Draft:Edna B. Azurin

Edna B. Azurin (born December 28, 1923), D.Ed., was one of the pioneering advocates of early childhood education in the Philippines, focusing in particular on indigent children in depressed communities. As National President of the Philippines’ chapter of an international non-government organization, the Organisation Mondiale pour l’Education Prescolaire, or OMEP, that works for the welfare of children in over 50 countries – OMEP has consultative status with UNESCO, UNICEF, and the Council of Europe – she established over 70 self- sustaining kindergartens and early education centers, with attached toy libraries, for less privileged children in various parts of the country. She reasoned and wrote that much formative learning took place during the pre-school years and that less privileged children, by the time they reached formal schooling age, were severely handicapped by their lack of access to such early childhood education.

She was also stayed actively involved in campaigns against child trafficking and the exploitation and abuse of women, and was often a resource person and lecturer at international conferences on education, children’s issues, and women’s rights. A celebrated educator, Dr. Azurin was Schools Division Superintendent of the Philippines’ Department of Education and Culture for the period from 1980 to 1989.

Education and Professional Career

The valedictorian of her High School in Aparri, province of Cagayan, in the Philippines, Edna B. Azurin easily passed the entrance examinations at the Philippine Normal School in Manila, which was then the premier school for those aspiring to be teachers. She graduated in 1941, just as the Second World War began for the Philippines.

After the War, she became a classroom teacher and taught Mathematics to grade school children. She was a model teacher in Mathematics and authored several textbooks for grade school Mathematics. Later, she became Supervisor for Mathematics of the Philippines’ Department of Education and then Schools Division Superintendent.

After she retired from teaching, she continued to be active as Director of the National Literacy Coordinating Council. In that capacity, she personally mobilized non-government organizations (like Zonta clubs and the Council for the Welfare of Children), various private foundations, civic and Church-based organizations, local government units, and retired teachers in a campaign to eradicate illiteracy. She has helped formulate national policies and programs on literacy, implemented public information campaigns, produced teaching materials, conducted research, and supervised training centers.

In 1990, she organized the first free kindergarten classes for children living in abandoned cemetery niches, in garbage dumpsites, along drainage canals and riverbanks, and in various squatter colonies. Today, there are over 70 self-sustaining, community-based kindergartens in depressed areas, mostly in Metro Manila but also far outside it. These include schools for the hearing-impaired, for ethnic minorities, for Muslim communities, for children of prison inmates, and for children displaced by various calamities. Each of these centers provide the children of indigent families with the essential pre-school education that can help them overcome the situational handicap of not being able to afford instruction during the all-important early developing years. Toy libraries are often part of these centers.

Also, in spite of her retirement, she remained very active in the Girl Scouts movement. Reassuming the presidency of the Quezon City Girl Scouts Council in 2000, she doubled the number of registered girl scouts. She also implemented nutrition and immunization programs, anti-drug use and values formation programs, and tree planting and environmental protection programs.

While “retired”, she was Regional Governor of the National Council of Women of the Philippines, Director of the Women’s Rights Movement of the Philippines, Director of the All Nations Women’s Group, and Chairman of the Quezon City Council of Women. She thus remained actively involved in campaigns against child trafficking and the exploitation and abuse of women.

Dr. Azurin continued to be a sought-after resource person and lecturer at international conferences on education, children’s issues, and women’s rights.

The Gawad Parangal Award she received as “Quezon City Outstanding Citizen for 2005” cited her for “lifetime work in the education and development of youth and children…; active involvement and participation in the movement for the advancement of the welfare of women…; active work in humanitarian services…; authorship of eight (8) books on various subjects of value to education and children and youth development…; (and) having put up seventy (70) free kindergartens in the country and thirty (30) toy libraries in Quezon City….”

She was always most proud of the Papal Award (Pro Eccelsia et Pontifa) she received from Pope John Paul II.