Teachers are election heroes

Teachers perform their duties as Electoral Board members in one of the polling precincts at Iloilo Central Elementary School, Iloilo City on May 13, 2019. (LTP/PIA-Iloilo)

Despite the technical glitches and delays that hounded various polling centers in the recent midterm elections on May 13, 2019, a number of Ilonggo youth lauded the thousands of teachers in Western Visayas who rendered poll duties.

Krezyl Joyce Pugna, National Youth Commission (NYC) Iloilo Area Officer, said the teachers who gave their time and effort during the midterm polls are our “election heroes.”

“I salute all teachers who bravely accepted the responsibility of facilitating the midterm elections,” Pugna said.

She said these teachers who served as Electoral Board (EB) members in every polling precinct even skipped meals and bathroom breaks just to serve thousands of voters.

“Much respect to our teachers who still managed to smile, attended to the queries and problems experienced by the voters, and finished the job despite of all the glitches and hardships they have experienced,” Pugna added.

Michelle Asuncion, a fresh graduate of Juris Doctor Program Studies from Central Philippine University in Iloilo City, shared the same sentiment on the valuable service rendered by the teachers during the elections.

“Congratulations to the teachers who devoted their time and effort and for a job well done,” Asuncion said.

She said the recent elections marked the period of technological advancement and the transmission of information.

“Despite the technical difficulties, I can say the conduct of the election was a success,” she said.

Asuncion hopes that the newly elected leaders secure the best interest of the people and serve them with integrity, dignity, transparency and faith in God.

For Dessa Quinto, a faculty member at St. Paul University Iloilo, teachers, in a way, should be recognized.

“They sacrificed their time to be with their family just to serve the nation,” she added.

According to Commission on Elections (Comelec)-6, around 21,000 teachers were deployed to the 7,109 clustered precincts in Western Visayas. (JBG/LTP/PIA-Iloilo)