Ilocano Teacher To Receive Thai Award

A teacher from Ilocos Norte will be among the 11 recipients this year of the prestigious Princess Maha Chakri Award, which is conferred upon those who have made significant contributions to education and human development in Southeast Asia.

Math teacher Jerwin Valencia of Digras National High School in Ilocos Norte will receive the award in Bangkok, Thailand on Oct. 17.

Valencia was selected for his initiatives that made significant impact on his students’ lives, according to the Department of Education (DepEd).

“With a goal of creating a sustainable community for his learners and their families, Valencia launched the Backyard to Kitchen Project Year 2, where he helps beneficiaries to cultivate their own gardens at homes by providing seedlings for them to produce a BIN-I (seeds) that they can use for the next crop, making this project sustainable,” the DepEd said in a statement yesterday.

“He has also created the project Ayat Para Iti Arapaap (Gift of Love for a Dream), which aims to motivate children to strive more for their studies, assist them in their studies, including mental health and emotional aspect through the support of individuals and develop skills and relationship of children through arts and craft,” it added.

Valencia also initiated the Project Wag MATHakot, which incorporated games and technology-innovative activities during classes, and Project MATH (Make A Tremendous Help), which introduced the practical application of mathematics to various causes, such as environment awareness.

Aside from being a math teacher, Valencia is also a reservist of the Philippine Air Force and a disaster risk reduction management coordinator of the Boy Scouts of the Philippines.

Named after the younger sister of Thai King Maha Vajiralongkorn, the Princess Maha Chakri Award is given every two years to recognize teachers in Southeast Asia who make significant contributions to the field.

It aims to promote excellent practices to inspire and serve as examples for other teachers in the region.

Valencia will be the fifth Filipino educator to receive the award, after William Moraca from General Santos City in 2015, Jesus Insilada of Iloilo City in 2017, Sadat Minandang from Cotabato City in 2019 and Marcelo Otinguey of Benguet in 2021.

Other awardees this year include Mohamad Amir Irwan Bin Hajimoksin from Brunei, Hay Chakriya from Cambodia, Harisdayani from Indonesia, Kimfueang Heuangmany from Laos, Saifulnizan Che Ismail from Malaysia, Daw Aye Su Win from Myanmar, Madam Chong Luan Penny from Singapore, Filomena Da Costa from Timor-Leste and Nguyen Manh Hung from Vietnam.

The awardees will receive a Princess Maha Chakri Medal, a certificate and $10,000 prize money.