A Grade 12 science teacher has gone viral after he appeared on a Facebook video getting all emotional when he received a surprise gift from his students: a new pair of leather shoes.
The video was posted by Michelle Legaspi on Facebook on Thursday last week, the same day her daughter Mary Ann Claire Garcia recorded it. Garcia is a student of Cesar Punzalan who teaches at the Immaculate Heart of Mary School in San Pedro, Laguna.
In the video, Punzalan, who teaches biology and chemistry, is shown opening a box and getting teary-eyed after seeing that it contained a pair of shoes.
The video has gone viral and has been shared almost 26,000 times since it was posted.
READ: LOOK: Teacher creates portraits of her graduating students
In the video, a male student tells Punzalan, “You have helped us a lot since we were in Grade 9. That’s just our way of helping you a little bit. That’s nothing compared to what you have done for us and taught us.”
Punzalan tells the student: “You know, I’m not looking for any rewards when I teach.”
The same student answers: “[But] before we graduate [from Grade 12], we just wanted to give you something.”
Watch the video below:
Coconuts Manila interviewed Garcia on the phone and she said there was no special occasion when they gave the pair of shoes to Punzalan last week.
“We gave him those shoes because we noticed he would always wear this pair that had holes and was falling apart,” Garcia said in English and Filipino. “So our class president Lei Francis Marasigan thought we should all chip in and buy him a new pair.”
Garcia said they believe Punzalan couldn’t buy a new pair because money was tight.
“He’s not getting a really high salary and we think he’s always careful with how he spends his money because one of his children gets sick pretty often,” she said.
“He didn’t really want to accept the shoes. He said he was not asking for anything in return [for working as a teacher]. He just wanted to share his knowledge. He cried a lot after I turned off the camera.”
READ: Generous teacher buys graduation gowns for students
Netizens were touched by the students’ gesture. Jerico Aguilar wrote: “I cried when I saw sir (Punzalan) getting teary-eyed.”
“This feels good,” wrote Mary Rose Payacag.
Grace Nicol was touched by the video. “[T]o all teachers out there, thank you!” she wrote.
“The teacher cried out of happiness,” wrote Azucena Naceno.
Have you done anything similar for your teachers? Tell us by leaving a comment below or tweeting to @CoconutsManila.
Reader Interactions