Filipino provincial school head William Moraca has received the prestigious Princess MahaChakri international recognition as ‘Asia’s Finest’ in the field of education and in the development of the quality of life for the disadvantaged.
Moraca is the head of Datal Salvan Elementary School in General Santos City in Mindanao, a school that is so remote it can only be reached by passing through steep roads and five rivers.
Asia’s Finest teacher spearheaded a project to bring used computers to the school in the mountains so his students can learn to use technology. With no power supply, he then modified solar panels to supply electricity to the classrooms and the computers.
The GenSan teacher also uses recycled materials to create powerful visual aids for teaching.
Moraca has also addressed the lack of water supply in the area which was causing hygiene problems. He innovated a system to get water from the falls to the school and homes nearby.
The international recognition was also given to 10 other educators in the Asian region. Each one received a medal, a certificate of honor, and 10,000 US dollars.
Moraca has said he will use the prize money to create a type of coal from solid wastes.
The 2015 Princess Maha Chakri education award was issued by the Teacher’s Council of Thailand on the occasion of the 6oth birthday of the Princess, herself an innovator in the field of education.
