Teacher-slash-couple sparked the inspiration to many as they both take pleasure in their love for cycling and respond to their call of duty.

The constraints brought by the pandemic did not stop John and Vivien Guadalupe, Principal, and Master Teacher to respond to the needs of the students of Taculen-Malamote Elementary School (TMES) in Cotabato City.

With distance learning, both teachers and students experience different burdens that demand more effort and compel creative ways to learn and adjust to the new setup.

For John Guadalupe, when the pandemic started, he and his wife learned to enjoy cycling as it boosts their total well-being.

Their love for cycling boosted their determination to address the concerns in their community. They launched a program, “Bike to School” in response to parents’ struggles living in remote areas in getting modules from school.

He further added that it has become a great activity for them and serves as an instrument between him and his colleagues in fostering genuine relationships.

Aside from delivering the learning materials, the couple sees it as an opportunity to get in touch with their students by helping them understand their lessons and at the same time motivate the students to learn through their interactions.

“Naisip namin na gawin ito upang hindi sila mawalan ng pag-asa at interes sa pag-aaral dahil kahit papaano ay nakikita nila ang kanilang mga guro at personal na maiaabot sa kanila ang mga modyul,” he said.

To ensure the health and safety of students, parents, and teachers, the Department of Education imposed last year that distance learning should be implemented to avoid more transmission of the virus.

Among the different modalities available, giving off modules to students was the most feasible and preferred option as everybody is not capable of securing internet access.

One challenge for the modular learning system is that families who live in remote places are likely to be affected, but the Guadalupes see it as an opportunity for them to reach out and exhaust all their efforts and ideas for the community.