'Layag' Dokyu ni Sandra Aguinaldo 1

Education has always been a right of every Filipino...no matter where he is.

But for people in the farthest islands of the Philippines in the most remote barangays, education is a rare privilege...until someone sails out to seek them.

In the oldest town of Palawan, we find Romel Aniar, the first mobile teacher to be assigned to teach in the remote islands of the municipality of Cuyo.

Armed with his learning modules, he braves the raging waves to reach the island barangays of Lubid, Pamitinan, and Bisucay where some of these islands have no high schools.

Every week, he goes inter-island to give free alternative education to out-of-school youth, adults, and even senior citizens, so they can graduate high school. As a son of a fisherman, he knows his fellow Cuyonons also deserve to sail out and achieve their dreams.

Thus for more than a year, this young teacher sets out to sea on his own, sometimes hitch-hiking on fishing boats and small vessels to reach his students.

Last August, he was chosen to work under the Department of Education's "ALS Layag" under the Alternative Learning System program where he is finally equipped with his own boat and a crew...a first in the Philippines.

But he knows much is expected in return...and this is only the beginning.

Under the shadow of a looming typhoon, Romel packs his bags to go on a voyage to meet his students who are eagerly awaiting his return.

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