Thus, how Mayor Beng Climaco inspired the teachers attending the workshop on teaching and facilitating a dialogue yesterday morning at the Ateneo de Zamboanga University (ADZU) High School in Tumaga.
Climaco said in her seven months in office as mayor of Zamboanga City she had gone through series of human and natural disasters, foremost of which were the flashfloods, the September siege and lately the kidnapping of a teacher.
“It might be unique to other cities, but we have to face the challenge,” Mayor Beng said as she narrated a story of Clarissa, a Sama Dilaut girl, who years ago gifted her with a miniature vinta sail as a symbol of friendship.
In 2013 election period, Climaco said she gave Clarissa’s vinta sail to then senator and presidential aspirant PNoy during a campaign sortie in Zamboanga City with a message in Tagalog: “Kasama ko ikaw sa paglalakbay.”
“Clarissa’s story is about trying to reach out to other people to form what we call a bridge of unity,” Climaco told the workshop participants. “Here we are my dear educators trying to rebuild the souls, the spirits, the minds, and the bodies of children and families affected by disasters,” she added.
“Why will we allow others to come and take away our homes? Why will we allow others to come and steal our teachers? Zamboanga is ours. Zamboanga belongs to our children and we all have the responsibility to ensure that Zamboanga can give a brighter, a better future for our children so that we will be able to build back a better Zamboanga,” the lady chief executive said.
Present was Fr. Sebastiano D’Ambra, founder of Silsillah Dialogue Movement, which co-sponsored the workshop with ADZU and another non-government organization. (Vic Larato)