The competitors were all equally worthy and the standards are high, yet the jury of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization’s (UNESCO) International Literacy Awards had no qualms in awarding Tagum City with the bronze medal in the highly coveted King Sejong Literacy Prize.
In its website UNESCO said: “Tagum is cited for the city’s peace management literacy and continuing education through its night market program.”
T a g u m was specially lauded for its effort in reducing and eventually eliminate illiteracy among migrant vendors of diverse cultural backgrounds. In the process, peace was achieved and the night market, the barometer of a vibrant economy, flourished. Initially, the literacy program was solely provided for employment opportunities among its small and medium-scale entrepreneurs. These entrepreneurs transformed the city’s plaza into a bustling trading area at night, where people, including tourists, get to taste a variety of food products and shop at affordable prices. The city’s innovative approach to bringing livelihood and, at the same time, drawing tourists became a big hit to UNESCO.
“Nagtitinda sila ng fish balls, squid balls, kwek-kwek, banana cue, camote cue, turon, at marami pa. ‘Yung iba naman ay naglalako ng mumurahing ipit ng buhok, t-shirt, damit, suklay, at iba pa,” said Anwar Maadel, head of the city’s literacy coordinating program. “Parang fiesta at dagsaan rin ito ng mga turista kasi ramdam nila na ligtas ang lugar at madami talagang pwedeng bilhin,” he added.
Eventually, the program was infused with functional literacy lessons provided by the city government through free seminars to market vendors, “kargadors,” and market sweepers. These out-of-school youths and adults attend classes at a designated time in the market’s vacant space where they learn values education, health awareness, financial literacy and management, solid waste management and peace education. They call it “Palengkeskwela.”
The “Palengkeskwela” gives poor but deserving youth and adult market workers access to education that suits their needs and unique circumstances. Since its inception in 2005, about 92 vendors have already finished basic education through the Palengkeskwela, while 4,434 more have graduated under the city’s alternative learning system (ALS).
According to Maadel, Tagum’s literacy programs have contributed to the city’s high literacy rate of 95.24 percent. In 2008 and 2010, Tagum City also clinched the DepEd Literacy Coordinating Council’s (LCC) National Literacy Award and was elevated to the Hall of Fame in 2011. Everything emanates from education. Through education, people see no reason to fight with each other. Tagum City Mayor Rey Uy said: “What they realized is that they have more reasons to improve their lot in life, learn to earn a living and polish their ways of managing their business.”
“Sa edukasyon, nawala ang duda sa kapwa at alinlangan sa sarili at ibinuhos ang oras sa paghahanapbuhay at pakikipamuhay sa iba pa sa komunidad,” said Norma Salcedo, head of DepEd- LCC.
EducNews VOL. II No. 2, Feb 2012
By Florelyn Morada and Maribel Cabasal