Teacher On Center Stage: Fe Matullano Lustanas

Teacher Fe at the Gawad Geny Lopez Jr. Bayaning Pilipinong Guro Awards Night

The blog's featured Teacher for the Month of September is Fe Matullano Lustanas. Teacher Fe is the recipient of the Gawad Geny Lopez Jr. Bayaning Pilipinong Guro in 2012 for her initiative in educating street children and out of school youths in Paranaque City through Journey of Hope and Education Under the Bridge in La Huerta. In April 2013, she set up the Kabayani Community Training Center, a parents' education program in San Dionisio Paranaque City.

Why am I teacher?
After high school graduation I obeyed my mother Nanay Conos to go to Manila from Iloilo to become a teacher. It was a simple request of my mother which I fulfilled when I graduated college in 1990 with a bachelor's degree in Elementary Education.

If not a teacher, I would be...

A medical technologist. I love science. I love taking care of people. But, since it is my mother's wish that I become a teacher, I switched to taking a degree in education in college. I consider myself a teacher community volunteer who advocates education especially for children in the mission area.

Teacher Fe in action: Journey of Hope and Education Under the Bridge

Right now, I am a public school teacher teaching grade one in the morning and kindergarten in the afternoon. I'm also an Alternative Learning System Instructional Manager for older children and out of school youths in our community.  I have been doing this since January 2010. After 2 years I was not absorbed by our local board, but it was the start of our mission. My husband and I have been involved in this mission since 2012. Luckily it is sustainable and it has been going strong! We are now on our eighth year of missionary work a teachers for children and out of school youths. 

Success Stories Worth Sharing 
 
Through Education Under the Bridge, we have weekly activities every Saturday afternoon which caters to 2 - 4 years old children in formal school and out of school youths living in the coastal areas of Paranaque, Las Pinas and nearby areas. Our curriculum is based on the K-12 program of the Department of Education.

With Education Under the Bridge (EUB), we continuously help 12 out of school youths before and they are now in formal school. For 7 years now, Monica Tan, a mute and deaf child has not attended school but, religiously she attends our EUB program.

Teacher Fe, as she is fondly called by friends and colleagues, appears in the radio program Voice of the Teacher which airs every Saturday at 1PM over at DWDD 1134 Khz.