Ugu: The art of giving back to society

Photo credit from TRAVELS OF JOY

Some years ago, in one of our family's spontaneous out-of-town trip, we ended up at Tiaong, Quezon where one of our church elders were able to buy properties and had an outreach for the church built.  That was a Holy Friday, the best I could recall.  

During our stay at their house, we asked what else Tiaong is famous for aside from their succulent mangoes. According to our friend, people would talk about a pottery place called Ugu Bigyan.  Without them knowing it was an artist's name all along.  Had I not search online I would have known as well.  With that thought, I consoled my myself that we will visit the place in time.  The longing for that visit grew stronger when a friend blogged about Ugu Bigyan's house.

Lady luck was still not on my side yet as several attempts to visit were always amiss.  

However, I would want to share an inspiring article about Ugu and how DepEd was able to tap him to give a hand in how K to 12 Program can be extended, making the curriculum more interesting to students.

Photo from Ugu Bigyan 's Potter Garden

Photo from Ugu Bigyan 's Potter Garden

Ugu: The art of giving back to society

In the quaint barangay of Lusacan in  Tiaong, Quezon, residents have become used to seeing latest model SUVs trudging the bumpy road that leads to the brick house of Augusto “Ugu”  Bigyan, the celebrated potter favored by the rich and the famous.

As any self-respecting artist, Ugu does not have a marquee to let the public know what he has. His loyal clients do it for him. No doubt about Ugu’s popularity. Fact is, Queen Sirikit of Thailand has invited him twice to be part  of  select  Asian artists who shared their craft  with the Thai people in an art festival to celebrate the royalty’s birthday.   

Self-taught in pottery, Ugu gets inspiration from the earth, from nature. The potter’s medium is   clay  –the raw material for  his terra cotta bricks, chimes, vases, wall decors, ceramics and various works of arts. From the soil, he also gets intimate with the roots and trunks of uprooted trees,  flowers and leaves of indigenous plants.

All these are food for his art. He   takes in nature and exhales nature-inspired art pieces that find their way in the souvenir shops and rooms of posh  resorts such as Amanpulo, El Nido, Boracay Shangri-la and Crimson Hotel. And in the homes  of those who can well afford his art pieces.

But pottery as a profession and a calling  came to Ugu like an afterthought. Up until he graduated with a degree in Accountancy, Ugu remained undecided on what career to purse and promptly found out  that working in a bank was boring. “ Ala ay siyam na araw lang ako sa bangko sa Makati ay umuwi na ako at nagpipindot na laang  ng clay dine sa amin,”  Ugu said with a hearty laughter. ( It took me 9 days to realize that working in a bank is not for me so I packed my bag, went back to Lusacan and started tinkering with clay)

Ugu learned the technical side of potttery from Jaime de Guzman who has since moved to Sagada. “ It helped also that my father and siblings know how to manufacture the pottery equipment that I needed which enabled me to  focus my energy on creation,” Ugu said.

When Ugu  was approached by DepEd  to tap him  as one of the K to 12 teachers for Grades 11 and 12, he said yes. K to 12 allows  students to explore and  hone the skills  they favor and be the source of their livelihood when they graduate from high school. He explained: “ I   said yes  even if I  don’t have details yet of appointment or compensation which to me is not an issue.” I have always been willing to share my art.”

“ During my travels abroad, I noticed that many people draw their livelihood from their traditional arts, crafts  and culture  especially in countries that thrive on the tourism industry like Vietnam and Thailand.  I believe that if we can only awaken that creative consciousness among our youth, we can reconnect with our culture and become  prouder as a people,”  he explained. And help create jobs too.  

Ugu hopes  that through  K to 12,  we can erase the stigma that technical-vocational and skills-based professions are inferior to a four-year college degree. “ If  only many of us will realize how important   blue collar jobs, as well as  the arts and culture in our society, people will not look down to these professions anymore.”

“ If through K to 12  we can  produce a   new generation of young potters  who can be  more creative than myself, I will be pleased,”  said Ugu.

“ Kung may tinatawag na corporate social responsibility, para sa akin ito naman ay personal social responsibility kung may ganun. Panahon na para may ibalik naman ako sa lipunan na naging mabait  sa aking art,”  ( If companies have their corporate social responsibility, I call mine personal social responsibility, if such a term exists. About time I gave back to the society that has been  good  me.)

But Ugu has to lay the predicate before agreeing to the DepEd invitation to teach for K to 12: “ I require that the school should first shortlist the students who are really interested and willing to learn. “Baka mabarino lang ako kapag ang ipinasok sa akin ay hindi naman pala talaga kursunada ang pottery ay sayang naman ang oras naming pare-pareho. Doon sa mga interesado, gusto kong buksan  ang kanilang mata sa sining.” ( I might get pissed if I have students who are not serious. I do not want to waste time. To those interested, I really want to open their eyes to the art of pottery).

Teacher Marianne Zabat, one of the DepEd staff   who invited  Ugu to teach   pottery, used to  work for his family when she was younger. She  shared:. “Ugu has that giving heart, I know it from my own experience.”

