Gabby Concepcion, Regine Velasquez on why they value teachers

Gabby Concepcion (left) and Regine Velasquez-Alcasid with Gabay Guro chair Chaye Cabal-Revilla —CONTRIBUTED photo

On its 17th anniversary, Gabay Guro is holding two events starting this weekend as its way to pay tribute to Filipino teachers. The star-studded grand gathering at the Meralco Theater in Ortigas Center on Sunday (Sept. 29) will feature performers including Regine Velasquez-Alcasid, Pops Fernandez, Martin Nievera, Gabby Concepcion, Randy Santiago, Jed Madela, Jona, Kuh Ledesma, Zsa Zsa Padilla, Mark Bautista and Sharon Cuneta.

The first holistic and wellness festival for teachers will be held the following Sunday, Oct. 6, at the Ynares Sports Arena at Shaw Blvd., Pasig City. It will be staged in cooperation with mWell, the country’s first fully integrated, fully digital health and wellness platform. There will be a mix of wellness services and experiential booths at the daylong affair.

Regine and Gabby who were at the press conference earlier this week talked about why they hold teachers in high regard and why they will always make time to be part of Gabay Guro’s annual event.

“I’ve always wanted to support a teacher’s group because my mother was a teacher. Teachers are like family—aside from instructing you, they can also point out your mistakes so you can learn from them,” Gabby said.

He then recounted how, as a young student, one of his favorite subjects was science. “Binibida ako ng science teacher ko dati. Sinasabi nyang mataas ang makukuha kong marka sa exam.”

Although he admitted that it put a bit of pressure on him to excel, he was thankful for the vote of confidence.

Inspiration

Regine has been part of Gabay Guro’s annual gathering from the start. Even during the pandemic when the event was held online, she was always part of it. She downplayed her role in inspiring teachers and would-be teachers saying that she “only sings.”

“I learned that there are fewer students taking up education with the intention of becoming teachers. Those that do often look for work abroad. Through my songs or in whatever way possible, I want to be able to inspire people because teaches are important. They’re like our parents when we’re in school.”

There is a Latin term—in loco parentis—which translates to “in place of parents.” Regine and Gabby are aware of the importance teachers can play in the lives of their students. And they are determined to honor them any way they can.

Since 2007, Gabay Guro has been empowering teachers across the country. It has so far supported over 3,000 scholars pursuing a degree in education; provided over 1,000 laptops, digital accessories and broadband connectivity to over 70 partner schools in 29 municipalities; and donated 59 double classrooms to 22 beneficiary cities and municipalities. It has also trained over 500,000 teachers through in-person seminar-workshops.