Grab every chance to learn:

Borenaga, to young writers

BIEN UNIDO, Bohol, September 3 (PIA)—Because she does not want her constituents deprived of the opportunities that can help them improve their lives, Mayor Rene Borenaga herself approved the town-funded campus journalism seminar for elementary and high school students of the town.

Speaking during the closing ceremonies of the free one-day news writing, copyreading and headline writing and photojournalism seminar writeshop which the town sponsored, Mayor Borenaga urged over 60 pupils and students of her town to take all the opportunity that comes their way.

The town spent for snacks and lunch for 60 students and pupils plus their school paper advisers and the venue for the one day training which the Philippine Information Agency (PIA) and the Municipal Public Information Office (MPIO) offered training for free.  

When I heard of the PIA offered free journalism workshop, we immediately asked our Human Resource Officer to contact all interested public and private schools to send their kids, and the town will sponsor for their food and venue, she bared.

We had not any of these chances when we were young, and now then this comes, we have to take this, she said.

The PIA and the MPIO Manuelito Item had prepared a one-day three-module from the two-days complete school campus organ operation production seminar workshop developed by the PIA in Bohol.

We would have wanted a two-day training but, knowing that we have kids joining who are from the islands, it would be too costly, Item said.

The situation led to the decision to select few topics for the day’s writing workshop.   

There is a lot of potential, Borenaga who wished there were training like this during her time, told the learners, “you can all help the town develop, but you have to work harder to do that.”

Taking cue from a popular Filipino saying: “Ang buhay ay weather-weather lang,” the mother mayor told the young writers.

“It is better now compared to the past,” as she recalled how she used to walk from Urgello in Cebu to USJR and how she sold peanuts, so she could buy school supplies then.

Life was hard, and there were very few opportunities, being from a poor family, we need to work even harder, she said.

Our parents tried their best, and like your parents now, they do not wish you to have the hard life they had.

The lady mayor who took time off her busy schedule to be with the kids for a short time saw how the kids were seriously into the journalism tasks for the day’s training, praised them and the teachers for accompanying the learners.

“As a mother and your parent, I want all opportunities opened for all of you to grab, and I saw a lot of talents,” she said.

“I am proud to say that we have allocated a small budget for this activity, as we see that it is free. We just hope you do not waste this chance,” she said. She also said she is willing to bring in more of these activitiesfor the kids.

Bien Unido is still among Bohol’s less advantaged towns despite the fact that it has Bohol’s richest seas in its doorsteps.

The mayor who sees education as a way to fight and beat poverty, said she had her elementary in Mandawa and then she, along with her siblings have to walk daily to high school.

Joining the training were mainland schools President Carlos P. Garcia Technical Vocational School of Fisheries and Arts, Holy Child Academy, Bien Unido Central Elementary School, Puerto San Pedro Elementary School.

Also joining were island schools: Hingotanan National High School, Ponciano L. Paden National High School, Maomawan Integrated School and Malingin Elementary School. (rahc/PIA-7/Bohol)

NANGUNA SI MAYOR BORENAGA sa mga kabataan nga nagpahulagway human nila malampuson nga gihuman ang tulo ka writing workshop sapagsuwat og balita, pagpasakto niini pinaagi sa editing ug  ang pagkuhag hulagway nga gitanyag nga libre sa PIA Bohol, Septembre 3 didto sa Bien Unido Dive Camp. (rahc/PIA-7/Bohol)