In a remote barangay of San Isidro in Loboc town, Bohol, the people have nothing but intense anger towards Ma’am Loida.

She is the longest-serving and most trusted teacher in their public school. But in an instant, the respect of the entire community has been replaced by hatred and disgust.

The reason? The half-million pesos that the parents and the barangay had worked hard to save for the construction of a new roof for their old school had disappeared. Ma’am Loida was assigned to keep the funds in her bank account because she was the treasurer of the association.

One morning, when Captain Ramon asked for the money to pay for the materials, everyone was shocked when Ma’am Loida said that it was gone. She could not show any receipts for the iron or cement.

When questioned at the barangay hall, she remained silent. She gave no explanation except for one extraordinary answer:
“I used the fund for the safety and future of the children. I did not steal anything, and the day will come when you will understand.”

Of course, no one believed her. The parents were crying. Mang Kiko, who even sold his pet carabao to contribute to the fund, almost cursed the teacher.

The barangay prepared a formal complaint to forward to the police and charge Ma’am Loida with malversation of funds and estafa. While waiting for the arrest warrant, she was banned from school and called a thief by the very students she once taught.

Ma’am Loida endured all the insults without any retribution.

A week later, before the case could be filed, an unexpected disaster struck the province. Without warning, a very strong typhoon made landfall. Dams on the mountaintop simultaneously released water, causing the famous Loboc River to overflow. Within hours, floodwaters in San Isidro reached beyond the reach of people. No one was prepared.

Page: SAY – Story Around You | Original story

Because the school’s roof was still damaged, it could not be used as an evacuation center. Families ran one by one up a small hill at the end of the barangay. There were Captain Ramon, Mang Kiko, and about a hundred children shivering in cold and fear.

The dark water continued to rise. The hill they were sheltering on was also gradually being swallowed up by the flood. They had nothing to ride on. The old boats in the barangay had been washed away. At that time, they thought it was their end. If only Ma’am Loida had not stolen the money, they would have been in a higher concrete building.

As mothers cried and fathers prayed, a loud engine roared from the dark, flooded road. Out of the heavy rain, three large, brand-new motorized fiberglass rescue boats emerged. Each had sharp spotlights attached to the front.

Captain Ramon was shocked when he saw who was driving the lead boat.

It was none other than Ma’am Loida, wearing an orange life vest, along with several personnel from the municipality. The teacher immediately tied the boats to the side of the hill and threw out the ropes for the people to climb in.

“Quick! First, put the children on board and give them the life jackets inside!” Ma’am Loida shouted amidst the roar of the rain and wind.

When Captain Ramon and Mang Kiko got on board, they looked at the teacher with trembling eyes. No one dared to speak until they were all safely transported to the three-story municipal building in the other town, where the floodwaters were not reaching.

There, while giving the children warm blankets, Captain Ramon confronted Ma’am Loida.
“Ma’am… where did these boats come from?” the Captain asked tremblingly. “They are so expensive…”

Ma’am Loida took a deep breath and wiped her wet face.
“Half a month ago, I secretly received a report from an engineer friend of mine at the dam. He warned that a defect had been discovered and that with the first strong storm, the water would surely pour into San Isidro, reaching beyond the second floor of the houses. I thought, what will we do with the new roof of the one-story school if the entire building is submerged in the flood?”

The entire hall fell silent. Everyone was listening.

“I know you won’t believe me if I tell you my plan because you’ve been dreaming of that roof for a long time,” Ma’am Loida continued, tears welling up in her eyes. “So I made a tough decision. I used all the funds to order three heavy-duty rescue boats and hundreds of life vests from Cebu. I hid them in a warehouse in the other town so that when this day comes, we will have a vehicle. I’m ready to go to jail and be called a thief, just so I don’t see the students I consider my own children drown.”

Captain Ramon and Mang Kiko burst into tears. They knelt before Ma’am Loida, deeply ashamed of all the hurtful words they had hurled at the teacher.

The entire barangay that had once shunned her surrounded her with hugs and gratitude. Ma’am Loida was not a thief; she was a hero who dared to sacrifice her own honor to buy life and a future for everyone