“Give back from where you started,” was one of Mr. Bayalan’s statements during the appreciation ceremony at Malinta Elementary School on June 5, 2023. 

Education is the key to success. No one understands it better than Mr. Rolando Bayalan, Director of the Transnational Education and Extension Program of Philippine Christian University – Dasmariñas. He believes that holistic education and a technology-integrated learning environment are the key factors of the 21st century curriculum that the students need— The program aims to aid the learning experience of both teachers and students and enrich community engagement.

As an alumni of a public school himself, Mr. Rolando stresses how important it is for him to give back from where he started; at a young age, he witnessed a lack of facilities, equipment, and technology that created a gap between the learners and the curriculum, making opportunities of improvement a lot more difficult to achieve than what it should have been. 

As part of the outreach program in partnership with Malinta Elementary School, the Philippine Christian University – Dasmariñas’ Transnational Education and Extension Program (TNEEP) donated 150 arm chairs, six (28) 45-inch flat-screen TVs, painting supplies, lavatories and sanitary masks for the students and teachers. Mr. Rolando Bayalan and Mr. Jasper Gabasa personally went to the school for the turnover and met the school teachers, coordinators, and head, where they also discussed further development for the school that TNEEP can help with. 

Everyone, including the faculty and students, gathered at the school’s covered court for the appreciation ceremony, where various students showcased their talents to the guests and personally thanked TNEEP for their humble donations. Mr. Bayalan and his department have already donated various necessities and equipment for Malinta Elementary School, including lavatories, masks, armchairs, and TVs. Ms. Sancha M. Kocic, MES’ OIC-Principal, thanked PCU-D and TNEEP for its utmost effort to help provide a quality education for the students of Malinta.

PCU-D alumni and now licensed professional teachers of MES, Mr. Lou J. Salvador, Mr. Nilo D. Sumagui and Ms. Mylyn D. Baltong, expressed their gratitude to the university, especially the TNEEP department, for its continuous support for the school. 

The Philippine Christian University – Dasmariñas’ Transnational Education and Extension program hopes to continue its mission of extending their hands for those who need it; creating a brighter future by becoming a bridge between the gaps of education.