The “tambay” has always had an iffy reputation. Remember the song “Jeproks” by Mike Hanopol? The song tells of the sad tale of the “tambay” who had too much of a good time, and ended up in prison. Songs like this, and news of people who get robbed or harassed by the friendly neighborhood drunk “tambay” really does no good to the image of the “tambay”. It does not help, of course, that there are more and more of them because of the increasing number of dropouts.

Most people would agree that hanging around with “tambays” brings no good. Parents would normally tell their children to stay away from a “tambay” because they are the classic examples of a B.I. (bad influence).

Why did I choose to write about the “tambay” to complete my requirements for EDFD221? For one thing, I think the “tambay” is one of the most misunderstood person/representation of a person. Another point is that I have learned that knowledge and education do not always come from the schools, or the homes. Sometimes, these things come most effectively from the streets.

I am not encouraging anyone reading this to be a “tambay”, of course. But circumstances being what they are in this country, we know the situation cannot be helped. Because we already have the situation to deal with, we might as well open our minds and try to find a way to make things better, right? And besides, with the “tambay”, what you see is not always what you get. If you hang out with a “tambay”, you will find that they may not be schooled, but they certainly hold a wealth of information, knowledge, and wisdom that most ordinary people do not have. Their street smarts have contributed a lot to their experience, and they view the world from quite a unique perspective.

Back in college, I learned the value of opening your mind to the thoughts and opinions of others, especially the most unlikely of sources. Being a journalism major certainly helped a lot in this undertaking. My professors being all practicing journalists were also a great way to turn theory into reality. After classes and the work of being budding journalists was done, our professors would usually take the class to the haunts of other journalists. These places are usually bars with nice, soothing music, low light, and a comfortable atmosphere where people would certainly feel comfortable enough to talk. And going to these places where the journalists from every major broadsheet converged was, in a word, educational.

These “tambays” certainly gave a new meaning to the word I used to look down on. After a hard day of chasing stories and ambushing their sources for information, these journalists would visit their favorite haunts for beer and conversation. “Tambay” after work was the only for them to relax and not have to bring home all the baggage they get from their job.

Listening to these media men and women talk about politics, politicians, events, the secrets that only they had access to, and the stories they could not publish for fear of their safety was entertaining, to say at the least, and truly life-changing at best.

Journalists are, perhaps, at the top of my respect totem pole. Them and educators. I hold these two professions in such high esteem that I get really disappointed when I hear about people in these jobs who use their position for self-gain. I do not come from an education background, but from what I have learned so far in my three years as a graduate student, I can say that there are many similarities between an educator and a journalist. Ideally, both strive for the truth and they strive for this truth to be passed on. And ideally, educators and journalists both strive to make a change through the truths they pass on. They do it in different ways, but I believe it really boils down to that basic principle.

In all the time I spent hanging out with newsmen, I have learned one important thing — the value of a good, reliable source. And how does this relate to the tenets and principles that we as a class have learned in one semester of EDFD221?

In the world of education, the good source I refer are two things — the teacher and the student. We cannot hope to make a difference in our current state of education if we focus on just one aspect. Just like in the world of media, no matter how good a story is, without the sources to back it up, it is bound to die and never even see the light of day. And it is the same way with education. No matter how good our ideas for educational reform are, if we do not have the will to implement them, they will always remain just that — mere ideas, and our education system will continue to rot and disintegrate.

I am in the process of merging my identity as a journalist, guidance counselor in the making, and in part, educator. I think it is not just the licensed teachers who should be educators. If you think long and hard about it, we all have a responsibility to be educators. This class has certainly helped in solidifying my still-forming principles in the world of education.

I have no clear idea yet what I can do and what I should do, but this much is clear — I know that I cannot NOT do anything. In my undergrad days, we were taught that a good journalist should always aim to get the truth to the people. We were taught to chase after our stories with a burning passion. I think that applies as well in this case. Truth, in this case, would mean the education that every Filipino boy and girl deserves. This class has certainly ignited something in me, just like my journalism classes had so many years ago. And personally? I cannot wait for that spark to turn into a fire.

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