A volunteer literacy teacher in a remote village in Himamaylan City, Negros Occidental, carried his pupils across a rain-soaked bamboo bridge after classes on Monday, July 13, as heavy rains swelled a river, highlighting the daily hardships many children endure just to get an education.
26-year-old Jelord Medes, a volunteer literacy teacher at Balatogan Elementary School in Sitio Balatogan, Barangay Buenavista, refused to let his pupils cross the slippery bamboo bridge on their own after continuous rains caused the river to rise.
“After classes, I accompanied the children because the rain was very heavy, and I knew the river had already risen,” Medes told Brigada News FM Kabankalan. “Even though there was a bamboo bridge, I didn’t want to take the risk because it had become slippery. I was afraid the children might fall.”
He carried the younger pupils in his arms while helping the older children cross safely.
The learners, from kindergarten to Grade 6, come from the remote sitios of Kalape, Dawhan, and Bugo. Crossing the bamboo bridge is part of their daily journey to and from school, Medes said.
For him, ensuring the children’s safety is just as important as teaching them to read and write.
“As a volunteer literacy teacher at Balatogan Elementary School, it gives me great joy to serve these children—not only by teaching them how to read and write but, more importantly, by making sure they are safe,” the volunteter teacher said.
Despite not yet holding a government teaching post, Medes continues to volunteer, hoping to inspire his pupils to persevere and never let hardship derail their education.
“Keep going to school despite the hardships we face here in the mountains. Don’t let poverty, the long distance to school, or the difficult trails stop you. I experienced the same struggles when I was young, so I understand what you’re going through. Keep striving because your future is in your own hands,” he said.
Medes also appealed to the government to improve infrastructure in the upland community by building a safer bridge, improving roads, and providing more facilities for the school.
His gesture has drawn attention not only for its compassion but also for the realiby many children in geographically isolated communit faceies, where getting to school—and safely returning home—often means crossing rivers and makeshift bamboo bridges, especially during the rainy season.*
Reymund Titong is a Filipino journalist steadily building his voice in the field of news reporting, driven by a commitment to tell meaningful and relevant stories.
He serves as a correspondent for Rappler, contributes to Negros Daily Bulletin, and maintains a blog on Medium.