Photo credit: Samuel Maniago Balintay Jr. FB Page
An Aeta from Zambales on July 7 took his oath as a licensed teacher wearing his ethnic attire at Saint Louis University in Baguio City.
Samuel Balintay Jr, said he decided to honor his Aeta roots after he passed the Licensure Examination for Teachers earlier this year.
Balintay used to work in the in the BPO industry before he eventually decided to study again to be a teacher.
“My life became routinary. I find it toxic so I consulted my wife if I can stop working, I proposed to work at home and study at the same time. She agreed upon me being approved for a study now pay later scholarship under a perpetual program,” Balintay said.
“I took BSED-English since it’s the course related to my experiences as missionary teacher and a call center agent. It was my 3rd preferred course actually. I like Broadcast Communication or AB-English supposedly but upon the College review I was assigned for the BSED-English Program. I was able to take the program for only a year and finally graduated in the year 2016 at the University of San Jose-Recoletos in Cebu,” he explained.
Balintay said he went back to his tribe in Zambales to celebrate his ethnicity.
“That was the point that I decide to celebrate my ethnicity. To give my father an honor. I went back to the Tribe in Zambales and found 2 of my fathers surviving siblings,” he said.
“I was also introduced to my Ancestries Elders and they advised me to give pride and honor to the tribe. My RDC Representative Uncle gave me a dagger bolo which they use for hunting animals and uses to secure their family. They taught me too in wearing the traditional bahag of our tribe. July 7th came, after seeking approval from PRC Baguio I was able to showcase that an Aeta like me can have a place in the society and become productive by becoming professionals,” Balintay added.
Source: northluzon.politics.com.ph