Zapatera SPED teacher reaps national honors

CEBU, Philippines - A teacher of Zapatera Elementary School was awarded by the Department of Education (DepEd) as “Outstanding Special Education Teacher” nationwide for her patience in teaching children with visual impairment.

DepEd Secretary Mona D. Valisno also announced that the Zapatera Elementary School - Special Education (SPED) center beat its counterparts from other regions of the country and was declared overall winner as outstanding SPED center nationwide.

Zapatera Elementary School SPED center bested its counterpart in Baguio City and the Padre Gomez Elementary School SPED Center in Manila that got second and third place, respectively.

Valisno announced that the 52-year-old Lorna Aligato of Zapatera Elementary School SPED Center has been adjudged as the best teacher for the children with visual impairment, who are studying using the Braille method.

The Braille system is a method that is widely used by the visually impaired to read and write.

Each Braille character or cell is made up of six dot positions, arranged in a rectangle containing two columns of three dots each.

Aligato explained that by touching the dots the persons with visual impairment who studied Braille can already communicate with others, who have the same impairment.

Aligato has been teaching the visually and hearing impaired children as well as those mentally challenged since 1998.

She said that hundreds of underprivileged students have already been under her tutelage.

Before Aligato joined the Department of Education, Aligato already worked with the Cebu Braille Center based in Cebu Normal University from 1979 to 1991.

Being a teacher assigned to children with difficulties, they should be patient at all times because they already know the behaviors of their students.

But to give them a sort of bonus, the salaries of the so-called special teachers are much higher than other teachers.

Aligato at first received P10,000 after she was adjudged as the regional winner for the outstanding special teacher for visually impaired children, and another P25,000 when she was chosen as national winner for the same category.

The Zapatera Elementary School SPED center also received P35,000 cash prize that was used by the teachers in renovating their school when The Freeman visited the center yesterday.

“Ato ni nga nindoton ang atong eskwelahan kay kita gud ang national winner para dili kita mauwaw kon dunay moanhi,” said Aligato.

Her fellow special teacher Mariaflor G. Quebido was also adjudged as the regional winner for being the best teacher in handling children with intellectual disability and had received P10,000 cash prize.

Valisno said that the commitment and the dedication of the SPED teachers enabled DepEd to provide SPED in public schools where hearing and visually impaired children and those with autism and mental retardation from poor families can get education. (FREEMAN NEWS)