A celebration of gratitude, culture, and community: World Teachers’ Day 2025 at APC

Marilyn Quinhayan

World Teachers’ Day on 3 October holds deep meaning for education institutions, but the 2025 celebration here in APC felt especially intimate and profound. The date is not just marked on the calendar but became a day to honor those who do far more than teach. It was a celebration of the people who carry our stories, our language, and our identity into every lesson shared.

The day began with the warm rhythm of basal (local drum) echoing across the campus and the dalēpaan (cultural houses for the students, separate for boys and girls). Students greeted us teachers with simple yet deeply heartfelt gestures of handmade cards filled with tender messages, small gifts, and songs sung in our mother tongue, Pinulangiyēn. These acts of love remind us that education in APC goes beyond academics. It grows from connection, culture, and continuity.

Adding to the joy of the celebration was a thoughtful gesture from Fr. Gabriel Jose “Gaby” Gonzalez SJ who gifted T-shirts to all APC teachers and staff. The teachers expressed deep gratitude for this simple yet meaningful token, appreciating how it made everyone feel recognized, valued, and united in community.

The way I experienced it, it wasn’t fancy, but it truly touched my heart. Seeing the students’ smiles and feeling the genuine happiness of my co-teachers reminded me why I chose to be a teacher. At that moment, all the challenges and sleepless nights in my first formal teaching work felt worth it.

Here in APC, teachers are more than instructors; we are transmitters of culture. We help learners understand that each word spoken in our mother tongue is a thread tying us to both our ancestors and the future of our indigenous culture. Mathematics is woven through local stories, science through the phases of the moon, and values through the customs of our people. Education here does not diminish our identity, it strengthens our pride in it.

As Ate Maura, our School Manager, beautifully expressed, “teaching in a cultural school means educating with your heart, not just with your mind. You don’t only impart knowledge, you share yourself.” Her words echo our lived reality as APC educators who travel long distances, cross rivers, and tread muddy paths just to ensure that each child discovers something new. Our quiet dedication, though sometimes accompanied by complaints, becomes a lifeline for our learners.

What began as a modest celebration became an affirmation of APC’s core values of learning, kindness, and community. My co-teachers shared that the day deepened not only their sense of pride but also their connection to the school’s mission of nurturing learners and strengthening relationships.

World Teachers’ Day 2025 in APC became more than a commemoration and stood as a living expression of what the school truly represents: an enduring commitment to learning rooted in culture, a spirit of gratitude, and the belief that community is strengthened through shared stories and heartfelt gestures.

Marilyn Quinhayan is a teacher at APC.

Photo Caption: Smiles, gratitude, and community as APC teachers and staff, wearing the T-shirts sponsored by Fr. Gaby Gonzalez SJ, mark World Teachers’ Day 2025 with appreciation for their shared work and mission.