Sunim Attends Inauguration Ceremony For Macapari High School Students’ Dormitory

On his second day in Mindanao, Sunim visited Macapari to attend the inauguration ceremony for the Macapari National High School students’ dormitory.

To celebrate the inauguration of the dormitory Sunim cut the tape together with the school principal, the Mayor of Damulog, and the JTS staff and revealed the copper plate.

After the formal ceremony, students put on a traditional performance and the school choir sang a beautiful chorus to celebrate the construction of the school dormitory.

In the municipality of Damulog there used to be only one high school in the town center. 5 years ago, Join Together Society, a humanitarian aid organization founded and chaired by Sunim, built Macapari National High School for students living in remote areas. The school had merely 30 students when it opened, but now it has a total of 532 students, 263 boys and 269 girls.

Despite the increase in students, the school needed a student dormitory, because students who were living in remote areas could not commute to school due to distance and financial reasons.

The new dormitory can house 100 students. It has rooms, a kitchen, a washroom, showers, a laundry room, dry room, and multi-purpose halls.

Sunim gave a short speech to congratulate the construction of the student dormitory as well as to thank the support and help from everyone who had contributed.

P: (Talking to the students) I want to ask you something. This is a poor area. 10 years ago, we built elementary schools because there were none. And we built this High School because there were none. What do you guys think about having been born in this town? Would you have liked to be born in Manila instead?

When I was young I was born in a town like this. My elementary school was 2km away and my middle school was 18km away. So I left home and lived in a small room near the school for middle school. Every weekend I came back home and on my way back to the room, I would carry a bag of rice. Who here lives more than 18km away from the school?

(a lot of hands are raised)

Commuting far distance and living in a small room by oneself was certainly inconvenient. But now that I look back, it was a huge blessing.

First, I am 65 years old now, but I still maintain good health from walking so much when I was younger.

Second, eating a small amount helped my health.

Third, for 4 years I was living on my own, I cooked myself. So it helps me to live alone even now.

(laughter from the crowd)

Fourth, whenever I visit places like here, my experience helps me a lot. I have a better understanding of what the town may need than someone who has a degree from the university because this was the environment I had grown up in.

If you guys can understand that the environment you live in is far better than cities then you can be happy right now. So I just want to ask you guys. Don’t complain about the environment you are in. It can prove to be way more beneficial for you in your life.

I was a student like you 50 years ago. I hope 50 years from now, you guys will all be great leaders for the Philippines.

It meant extra special to 50 students who will be entering the dormitory. After the ceremony one of the students who will be entering the dormitory came up to Sunim to show her gratitude.

She had graduated from one of the 13 elementary schools that JTS had built in the area and was so happy to be entering High School and the dormitory.

After the ceremony. Sunim, JTS staff, students, parents, and teachers all took a photo together.