Ugu, apparently, is also into the habit  of  paying it forward. (RVL)

Written by  

ANNA CRISTINA M. GANZON

NCAE No More Needed

Photo from Forever Smile at me blog

During our time, back in those days, we had NCEE or National College Entrance Examintaion (hope I got it right, after all those years).
This time, two of my kids had the same aptitude examination, my son who had it two years ago when he was at 4th year and last year my daughter had it, she was third year then.  It's not anymore called NCEE, but NCAE.  The National Career Assessment Examination, known mostly as NCAE, is administered yearly to measure students aptitude and skills in the areas of general scholastic aptitude, technical- vocation aptitude, entrepreneurial skills, non-verbal ability and occupational fields of interest.  In essence, students who intend to go to college or take vocational courses need to take the exam.  As a parent and educator, I believed in the purpose of this but DepEd knows well where the innovations will lead our future professionals.

With that said, let us hear an announcement from The Department of Education (DepEd).  According to DepEd, the National Career Assessment Examination (NCAE), which determines the interests and career inclination of students, will no longer be administered to Grade 8 students this year.

“As the pioneer batch of the senior high school, NCAE is no longer deemed necessary for our Grade 8 students since they will have a comprehensive learning of what career they want to pursue when they reach Grades 11 and 12.” said Education Secretary Br. Armin A. Luistro FSC.

The NCAE will still be administered to third year high school students in both public and private secondary schools on August 28, 2013. Also covered are fourth year high school students applying for scholarship programs offered by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA). It is also open to other interested fourth year students, out-of-school youth and A and E passers.

DepEd and CNN Hero Geared-up for Kariton Klasrum

There is no day that I go out without seeing a child on the street.   It always break my heart  seeing them beg, all dirty, skinny and stomach grumbling.   One time, when my family went out for a snack  we saw a few of our Sunday School children begging along SS Highway, in front of SM Hypermart, it was on 3 in the afternoon so I asked one of them, why they were not at school.   He didn't answer but I gave him some money and told him to go home.  I didn't realize that we are taking care of  children who lives by begging,  though I know that most of the kids at our church  comes from the poor settlers of Makati.  I'm a mom,  and I could bear the thought  my kids would be displaced in the same situation,  God forbids.   As their teacher,  I know somehow what they needed at Sundays,  spiritual-filling,  social acceptance (we let them mingle with the church members' children),  breakfast and lunch)   How about the rest of the week?  Which pose  such a challenge  to these  less capable children.

Expanded Early School Registration - January 28

Here this:

No one left behind. Everybody goes to school.

How cool is that! (as what my kids would say)

This is the goal set by the Department of Education as it declares January 28, 2012 as early registration day for School Year (S.Y.) 2012-2013 in all public elementary and secondary schools nationwide.

According to DepEd,  last year, the early registration covered only kindergarten which jumpstarted the K to 12 basic education reform program, as well as Grade 1 pupils and First Year high school students.   This year, DepEd has expanded the target of early registration to include out-of school children (OSC) and out-of school youth (OSY), and learners with disability.

“We have set aside this day for the early registration of out-of-school children, out-of-school –youth, children and youth with learning difficulties along with kinder, Grade 1 and incoming first year high school students,” said Education Secretary Br. Armin A. Luistro FSC.

Luistro said, the Philippines is firmly committed to meet the goals of universal basic education and Education For All being advocated by the United Nations.

The early registration seeks to reach out to all five year-old children to enrol in kindergarten and for six year-olds to enlist for Grade 1.

It also aims to guarantee enrolment of OSC and OSY from the disadvantaged groups, indigenous peoples and street children ages 5 to 18 in their preferred delivery system. They can choose between formal schooling through alternative delivery mode (ADM) or informal mode via the alternative learning system (ALS).

The early registration also aims to keep track of OSC and OSY with disabilities whose ages range from 5 to 18 across grade levels and provide them with appropriate education intervention. “The state mandates that all Filipinos with or without learning disabilities must have access to education and the early registration aims to count them in,” the education chief explained. 

In line with this, Luistro has asked the central, regional and division offices of DepEd to prepare the Three-Year Catch Up Plan in Basic Education from S.Y. 2012-2013 to S.Y. 2014-2015 in order to accommodate the increasing number of learners.

The early registration will also enlist the cooperation of the local government units, barangay officials, parents-teachers associations, civil society and the business sector. “With the help of our partners in education in this undertaking, we can make the necessary preparations and address potential resource needs in time for the opening of classes in June,” Luistro pointed out.

DepEd has always tapped the cooperation of the whole community to ensure that all learners are in school and that they stay in school through various intervention programs that will prevent them from dropping out.

NTBN:  

     This is a Press Release from DepEd,  is a pro bono work that I do to help out our country in fight against lack of education and poor quality of education.   It is to my decision to support DepEd in their works and obligation and I strongly believe in the ideals set up by the officials responsible.   Being a strong advocate of education, being an educator and a parent myself, DepEd’s vision to committing  the future for upholding the guidelines set up for this is most apt in our countries situation today.   I do encourage parents like me and non-parents alike to participate in whatever programs the governed has set up for an easier move to practice an organized execution, concerning registration.    I think it is also most proper to do this as early as the said date to address more concerns that will arise out of this.   Any other queries may be posted here:


Communications Unit
Office of the Secretary | Department of Education
2/F Rizal Bldg., Department of Education Complex
Meralco Ave., Pasig City
Telefax: (632) 631-6033
Website: www.deped.gov.ph