Baguio ‘outstanding teacher’gets award from Metrobank today

By Julie G. Fianza

BAGUIO CITY – A teacher of the Baguio City National High School here will be awarded today at the Metrobank Plaza auditorium in Makati City, as highlight of Metrobank’s 49th anniversary celebrations in rites to be attended by business leaders, top government officials and academe

Master Teacher I VilmaAmbat of BCNHS is the 8th awardee from Baguio and the 4th in her school to be a Metrobank Foundation Search for Outstanding Teachers, in the secondary level.

A Baguio girl Ms. Ambat is an exceptional mentor who achieved in academics and extra-curricular activities, in addition to her being a Filipino teacher.
A graduate of Rizal Elementary School, St. Louis High School in Pacdal, and St. Louis University, she is also nearing completion of a Masteral Degree at the Benguet State University.

Among major awards she received were for being a semi-finalist in Worldwide Innovative Teacher in South Africa, and as winner in Asia-Pacific Regional Innovative Educators Forum-Country in Singapore, both in 2010.

A semi-finalist in the Presidential Lingkod Bayan Award for Baguio and Innovative Teacher Leadership Award 5 – grand winner in Cebu City; both in the national level, she also was a regional finalist in the Outstanding Public Officials and Employees, all in 2010.

In 2008, she won the NatatangingGurosa Filipino in the regional level; and at BCNHS in 2010, she was adjudged most outstanding secondary school teacher and Top 5 Outstanding Teacher, being ranked second, both in the Filipino Department. In December 2007, she was BCNHS Outstanding Teacher in Filipino being ranked no. 4.

She has attended numerous seminars, workshops and trainings, among them: in the national level, digital literacy and ICT integration; in the regional, visual teaching aids and creative writing in Filipino; and in the local level, creative dramatics for teachers.

Ambat also served as Filipinana Club Adviser, since 2004 to date and as adviser for “Saleng,” a BCNHS student publication.

Coupled with her teaching duties is imparting knowledge to others as facilitator and resource speaker in the local up to the national level, to mention a few; for the national school arts festival, “PagdiriwangngBuwanngWika,” School Program for Excellent and Endeavor and Development, and school reviews.

In addition, she has coached winning students in “TagisanngTalino,” “Balagtasan,” “SabayangPagbigkas,” “SabayangPagbabasa,” “DagliangPangtalakay,” “PatimpalakPampanitikan,” “PaligsahansaPagsulatngSanaysay, collage, slogan and poster making, poem and essay writing contests, modern, ethnic and interpretative dance, jingle-making, and classroom structuring contests, spread over the years from 2005 up to the present.

She has been a demonstration teacher in Filipino literature and visual aids making, and school development. In school, Ms. Ambat has ratings of outstanding, from 2007 up to the present.

She also has a hand in community and extracurricular activities, serving others aside from the academe.

Ambat, together with other teacher-awardees; Dr. CheloTangan of Cagayan National High School in Tuguegarao City, Buenaventura Luces of Lusacan National High School in Tiaong, Quezon, and Maricel Franco of Nueva Vizcaya Gen. Comp. High School in Bayombong, Nueva Vizcaya was presented to President Aquino in in August 26.

In a congratulatory letter to Mayor Mauricio Domogan, Metrobank President AnicetoSobrepena expressed hope that “more jewels of the teaching profession” in the city would be encouraged to come forward and be recognized through Metrobank’s search.

Sobrepena also asked that the mayor “continue to provide a nurturing environment for the teachers to pursue excellence in their efforts to share knowledge and inspire change.”