programs at Baruyan Elementary School (BES) to extend access beyond the classroom, we plan to do the same here.
Meanwhile, at BES…
UNLAD-funded programs are back in motion this year: daily lunch feeding has resumed, the library has reopened for every grade level, and after-school sports, journalism, and visual arts programs are underway.
One Community, Two Campuses
Kirby had never picked up a paintbrush before joining BES's visual arts program, and went on to become a national prize-winning artist. Now at the high school, Kirby will assist with BES's visual arts program, a first thread connecting the two campuses UNLAD is proud to support.
Full Circle
This school year also closed with a milestone at the other end of the journey: three of UNLAD's collegiate scholars graduated. Princess Borela and Giemaline Colis earned their B.S. in Education, and Princess Nepomuceno her B.S. in Civil Engineering.
From a new high school's first class to a new engineer and two future educators, this is what access to education, sustained over years, makes possible.
Thank you for believing in what's possible when underserved youth are given access to education.