By Jasper 'Jassy' Basilio
“Awakening.”
It was a word that captured not just a personal journey, but a collective realization.
My experience as a youth volunteer-monitor of Multiply-Ed during the school monitoring process profoundly opened my eyes to the harsh truths often hidden beneath the surface of everyday school life.
As we monitored the school’s situation — from the lack of facilities and books to the struggles faced by LGBT, indigenous leoples (IPs), persons with disabilities (PWD), and Muslim students — we were not just collecting data. We were being confronted by truths that demanded to be seen and understood.
Our initial assumptions about inclusivity were quickly replaced by firsthand stories of exclusion, discrimination, and neglect. Our monitoring team witnessed students learning in overcrowded classrooms, facing resource shortages, and enduring silent battles with identity-based discrimination.
It was an awakening because it shattered our assumptions, made us realize some students are suffering in silence, and stirred in us a deep sense of responsibility to no longer be blind to injustice.
The turning point was realizing that we were no longer simply students with a task — but witnesses to systemic issues that required action. The call was not just to observe, but to lead with empathy and to be part of the solutions.
Awakening as Enabling
What enabled the monitoring was the openness of fellow monitors, the support of school stakeholders, and the shared commitment to look beyond numbers. This mindset shift was key to uncovering the real stories behind the statistics.
We were no longer just observers. We became changemakers. Once you are awakened, you can’t unsee the realities — and you can no longer ignore the call to act.
My experience in Multiply-Ed’s youth-led monitoring shows that when students are given the space to speak and the tools to observe, they can transform what they see into purpose-driven action.
Injustice may be hidden in plain sight — but once seen through awakened eyes, it demands a response.
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* Jasper “Jassy” Basilio is a volunteer monitor of Multiply-Ed. She was a senior high school student leader at Cotabato City National High School–Main Campus, the largest secondary school in Cotabato City—one of the schools monitored by Multiply-Ed—when she was recruited. She is currently an English major at Cotabato State University.
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