Japan ODA 60th Anniversary

Maneuvering with Velocity: Speed and Direction in Progress through JICA

Krystel Iris De Castro, Fourth Place, Recto Memorial National High School

Just like a "wiper".

On heavy rains, we seldom spot a car speedy on a highway. Roads become accident prone; drivers lose direction brought about by a vague view of the path undertaken. Fog occupies the windshields and obscures the vision of the surroundings. During these times of visual obstruction do "wipers" enter the scene. Without the "wipers", the path remains unclear and identifying directions would be difficult. And if a car has its windshield "wiper", our community has Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

Now that our municipality is in pursuit of reform and modernization which is manifested in our tagline "Bagong Tiaong", JICA plays a big role in reaching our destination. JICA ensures our clear sight to keep going in the right track.

Jim Rohn once said that "If someone is going down the wrong road, he doesn't need motivation to speed him up. What he needs is education to turn him around." Education is the key to travel in the right direction. In order to attain our goal, we should take one step at a time, starting first with aiming high-quality education.

Living in a developing country, meeting the global standards of education is still a long trip away. Aside from effective teachers, which we apparently lack, students also need an environment which is conducive for learning. The number of classrooms cannot accommodate the growing number of youth who strive to secure their future. Learning facilities and school equipment need to be upgraded for us to not lag behind. With insufficient funds from the government, private sectors who lend a hand play a big role in promoting development in the society.

In 1997, JICA donated a building of three classrooms to our school and in 2006, twenty-one computer sets. The assistance has incited the production of more competent graduates due to improvement in the quality of education.

Better learning environment. Have you ever tried copying a lecture written on manila paper and posted on the blackboard with sunlight from the door and windows as the only source of illumination? Or answering an exam with your right hand while fanning nonstop with your other hand? How about memorizing sixty names in the shortest possible time? These are the usual scenes in a public school, but through JICA's steadfast effort, these were gradually altered.

Lower teacher-to-student ratio. Before the construction of the JICA building, the number of students per class in our school ranged from fifty-five to sixty-five. Our nation's scholars are packed like sardines in rooms that can't at least provide proper ventilation and sufficient lighting. Now, with the increase in the number of available classrooms and as part also of the K-12 program, every classroom is limited to only forty-five students at maximum.

Technological revolution. The installation of the computer sets started a revolution in the school. Information Technology (IT) subjects were taught and familiarized students with the technological advancements that run the world. We were equipped with knowledge on how to be part of the flattening world. Teachers began to use powerpoint presentations and we were given projects which require applications like Word, Photoshop, Movie Maker, and a lot more.

For seventeen years, the organization's projects fostered more than 3, 000 of the country's hopes, honing our future leaders, and adapting them to the 21st century. JICA's assistance opened doors of opportunity to the youth, especially to the less privileged majority.

Only through us recipients does its legacy continue. We are very blessed to be given aid in attaining our goals. Through justification, initiation, conservation, and association (JICA), I, as a young member of the community, can not only give back but pay it forward.

Justification. I will disseminate information about the projects of JICA in our school to instill that it is a privileged that the agency chose to help us in our quest for progress.

Initiation. If ever I win in this essay competition, I will allot a portion of my prize money to the repainting of the building. If I really want to implement change, I should start with myself first, right?

Conservation. According to our school property custodian, the JICA building is the sturdiest among the buildings in our school and even after nearly two decades, it is still welcome to shelter more future leaders. Only few of the computer units remain functional and handling them with care would be the best way to pass them on to the next generation.

With very limited finances, conservation would be wiser than renovation.

Association. The building walls are flawed and the some of the jalousies are missing.

The restrooms are also not in use anymore because a lot of its features have been damaged.

Every now and then, problems arise and through a strong cooperation with JICA, I can relay information about updates in our school.

Tiaong aims economic growth and poverty alleviation. I know that our destination is still a long trip away, but with strong cooperation with JICA, our journey continues. As we encounter sharp curves in the road even in times of heavy rainfall, JICA "wipes" all hindrances that fog our perspective. Our community may not be a car, but JICA clears our vision and helps us to speed up progress and drive in the right direction.