A 17-year old internally-displaced person (IDP), Binsar Jakaria, who was rendered homeless because of the Zamboanga Siege in 2011, is going back to school today, Saturday, thanks to the help of Zamboanga City Mayor Beng Climaco, city DepEd officials, and personnel of the Marine Battalion Landing Team 11 (Team Matatag).
Jakaria, who lives in a tent in the city grandstand just beside Zamboanga City High School-West (ZCHS-West), has long been expressing to me his desire to go back to school, but was unsure if he even graduated from elementary.
He said he could only look in awe and envy at the students by the school buildings’ windows who he can see from his tent.
On Wednesday, June 15, I sought the help of Mayor Beng Climaco about Jakaria’s case.
In less than two minutes, the good mayor was texting me her reply regarding her endorsement of Jakaria’s case to DepEd-Zamboanga City Superintendent Pedro “Pete” Melchor M. Natividad.
In an hour or less, the good mayor was herself already calling me, saying: “Bossing, I have talked to Superintendent Natividad and the social workers are now looking at Jakaria’s case.”
Within a few hours she was texting me again her text message exchanges with the school officials, and eventually told me to have Jakaria report to the ZCHS-West for evaluation and possible enrolment upon recommendation of the school principal, Dr. Maria Pilar N. Gregorio.
With the great help of Jakaria’s fellow porter boy Almijar Taha, and my lifetime friends and CMO partners at MBLT-11 who are now based in Sumisip, Basilan, especially Lt. Alfredo G. Ballera, and Pfc. Jeffrey Benzon who has been a “kuya” to the boys (even paying for Taha’s enrolment dues, bringing the boys to the movie house for the first time in their lives), a very grateful Jakaria was enrolled.
I have been with the MBLT-11 for some weeks in Yolanda-devastated Guian, Eastern Samar, http://www.remate.ph/2013/12/tell-marines/, and have seen the great efforts of Team Matatag in helping put order to the municipality and make it stand on its feet again. BEEN THERE DONE THAT/JOSEPHINE JARON-CODILLA
