FEATURE STORY||August 12, 2026-𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗚𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗥𝗼𝗮𝗱𝘀 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱: 𝗥𝗗 𝗙𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗮𝘇𝗼 𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗱𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝗪𝗶𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗮 𝗦𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗹 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗵 𝗘𝗺𝘂𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴

TUBAY, Agusan del Norte, August 12, 2026 — 𝗕𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝗵𝗮𝗱 𝗳𝘂𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝘂𝗻𝗳𝗼𝗹𝗱𝗲𝗱, 𝗗𝗲𝗽𝗘𝗱 𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗴𝗮 𝗥𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗗𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿 𝗔𝗹𝗹𝗮𝗻 𝗚. 𝗙𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗮𝘇𝗼, 𝗖𝗘𝗦𝗢 𝗜𝗜𝗜, 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗮𝗹𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘆 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗼𝗮𝗱, 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗹𝘆 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗧𝘂𝗯𝗮𝘆 𝗖𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗘𝗹𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗦𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗹, 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝟰𝟬 𝗸𝗶𝗹𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗕𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗻 𝗖𝗶𝘁𝘆. 𝗛𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗱 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗹’𝘀 𝗳𝗹𝗮𝗴-𝗿𝗮𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗰𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗼𝗻𝘆, 𝗯𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗯𝗲𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝗮 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗸 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝗮𝗺𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗲𝗿𝘀, 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗿𝘀, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗲𝘀.

The journey itself became part of the experience.

As the vehicle traversed the countryside, the concrete roads gave way to long stretches of green scenery, rice paddies, swamps, and rural landscapes. It was a familiar sight for Farnazo, one that brought him back to a simpler time.

𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗿𝘆𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝗕𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 𝗕𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗖𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗱

“Green all over,” Farnazo observed.

The roadside scenery stirred memories of childhood: running across rice paddies, catching grasshoppers and edible frogs, and wading through the swamps.

“I feel like I am a child again,” he said, reflecting on how the journey had unexpectedly transported him back to his younger years.

For Farnazo, the experience was more than nostalgia. It was a reminder that beneath every grown-up, even every aging person, remains a child who still knows how to wonder, play, and appreciate the simple things.

“A stark reminder that in every grown up individual or even aging person, there is still a child in us,” he shared. And perhaps that child should not always be left behind.

“Let us work hard they say but even play harder or even take time to enjoy the child in us,” Farnazo said, adding a distinction worth remembering: “Of course, we can be child-like without being childish.”

He ended his reflection with a prayer, asking God to fill the day with His holy light and to guide lives with wisdom and care.

“Hugs to everyone. Have a great day ahead.” That was his heartfelt message that set the mode for all employees way before most of them have unlocked their offices for work.

𝗙𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗧𝘂𝗯𝗮𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝗔𝗴𝗮𝘆: 𝗔 𝗦𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗹 𝗧𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝘀 𝗢𝘂𝘁

From Tubay Central Elementary School, Farnazo continued to Agay National High School, where another kind of discovery awaited him.

This time, it was not the landscape that caught his attention, but the culture of the school.

In his visit, Farnazo met teachers, school leaders, and learners, observing classes and school operations while gaining insights from the people who make the schoolwork every day.

What he saw left a strong impression.

𝗘𝗺𝗽𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗞𝗲𝗲𝗽 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗹 𝗠𝗼𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴

The school principal was on medical leave, yet Farnazo observed that the department heads had been sufficiently empowered to keep the school running seamlessly. They moved around the campus, checking classes at orderly intervals and ensuring that every classroom had a teacher.

For Farnazo, this was leadership in action: not a school dependent on one person, but a school whose people understand their responsibilities and are empowered to carry them out.

𝗢𝗿𝗱𝗲𝗿, 𝗖𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗻𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘁𝗲𝘀𝘆

He was equally struck by the school's culture of orderliness, cleanliness, and courtesy, particularly among its high school learners.

“They bless the hands still,” he remarked, expressing his admiration for a practice he said he had not encountered in many high schools he had visited.

𝗔 𝗚𝗮𝗿𝗱𝗲𝗻 𝗧𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗚𝗿𝗼𝘄𝘀 𝗠𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗧𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝗩𝗲𝗴𝗲𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲𝘀

The school's Gulayan sa Paaralan was another highlight.

Farnazo described its gardening practices and techniques as outstanding, with vegetables growing across the school grounds. The sight of tomatoes and Chinese kangkong even tempted the Regional Director to harvest some himself.

“OMG, how I wanted to harvest tomatoes and Chinese kangkong,” he admitted, “but I don’t want to interfere in their practice.”

Beyond aesthetics, however, the school demonstrated systems that directly support learner welfare.

𝗦𝗮𝗳𝗲 𝗪𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿, 𝗦𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗲

Water faucets were strategically available around the campus, with potable water maintained for the past three years. Even with this achievement, the school continues to regularly monitor water quality, demonstrating that sustainability requires not only establishing a good practice but consistently maintaining it.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗜𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲

Farnazo also noticed something more subtle but equally meaningful: the demeanor of the people.

“I love the overall demeanor of teachers and students,” he said.

One particular scene caught his attention: boys eating and sharing their meals together in a decent and orderly manner.

“The very lovely sight of boys eating and sharing their meals in a very decent fashion is adorable,” he said.

For him, these small moments revealed a school culture that extends beyond classrooms, lesson plans, and academic performance.

𝗙𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗖𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗿𝗼𝗼𝗺 𝘁𝗼 𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗿

Agay National High School recorded a 100 percent passing rate in all its TVL certifications.

For Farnazo, the achievement was not merely a statistic. He learned that some of the school's SMAW (Shielded Metal Arc Welding) learners were moving directly into employment, with employers already reserving their services even before graduation.

“May nagapa reserve pa even the students have not graduated yet,” he noted.

It was a powerful indication that technical-vocational education at Agay was translating classroom learning into real opportunities for its learners.

𝗔 𝗧𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗖𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗧𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗸𝘀

The school also has a functional teen center, where Farnazo witnessed an actual case being resolved. The experience gave him a firsthand look at how the school provides responsive support to its learners, particularly when they need guidance beyond academic concerns.

“𝗠𝗮𝗵𝗮𝗹 𝗻𝗮 𝗠𝗮𝗵𝗮𝗹 𝗞𝗼 𝗡𝗮 𝗮𝗻𝗴 𝗔𝗴𝗮𝘆 𝗡𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗛𝗶𝗴𝗵 𝗦𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗹”

By the end of the visit, the Regional Director's observations had turned into something more than praise.

They had become an invitation.

“Mahal na mahal ko na ang Agay National High School,” Farnazo declared.

And then, with the enthusiasm of someone who had discovered something worth sharing, he extended the challenge to other schools:

“I invite you all to benchmark here.”

𝗔 𝗝𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗲𝘆 𝗧𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗕𝗲𝗰𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝗮 𝗟𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗼𝗻

From the green fields of Tubay to the orderly classrooms, flourishing gardens, empowered leaders, and industry-ready learners of Agay, Farnazo's journey on August 12 became a reminder that school visits are not simply about inspection.

They are opportunities to listen, to observe, to learn, and sometimes, to rediscover something within oneself.

A Regional Director may travel 40 kilometers to visit a school, but along the way, he may find something much closer to home: the child he once was, the educators who keep schools moving, and the practices that show what a good school can become when people are empowered to do their best.

By: The Public Affairs Unit

DepEd Caraga

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