IN FOCUS:
Narrative story from the Main Proponent, Dr. Garcia
Behind every transformative initiative is a story of vision, resilience, and purpose. At Sorsogon State University, one such story unfolds through Project LOTUS—a groundbreaking endeavor conceptualized and led by its Dean of the College of Teacher Education, Dr. Alfonso L. Garcia Jr.
As the project’s main proponent, Dr. Garcia envisioned Project LOTUS not just as a program, but as a catalyst for growth, innovation, and empowerment within the academic community, communities and beyond. Dr. Garcia is supported by the university’s esteemed President Dr. Geraldine F. De Jesus alongside SorSU administration.
Read his testimony and realizations for the project below.
My LOTUS Story
By Dr. Alfonso L. Garcia Jr.
Dean, Sorsogon State University College of Teacher Education
Project Proponent, Project LOTUS
The Sorsogon State University College of Teacher Education flagship extension initiative titled “Project LOTUS” began in 2021, born from the challenges of the pandemic and DepEd’s struggle to deliver modular instruction. As its architect and a hands-on monitor together with the faculty and students, I witnessed firsthand the difficulties faced by students and the dedication of our pre-service teachers/extensionists. This experience profoundly shifted my perspective as an educational leader and a community advocate.
Student Tutor in Action
Student Tutor in Action
When face to face classes resume, project LOTUS transitioned to address the learning crisis which was exacerbated by PISA Results placing the Filipino leaners at the bottom for reading, numeracy and comprehension has further solidified my resolve. The stark reality of learning poverty, coupled with the EDCOM 2’s insights on parental involvement, compelled us to expand LOTUS to include parent education by implementing Parents Education for Child Learning Success a free short-term course for parents so they effectively guide and provide learning support mechanism at home. This evolution highlighted the interconnectedness of the challenges and the need for holistic solutions.
Dr. Garcia with participants of the Parents Education for Child Learning Success.
Participants of the Parents Education for Child Learning Success.
Personally, Project LOTUS has been transformative, from Crafting the model, structures, and directly engaging with the work every weekend, I’ve gained a deeper understanding of the scope of the literacy challenges in Sorsogon. It has strengthened my commitment to drive change and advocate for literacy development. Moreover, it has opened my eyes to the power of community-based advocacies and the crucial role our pre-service teachers play not only in education but also in social transformation.
This project has reinforced my belief in the power of collective action and the importance of fostering a sense of social responsibility among our future educators, we need teachers who have strong minds and with a compassionate heart so they can deal with the challenges in the education sector this may be facilitated by providing them with an impactful platform called LOTUS.
