TEACHER’S TRIBUTE – “This is the day where our teachers get to let their hair loose, meet the biggest celebrities, be treated to a whole day of entertainment and hue raffle prizes beginning with a house and lot and vehicles, anything to remind them of their invaluable presence in our lives.”
That’s how Ms. Chaye Revilla and the PLDT Gabay Guro team of visionaries put it, referring to the 9th Teacher’s Tribute this year, Sept. 25 at the Mall of Asia Arena.
Consider the all-star lineup of celebrities performing for the love teachers. In no particular order: Sharon Cuneta, Regine Velasquez, Lea Salonga, Gary Valenciano, Jaya, Michael Pangilinan, Ogie Alcasid, Pops Fernandez, James Reid, Nadine Lustre, and many more. By the way, all of them are performing in PLDT Gabay Guro gratis et amore. Yes, free.
Gabay Guro is a PLDT-Smart Foundation, which to quote its motto: “Changing the lives of those who changed ours.”
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VOLUNTEERISM – What’s admirable about PLDT Gabay Guro is it thrives on volunteerism – mostly among the ranks of executives from PLDT and Smart.
Nine years after, Gabay Guro has over 1,100 scholars in various state colleges and universities nationwide. There are over 300 LET passers, 496 active scholars as of August, 2016 and a projected 167 graduates in 2017. Gabay Guro also celebrates the fact that 137 scholars graduated with honors – 112 cum laudes and 25 magna cum laudes. Gabay Guro has also partnered with local government units to further teacher education.
The foundation has conducted training for over 16,000 teachers in the course of its nine years. Today, it runs eight training programs for teachers around the country namely: Teacher’s Treasure Chest; English Proficiency Training; Computer Literacy; Emotional Intelligence; Teacher’s Armor; Leadership Training; IT Sustainability and Literacy; and Unleashing Creativity in Teaching. At the same time, Gabay Guro answers to the needs of the times by doing grassroots anti-drugs trainings in schools.
Gabay Guro’s initiative on Broadband and Computerization has had great impact nationwide. All partner-schools were recipients of either computers/laptop or internet connections from PLDT or Smart.
Knowing that shortage of educational facilities is a major disaster area in the Philippine education system, Gabay Guro has taken the cudgels in the construction of classrooms constructed and donated already in the ff. provinces:
Cebu, Bohol, Leyte, and Capiz.
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20, 000 STRONG – Gabay Guro has grown to be the force that it is today. Whereas in the beginning, there were only a couple of thousand member-teachers under its stable, 2016 sees 20,000-strong membership (and growing!) at its helm and has easily taken over the leadership, the one that sets the bar of service, in all education-related NGOs around the nation.
The pinnacle of Gabay Guro’s celebration is embodied in the tribute event held every year at the MOA Arena. Year after year, the organizers leave no stone unturned ensuring that it is in Gabay Guro where teachers get to be treated like royalty. Generosity at its finest, raffle prizes have grown to be staggering house and lot and vehicle showcases and livelihood opportunities that they are today in every Gabay Guro tribute event.
This year’s event is made possible through the help of the ff. sponsors: Perry’s Group of Companies (for the house and lot), Foton for the (Gratour Van), Intel, Devant, Motorlandia (for the Honda and Suzuki motorcycles), Ropali, Penshoppe, National Bookstore, Enchanted Kingdom, Splash, Tempra, Flanax, Bonamine, Vivalyte, Mundipharma, Gardenia, Bic, Art Attack, Microsoft, Smart Bro, Ultera, Talk N Text, and 51 Talk.
The PLDT Gabay Guro grand tribute event is exclusive for teachers only. Admission is free. Follow Gabay Guro on Facebook, twitter and Instagram at @PLDTGabayGuro or visit the Gabay Guro official website gabayguro.com for more details.