| STEFTI | |
|---|---|
| Established | 2001 |
| Type | Private, Catholic Pre-elementary, Elementary, High school |
| Location | Tacloban, Leyte, Philippines |
The St. Therese Educational Foundation of Tacloban, Inc. or STEFTI is a private and Catholic school in Tacloban City for pre-elementary, elementary and high school education run by Christian Catholic educators. STEFTI was established in 2001 by a group of educators that retired from St. Therese Child Development Center (STCDC).
Contents |
The story of STEFTI starts with a group who, for personal reasons, retired from the St. Therese Child Development Center (STCDC), Tacloban City towards the end of SY 2000-2001. These were Ms. Linda Ann "Babylyn" Duran (now Mrs. Añover), Mrs. Teresa Rosita "Tettet" Mandreza, Ms. Flordelis "Poi" Nalda, and Ms. Mary Bernadette "Didits" Palami. As they had been teaching, it was only logical that they would go on with their lives in the field of education. They therefore started making plans in the early part of 2001 to set up a tutorial center, only to find out that the job was much harder than they had thought.
In a propitious confluence of events, the first half of June 2001 found Mrs. Sonia C. Palami who had been Director of STCDC for 18 years no longer connected that school. She was invited by her former colleagues to join them. She accepted, and provided the necessary experience and expertise to set up the tutorial center which became “The Learning Place” in Downtown Tacloban City.
on July 2, 2001, the blessing of the Learning Place was done and on July 3, classes for toddlers started. Requests to open classes for older children kept pouring in so on July 16, learning groups for Nursery, Kindergarten and Prep were organized. By this time, a group of teachers had left STCDC and had joined the staff of The Learning Place. They were Mrs. Maria Perlita “Perl” Abesamis, Ms. Violeta “Bolet” Nalda, Ms. Leny Paulo, Ms. Mercedita “Didith” Pretencio, and Ms. Leah Rosario Villaflor.
Ms. Ma. Narnette Batayola had earlier volunteered to help with the office work. A couple – Jovito “Dodo” and Maria Fe “Aping” Borromeo were later hired as utility workers. Other friends – also former employees of STDCDC – would occasionally come to help in various capacities, among them Mr. Lino Borgueta, Mr. Augusto Abesamis, Mr. Cesar Sister Ms. Helen Gaganao, Mr. Henry Innis Ms. Vilma Concepcion and Mrs. Marcelina Birao.
It was not known at that time, but the Lord had even bigger plans ahead. Many parents were asking for an elementary school. So, too, were fomer employees of STCDC who had left that institution. The group from the Learning Place had by this time joined a prayer group – the “Cornerstone Faith Community” that was then based at the Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish (Redemptorist). Also in Cornerstone were former members of the Family of God’s Little Children (FGLC) that ran STCDC.
The Learning Place people and some leaders of Cornerstone agreed to come together to discuss the possibility of setting up and elementary school. The meeting was scheduled for June 24.
This was now an infinitely bigger enterprise, requiring much more in terms of planning and logistics. As the date of the meeting drew near, a sobering thought remained: “Is this eagerness to open a school a leading from God, or is this a product of mere human enthusiasm? Is He with us in this plan?”
Not sure of the answer, and wanting to be sure the school was really God’s inspiration, intense prayers were done on the evening of June 23. God’s word was sought and His answer was Haggai 1:13-15: “I am with you, says the Lord. Then the Lord stirred up the spirit of the governor of Judah… the spirit of the high priest, and the spirits of the remnants of the people, so that they came and set to work on the house of the Lord on the 24th day of the 6th month.” (June 24).
This was taken as a sign that the Lord was indeed with the group who would plan for the school the following day – on June 24. Furthermore, it was understood that this was to be His school where everyone would be formed according to the Gospel values. This is therefore what STEFTI has been trying to do.
The Lord had given His “yes”. Over the next few months, a frantic search for a school site was conducted. Among the notable school sites considered were:
After a long consideration, prayerful discernment, and extensive negotiations and upon advise of some DepEd officials who made an ocular inspection of the last two lots, the group opted for the Aguirre lot.
Search for the school lot was done even when there was no money – only God’s assurance. God, however, is true His word. Along the way, He provided the means.
For 18 years, STCDC had been the recipient of aid from mostly Belgian sponsors, the donations being facilitated by a Belgian couple who had tirelessly worked for STCDC and the community that ran the school. On their own, Dr. and Mrs. Vicente Ramo, long-time friends of the Belgian couple, wrote the couple to inform them that Mrs. Palami was no longer with STCDC and was setting up another school. The Belgian couple contacted Mrs. Palami and assured her of their continued support.
A quote from the English version of the couple’s letter to the Belgian sponsors:
“At STCDC excellent work has been done during the 18 years for the benefit of the children, the buildings, which welcome the school children on the three campuses, have also been completed. At present, the school will try to become self-sufficient… Sonia Palami, the director and founder of the school, has informed us of her decision to found, with a group of teachers, a new small kindergarten school which next year should develop into an elementary school.”
We have decided to encourage her in this new adventure, started in a spirit of excellence, both on the intellectual and human level. If you so desire, what you contribute from now on to Tacloban will go to this new school.”
Initially, there was some confusion. DMOS COMIDE, the Belgian NGO through which Belgian aid is sent, remitted the initial donation to the STEFTI account in DBP Tacloban. However, an employee of COMIDE, not aware of the change of destination in Tacloban, addressed the note asking about the safe arrival of the funds to Fr. Bart Pastor of STCDC. Naturally, Fr. Bart replied that no money had been received. So, COMIDE sent a letter to STCDC for clarification dated November 13, 2001, and a copy to STEFTI for information:
“Referring to your letter of 17-10-01 we are sorry to inform you that there has been a mistake in our communication to you. The funds were transferred to the right beneficiary as per recent agreements with the donors and communications in this regard should have been sent to the same as well. But the communication regarding the bank transfer was mistakenly sent to your address. Please accept our apologies for any inconvenience we may have caused you by our mistake.”
The letter from the COMIDE confirmed that particular remittance, as well as subsequent remittances as being really meant for STEFTI.
“By their fruits you shall know them.” In the way that STEFTI has grown and borne fruit in so short a time, God has indeed shown that this is His school.