Cebuano teacher wins NCCA tilt

CEBU, Philippines -  An Arts teacher of the Don Vicente Rama Memorial National High School made it to the Top 8 winners in the National Level of the Leksyong Sagisag Kultura competition which seeks to enhance the Public Secondary Schools Learning Competencies (PSSLC) through "integration of cultural dissemination."

Mr. Jonathan Jimenez, a MAPEH (Music, Arts, Physical Education and Health) teacher, is the only finalist of four from Central Visayas who made it to the national level of the tilt sponsored by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts and the Department of Education.

The 34-year-old mentor received a certificate acknowledging his achievement, a Toshiba laptop, and a cash prize worth P5,000 at the Hiyas Convention in Malolos, Bulacan last December 9, 2013. He said that this is his first major achievement, claiming to be "just the average learner when he was in college." He bested close to 80 finalists all over the country as the contest was regional and island-cluster in nature.

Beforehand, he also received a certificate and P5,000 for the regional cluster level.

"My win is an inspiration to the average teacher as well. I'm never the nerdy, geeky type. I just love what I do. In fact, my exemplar was not even made that long as we were given 30 minutes only for the demo-lecture. I only had three days for the preparation," he shared in an interview at the DVRMNHS campus in Barangay Basak, Cebu City.

He received the award from Joseph "Sonny" J. Cristobal, director of  the Philippine Cultural Education Program and Diwang Project;  NCCA  commissioner Alice A. Pañares who is also the DepEd K to 12 Arts national adviser; and DepEd Undersecretary Alberto Muyot.

The Sagisag Kultura project bearing this year's theme "Diwang Sagisag Kultura ng Pilipinas (Pagkilala, Pagpapahalaga at Pagpapalaganap)" challenges regular subject teachers to incorporate tangible and intangible icons into the scope and sequence of  their respective PSSLCs.

For example, Jimenez has to cite regional beliefs and practices in child-bearing when discussing the reproductive system in his class discussion on Health. "Demo-lecture should use lessons that have already been introduced to a class. My emphasis on Philippine culture and beliefs in "paglilihi" enhances culture. The point is to know ourselves first. That is the essence of the project," he articulated.

Tangible icons cover, but not limited to, heritage sites while intangible refer to regional beliefs and practices.

Further, he pointed out  that the win entails bigger responsibilities as his exemplar, along with the other seven, is to undergo review for publication. "That's why it takes multitasking to improve on the content. I also have to ask help from my fellow teacher, Jerome Ramirez, in proofreading, which is his forte being a school paper adviser," he added.

Jimenez was able to compete in the said tilt being an NCCA scholar. He began his teaching stint at the DVRMNHS in 2006. Prior to this, he taught in Cebu City's upland barangay of Sinsin. He is from Barangay Suba-Pasil but spent parts of his childhood in Ginatilan town. He is a graduate of the Cebu Normal University.