A teacher at Savidug Elementary School in Sabtang, Batanes, has earned online fame for her courage and commitment after she scaled the flagpole on Wednesday morning to secure a rope to its pulley to raise the Philippine flag.
Carol Baro Figuro, a master teacher with four years of experience at Savidug, climbed the school’s flagpole in her uniform and became “Spiderma’am” to fix the problem when the rope snapped—a task she deemed too dangerous for her students.
“Napapatid kasi yong tali noong flag. Hindi kasi puwedeng tumba tumbahin yong pole kaya inakyat ko na lang para itali doon sa butas sa taas,” said the teacher, who is married and has one child.
The 38-year-old teacher told Palawan News that July 31 was not her first time tackling such a risky task. Last year, she also climbed the same pole when the rope broke to ensure they could conduct the flag-raising ceremony.
Her students are capable of climbing, but she chose not to ask any of them because of the danger involved. She explained that her familiarity with climbing provided her with the skills necessary to perform the feat safely.
“Bata po kasi sila—elementary—ayaw namin i-risk yong mga bata,” she said, noting that they don’t have any male personnel in Savidug to help. “Puro kami babae.”
Carol teaches just six students in grades 4 and 5. She travels approximately 14 kilometers daily to Savidug, which has a total student population of only 19.
This Thursday morning, August 1, Carol addressed the admiration she has received from viewers of her video. She expressed feeling “super overwhelmed” by the reaction to her “simple act.”
“Super overwhelmed po ako sa saludo at appreciation po ninyo sa simpleng act ko po, hindi lang naman po ang pag-akyat sa flagpole ang ginagawa ko na men’s job for school and even po sa bahay. I was so thankful po kay Lord for blessing me these talents na ginagamit ko naman po para makatulong po sa iba… super thank you po sa inyong lahat na sumaludo at nainspire po at thank you din po sa mga nagpaabot ng pagaalala sa akin… thank you po kay Principal Arlene R. Castillo at kay maam Llewellyn Almeyda na nagvideo ng pag akyat ko,” she said.
Carol hopes that if videos featuring her are being monetized, the creators will give proper credit to those who took them. She also wishes that they would consider donating to Savidug Elementary School to help with their projects.
