Operation Big Brother (OBB)

PERPETUO DE CLARO

All Conray Arnige wanted was a good education to help his family. His mother is a housewife, and his father is just occasionally employed.  He heard that the school near their home, V. Mapa High School, had a program that enabled their students to enter prestigious universities. 

Conray studied well and qualified for the OBB program of V. Mapa. Upon finishing the program, he secured a full scholarship, with some stipend, from the De La Salle University (DLSU).  He now teaches and helps in augmenting his family’s income. His dreams have now expanded due to the opportunities offered by his education. 

Leo Sarion was among the first OBB graduates from Arellano H.S.  He received a full scholarship from DLSU.  When Leo graduated in 2008, he was DLSU’s Summa Cum Laude, with a degree in Biology.

Neil Mañibo is an OBB scholar from Bagong Silang High School… Upon completing the OBB program, he received an Ateneo De Manila University (ADMU) scholarship and finished with a B.S. Physics Diploma.  ADMU offered Neil a scholarship for a master’s program he completed with a master’s degree in Mathematics. Early in 2019, Neil completed his Doctorate from the Bielefeld University in Germany.  

Conray, Leo, and Neil are products of the OBB program. 

Composed of businessmen and professionals, we founded Operation Big Brother (OBB) twenty years ago in 2001. It was our response to the problem of poverty and the inadequate public school educational system. We felt it as a responsibility to attempt to show how to address the huge educational deficit comprehensively. We hoped to pitch the idea to arguably, the three best educational institutions in the country: the University of the Philippines (UP), Ateneo de Manila University (ADMU), and De La Salle University (DLSU).

Its purpose is simple: to provide the best education for the best of the poor. 

When OBB started in 3 public schools in Manila, a test program endeavored to answer the question: if we give the needy but deserving students the kind of education provided in our best private schools, how would they fare out? 

Conray, Leo, and Neil have responded clearly and resoundingly: with some assistance, the deserving, underprivileged can compete with the best of them and make it to the top.  They validate the mantra of the OBB program: An excellent education is not only a great enabler; it is, as well, a great equalizer! 

Upon probing, the organizers decided early on not to pursue the UP route.  Being a public university would be a complicated and complex route to follow.  Eventually, they gave the administration of the OBB program to DLSU.

The OBB program endeavored to follow the La Sallian educational system in a dedicated class in each of the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th-year levels in each nominated public school.  Entry would be via competitive entrance exam, exactly as given in De La Salle Greenhills.  It would provide all students with a complete set of books, exactly as used in DLSGH.  It would also give audiovisual aids as required in DLSGH’s enriched curriculum, notebooks, and educational materials.  The school highlighted an essential feature: a value formation component was an intrinsic part of the program.

The school also provided a token stipend to the selected teachers.  It offered a master’s program to the initial batches in DLSU.  It regularly provided the teachers seminars and programs to conduct the De La Salle University’s ways of doing things and using the La Sallian teaching method.

The number of students in the class, essentially the honors class for the grade level, was restricted to 40 to enhance learning further.  Also, the students had to make a grade point average of at least 85%.  Those who couldn’t meet the standard would revert to the regular public school system.  The organizers had carved the OBB program out of the public school infrastructure. We essentially brought DLSU to the participating public schools.

When we started the OBB program, we just wanted to do something…anything.  As they say, light a candle rather than curse the darkness. The few lit candles have shown brightly, and we feel vindicated and impelled to push to the absolute dream, which, even at the onset, has been: what if we can do this throughout the entire public school system?  What if we institutionalize this system in the whole country? What if this can be the solution to our deteriorating educational system? 

But we need help, without which this will be a dream. We are in 10 public schools currently and need to expand this. We need to expand OBB’s breadth, and for this, we have partnered with Gawad Kalinga (GK), a social development program in low-income communities. GK will be crucial as we venture outside Metro Manila and onto the provinces. We need to partner with local governments.  There are enlightened mayors and government officials who want to do something about the public school system. Some have even established their schools.  We wish to be connected. Perhaps, they will see how the OBB can fit their bill.

OBB continued to hold classes during the pandemic. It has been conducting online/virtual courses on Google Meet, Google Classroom, and Zoom. The sessions are values formation lessons set and adjusted for online delivery via synchronous time (real-time) and asynchronous (paced/flexible time).

The values highlighted for Grade 8 students are Leadership and Service, Community Engagement for Grade 9, and Faith and Service for Grade 10. While OBB values formators continue to focus on these lessons, themes and issues that address the pandemic are incorporated, such as Mindfulness and Mental Health.

The school adjusted the number of sessions as well. Whereas in the face-to-face mode, OBB holds the values formation sessions weekly. Virtually, sessions were held twice a month but with sustained and constant engagement with the OBB students on various social media platforms.

Invariably, the frightful feature of education like the La Sallian is the cost.  A student studying in DLSU will probably spend PHP200,000/student to avail of the DLSU education. But what if the DLSU education conducted by the OBB costs a benefactor not in six figures each student per year but only PHP10,000/student/year?  Perhaps you and others would be interested. Maybe you would like to light a candle?

You can reach OBB at my mobile number, 639175229834, our Program Coordinator, Myra M. Adoptante, or Br. Andrew Gonzalez, FSC College of Education, DLSU.