schoolscolleges2020 hed news


TULONG DUNONG. Xavier University - Ateneo de Cagayan Junior High School teacher Br Jayson Faciol presents the milestones of Tulong Dunong for SY2017-2018 during a gathering of TD partners. Supplied photo. 

By Ave Hanah Casiño Tii

St Ignatius once said, "Lord, teach me to be generous, teach me to serve you as you deserve.” One could breathe life into this statement in countless ways through the giving of one’s resources, time, and talent. Society, on the other hand, often perceives service as something done by adults or professionals offering their expertise which is why it moves us when young people such as junior high school students serve as tutors for the pupils in public elementary schools.

Xavier University Junior High School continues to abide by its mission of forming "men and women for others" through their Tulong Dunong program. Last Friday, June 29, 2018, at XUJHS campus, Grade 10 Tulong Dunong teachers, together with some of the city’s elementary school principals and TD coordinators, gathered together to evaluate the 2017 school year’s TD activities.

XUJHS school assistant principal for academics Lea Lilibeth Emata expressed her relief and gratitude for a productive and successful Tulong Dunong year. Despite the challenges along the way — such as the need of the students to be more creative in their lesson plans, unplanned interruptions to the schedules, and other setbacks — TD teachers, students, and its partner schools showed their dedication in offering quality education to less fortunate pupils and by helping one another mold individuals to be productive members of society and to contribute to the country’s development.

The year 2018 marks the sixth year of Tulong Dunong. This program, which was founded by the late Jesuit priest Fr James O’Brien in 1975 in Ateneo de Naga, started with some of the university’s students giving tutorial lessons to elementary pupils in public schools on socio-economic theories, social actions, and Catholic teachings. Currently, XUJHS students are giving tutorial lessons in practical subjects such as Mathematics and English. Among the milestones of last year’s Tulong Dunong are the following:

  • First batch of tutees are now in Grade 12. When the TD Program started in Cagayan de Oro last 2013, the first tutees were still at the sixth-grade level. Now, they are soon to finish senior high school.
  • Two of its tutors are now members of XUJHS faculty members. As XUJHS welcomed another school year, it also introduced its new faculty members who used to be tutors, namely: John Carlo Bayagna from the Mathematics Department and Danielle Joy Mangubat of the Filipino Department. Both graduated from high school in 2014.
  • Rising numbers of scholars. Through the TD program, the number of scholars from the TD schools has progressed. In fact, this school year XUJHS was pleased to admit nine students who were tutees from Bulua Elementary School, Fr William Masterson Elementary School, and West City Central School.
  • Declining numbers of failing students in every quarter. It has been noted that there has been a fall in the number of Grade 10 students with failing marks. This could be attributed to the fact that students’ knowledge of the subjects they are teaching is frequently enhanced when they do their tutoring. This shows the transformative influence of Tulong Dunong on the tutors themselves.
  • Donation of books. The wealth of knowledge that one can obtain through books is critical to any educational institution. The English Department of XUJHS through its Book Swap activity has donated a number of books to two of its TD schools, Bayabas Elementary School and Camaman-an Elementary School.
  • Rise in the enrollment in the School of Education. The passion and commitment that the XUJHS students put into their tutoring sessions have led them to consider the humbling and rewarding vocation of teaching. TD has truly inspired these young people to become teachers in the future which is why it has been noted that there are more students now who enrolled themselves in the Xavier Ateneo School of Education.
  • Benchmarking of Ateneo de Davao. Last March 2018, a number of faculty members from Ateneo de Davao came to XUJHS campus to learn about how the school has fulfilled its TD program. This comes as excellent news as another Ateneo school plans to incorporate Tulong Dunong into its curriculum.


TD COORDINATORS. Principals and Tulong Dulong coordinators of the different partner schools of XUJHS listen intently as TD teacher Bonifacio Tariga shares the positive points and things that need improvement to conduct effective sessions in the future. Supplied photo.  

In addition, the said event also awarded the Tulong Dunong SY 2017-2018 Top Performing Schools, namely: Camaman- an Elementary School, Lumbia Central School, Bulua Central School, Macanhan Elementary School, and Sacred Heart Village Elementary School in Carmen. In a similar manner, XUJHS recognized the Top Tulong Dunong Coordinators who did an exemplary job in making sure TD teachers and students feel welcomed and are well accommodated during TD sessions. The Top TD Coordinators are following: Luisa Veloso of Bayabas Elementary School; Irish Baria of Camaman-an Elementary School; Lara May De Lara Apohen of Lumbia Central School; Mia Daryll Zayas-Takiang of Sacred Heart Village Elementary School; and Sonia Lagura of Macanhan Elementary School.

“We are truly grateful for Tulong Dunong especially in helping us encourage our own pupils to be present in the school," says Taguanao Elementary School principal Emmanuel Alingig. "Your students (the tutors) go out of their way by providing incentives to their tutees in any way they can, even just by simply giving them candies or goodies whenever they have their TD session."

TD is instrumental in allowing high school students to become more aware of the different social realities in the country, particularly the concerns of children in the public schools.  

As the first Microsoft showcase school in Mindanao, XUJHS took a step further as it launched a series of teacher training sessions for its TD partner schools on July 14 and 28, 2018. Tulong Dunong likewise has become an avenue for faculty development of public school teachers as TD teachers take them as a priority, thus making them part of the Microsoft Education Community.

“With Tulong Dunong, there is a symbiotic development," says XUJHS TD coordinator Ryan Anthony Mañus. "The close collaboration between our students and their tutees extends to the teachers as well, as we envision a contribution to one’s development and that of our country."


TOP TD COORDINATOR. XUJHS assistant principal for formation Samuel Macagba III (right) hands the certificate of recognition to Irish Baria (left) of Camaman-an Elementary School as one of the Top Tulong Dunong Coordinators for SY2017-2018. Sup[plied photo. 

The success of any program involves a variety of factors and for Tulong Dunong, it is due to the tireless efforts of the teachers, coordinators, and students — all working together to ensure that pupils are provided with quality education, guided and formed to become productive members of society. It involves a process of selfless giving of oneself and coming up with a more fitting practice that caters best to the needs of the tutees.

However, much is still needed to improve this program. Xavier University Junior High School hopes to achieve more milestones in the coming years such as improving and updating the teaching methods of tutors, having consistent cooperation, and taking a more open communication between XUJHS and its TD partner schools.

Through the Tulong Dunong, young people are encouraged to see beyond their day-to-day activities — to see the value of helping others through their tutorial sessions. It brings them to the realization that even at this time of their lives, they are capable of impacting the lives of others in a lasting and meaningful way. As followers of St Ignatius, may Tulong Dunong and its humble workers continue to be committed to fulfilling its mission of forming men and women for others and embodying magis (a philosophy of excellence), as it sublimely illustrates the Ignatian spirituality: “to love and to serve in all things.”∎