RIL Top 20 English teachers

Ramkhamhaeng University Institute of Languages (RIL) previously managed the entire Nonthaburi Project in training and providing English teachers (native, non-native, and Asian combined) to all government schools of the Region. The said project is now divided into two management; one half of the Region is presently under the management of Chulalungkorn University where the writer is presently working as one among 134 employees. During the time where RIL solely managed the Nonthaburi project (May 2006-March 2007), it recognized and awarded its commendable teachers as an attempt to increase enthusiasm among nearly 300 English teachers from different country of origin. As I bumped into its archives, I discovered that the Top 20 English Teachers (2006) were all from the PHILIPPINES . These Filipino English teachers were recommended by their school’s supervisors, attested by RIL observers as deserving to be such. One of my native English speaking friends holding a Ph.D in Education conformed to the exemplary citation of these Filipino English teachers. Some of those commended Filipinos were already teaching English in China for a greater purse, while others are teaching in some International Schools in Bangkok for greener pasture, and a few of them are still in Nonthaburi (RIL) project-perhaps waiting to be awarded with fidelity recognition. In one of our gatherings, hundreds of Filipinos share the same privilege of having nice people around their work places and 'kinda' enjoy their work. Hence, if we think we are doing pretty well in our job, mind you, others are doing as well. Cheers!

Chulalungkorn University Faculty of Education has its customary gesture of cheering up its Filipino teachers by allowing them to sing “Pinoy Ako” (I’m a Filipino) by Orange & Lemons (despite the presence of some English teachers from other countries). To be honest, that was my first time to sing that song. I was deeply touched when we sang the part “ipakita sa mundo kung ano ang kaya mo” (show to the world what you can do). Filipinos indeed felt very important every time that song is played for them to sing. If you ask anybody from Chulalungkorn University Faculty of Education about that song; perhaps they will sing it along with you. I actually learned it from them.

As we moan along with those sufferings of discriminated job hunters, and underpaid fellows; we alongside have all the reason to rejoice with the achievements of our comrades in the foreign land. These rewarding circumstances took place even before Filipino section in ajarn.com surfaced. I realized further, that very small percentage of Filipino working communities are visiting www.ajarn.com/filipinosection in Thailand . There are at least 100,000 Filipinos (legally) in the entire Kingdom of Thailand and 60,000 in Bangkok . So, to increase the scope of information, I likewise sent this info to two heavily populated yahoo groups international. Thereby; thousands of Filipinos worldwide will know and cheer. If you have interesting stories of our fellows in the foreign land, please send it (via yahoo group) to me, as some of you did. In Thailand , you may send to rpaula0511@yahoo.com  (I never met her though) ‘para makabawi naman’.---Manny