To nurture growth and development among some young disadvantaged learners was foremost in the thought of Edward S. Agdeppa, a government employee and an expert in systems analysis and Mathematics.
Agdeppa, in 2016, single-handedly and successfully initiated a free informal intervention classes for underachieving learners in the poor communities of North Fairview.
He modelled his intervention teaching strategy after the DREAMS (Development, Rehabilitation, Education, in the Arts, Media & Sciences), a pedagogy that uses creative drama as an instructional adjunctive tool for socially-disadvantaged learners.
Its blueprint was created by Cecile Guidote-Alvarez (RM awardee for Communications & Public Service) that won her the coveted UNESCO Artist for Peace Award.
He was then a company member, actor and set designer of Balintataw Film and Theater Arts of the UNESCO Philippine Center for (ITI) International Theatre Institute now under its President Emeritus Guidote-Alvarez, also founder of nationalist theater Philippine Educational Theater Associaton (PETA).
For some years, he held classes on weekends in street alleys shaded by donated tents and makeshift dividers for young learners from Kinder, Grades 1, 2, and 3 to Grade 6 whose parents cannot provide satisfactory learning intervention for their own children.
These children were lagging behind in the competencies of reading, writing, and computational skills expected of them from regular schooling.
Agdeppa called his initiative “I-Volunteer for Filipino Children” (IVFC). Eventually, a Brgy. Kagawad provided him ample space with an air conditioning unit for use as a classroom.
This became his pilot center where like-minded colleagues, creative theater pedagogues, volunteer teacher aides, and social workers joined him and who went on to replicate his formula nationwide.
From 2016 to the present time, Agdeppa continues his advocacy even up to the COVID-19 pandemic using an alternate mode of coaching via distance learning even without using the internet.
Looking back, he could hardly believe the success of his advocacy seeing to the impressive achievements of his young learners competing and winning major and special awards in local and international competitions.
Some of which include the American Math Olympiad; DOST YES Award; Thailand International Math Olympiad; Math Without Borders ; Philippine International Math Olympiad; Southeast Asian Math Olympiad; Vedic Math Olympiad; Hong Kong International Math Olympiad, etc.
Incidentally, Edward Seni Agdeppa has been nominated by Governor Liza V. Elorde (Rotary International District 3810 RY 2019-2020) to the “THE ONE International’ Humanitarian Award 2022.”
This is intended to recognize an individual whose extraordinary service activity exemplifies the Rotary ideal of “Service Above Self.”