Fr. Gigi: a Catholic Priest as a distance learner
Fr. Gerard Ravasco, or Fr. Gigi as we fondly call him, is a Catholic priest belonging to the Salesians of Don Bosco working in Cambodia. Don Bosco has been invited as an NGO and their work is more focused on development - via vocational-technical and basic education of the young wherever they are. And so within this broad line of educational development, his work varies from being principal one year, administering the computer network the following year, to babysitting street children the next.
He pursued his graduate degree through distance education because, according to him, it is the most obvious cost-effective, time-productive, and research-intensive way to upgrade for full-time working people far from the place of study. He added that " Tipid ka sa pamasahe at pagkain. Ikaw pa ang may-ari ng oras mo para mag-aral o magtrabaho. Mas malalim ang iyong pagsasaliksik, mas marami ang iyong natututunan para sa ikabubuti ng iyong trabaho."
When asked why he chose UP Open University among other universities, Fr. Gigi replied that UPOU offered the program of his choice (Development Communication) and outside our country, there are many open universities offering this course too, but the cost of tuition is 5-10 times that of UPOU.
Fr. Gigi added that the courses he took at UPOU gave him a broader perspective of the work he does – this is essential for program planning. Plus through his regular interaction with FICS and classmates, he gained more specific ideas and insights necessary to generate alternatives in problem solving in everyday work situations.
One of challenges that he faced as a distance learner was that Cambodia doesn't have the most advanced technical infrastructure in Southeast Asia. In fact, the technical school in Phnom Penh got electricity only in 1999. Obviously, looking for an Internet connection became his greatest problem.
When asked what is the best lesson that he has learned from being a student of UPOU, he responded, " During the 3rd National Conference on Open and Distance Education last February, I noticed that Former Chancellor Felix Librero always gets furious whenever other educators would comment that Open and Distance Education is far easier than the brick and mortar type. From my experience studying at UPOU, I would agree with Dr Librero. Distance Education at UPOU is really for mature and independent learners who are willing to take responsibility for their learning. It takes a lot of discipline to do your readings, make your researches, and finish your assignments while you are on a full-time job far from your school ambience. I'm sure my other classmates have more interesting experiences that can prove this point. All I can say is: Distance Learning at UPOU is not for the faint of heart."
As parting words for his fellow graduates he expressed that "People always find reasons why they cannot pursue their studies- time, money, distance. UPOU has an answer to that. With UPOU, learning never stops. For the day we stop learning is the day we start dying." (Meg Jarmin, FICS)