NEWS FEATURE||  𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗣𝗨𝗟𝗦𝗘 𝗢𝗙 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗖𝗔𝗠𝗣𝗨𝗦: 𝗥𝗗 𝗙𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗮𝘇𝗼’𝘀 𝗚𝗿𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗿𝗼𝗼𝘁𝘀 𝗠𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗨𝗻𝗰𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗤𝘂𝗶𝗲𝘁 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗲𝗿𝘀

July 7, 2026

BUTUAN CITY — 𝗢𝗻 𝗝𝘂𝗹𝘆 𝟭, 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲, 𝗼𝗻 𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝗶𝗻 𝗼𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗲, 𝗥𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗗𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿 𝗔𝗹𝗹𝗮𝗻 𝗚. 𝗙𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗮𝘇𝗼 𝗺𝗮𝗱𝗲 𝗮 𝘀𝗶𝗹𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗽𝗮𝗰𝘁 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗵𝗶𝗺𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳: 𝘁𝗼 𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗿 𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗼𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗵𝗲𝗱 𝘄𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗼𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗲, 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱, 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝗽𝘂𝗹𝘀𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗲𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗯𝗲𝗮𝘁𝘀. 𝗧𝗿𝘂𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗺𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻, 𝗗𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿 𝗙𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗮𝘇𝗼 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼𝗱𝗮𝘆, 𝗝𝘂𝗹𝘆 𝟳, 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲, 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝗶𝘅 𝗱𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘀𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗹𝘀, 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝘂𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮 𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗰𝗮𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗶𝗴𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘀𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗹 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀, 𝗹𝗼𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗲𝘅𝗲𝗰𝘂𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲𝘀, 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗹𝘆, 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺𝘀𝗲𝗹𝘃𝗲𝘀.

Because the schools he visited today operate as integrated campuses or sit directly adjacent to one another, RD Farnazo was able to maximize his day, moving fluidly through six school communities. But amid the sea of uniforms and classroom chatter, it was a quiet, bittersweet encounter with a single student that came to define the entire mission.

While observing the campus grounds, the Regional Director noticed a young girl walking barefoot, carrying her shoes in her hands, only putting them on once she stepped onto the school pavement.

Intrigued and moved by the sight, Director Farnazo approached her. "Nganong karon pa ka nag sol ob sa imong sapatos?" (Why are you only putting on your shoes now?) he asked gently.

The learner looked up, offering a response that was as practical as it was heartbreaking. "Ako lang ni gibitbit Sir aron dili mahilis dayon. Og diri na nako sa school ensol ob." (I just carry them, Sir, so they won't wear out too fast. I only wear them here inside the school.)

It was a stark, unfiltered glimpse into the realities of poverty that many DepEd learners quietly endure: sacrificing comfort on their daily commute just to preserve the few resources they have for their education.

Deeply moved by the interaction, RD Farnazo later shared the moment with regional employees, posing a reflective question to his team: "How many of you can relate?"

The message served as both an emotional gut-check and a powerful reminder to the bureaucracy of who they truly serve.

"These capped my school visits today," Director Farnazo reflected, looking back on a grueling but deeply rewarding six-school itinerary.

While policy is written in offices, RD Farnazo’s itinerary today proves that effective educational leadership is forged on the ground.

By witnessing the raw, resilient spirit of the region’s learners firsthand at schools like La Trinidad Integrated School, Kinamlutan, Elementary School, Kinamlutan National High School, and Pareja Integrated School, the regional leadership ensures that future decisions are made not just with administrative logic, but with profound empathy.

By: The Public Affairs Unit

DepEd Caraga

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Photos by Allan G. Farnazo/Kim Atillo

For more information, contact (085) 221-1151, 0961-737-0873, or 0915-808-4734. Website: www.caraga.deped.gov.ph; email: caraga@deped.gov.ph; pau_caraga@deped.gov.ph

#DepEdCaraga #GrassrootsLeadership #RDFarnazoInAction #ParaSaBata #Matatag #CaragaLearners #ResilienceInEducation #SchoolVisits See more photos through this link