Lucy L. Magusara, Communications Coordinator CORPh
Date Published
Estimated reading time
8 mins
In the farthest island communities of Siargao, where children cross seas just to attend class and dreams are often tested by distance and poverty, the mission of education becomes more than a program. It becomes deeply personal.
For Wyn Marie Gallo and Shierwin Espenido, serving last-mile learners through Calls Over Ridges Philippines (CORPh) is not simply about implementing projects or delivering assistance. It is about carrying the hopes of communities they themselves understand all too well.
In every boat ride to remote islands, every scholarship workshop, and every conversation with struggling families, their mission is lived out in action.
Rooted in the Communities They Serve
For both Wyn and Shierwin, their advocacy begins with lived experience.
Shierwin Espenido speaks about the work with the tenderness of someone returning home. Born and raised in Siargao, he sees himself reflected in the island communities they serve. “Helping these island communities feels like helping families,” he shared, emphasizing how personal the mission has become for him.
That emotional connection shapes the way he approaches education and service. He is not an outsider entering these communities; he is someone who understands the struggles of island learners because he once lived them himself.
For Wyn, educational inequality is not an abstract social issue. It is deeply tied to memories of sacrifice, financial struggle, and unrealized dreams. Her experiences allow her to connect with families not through pity, but through genuine empathy.
Together, both coordinators embody a leadership rooted in understanding rather than distance.
Education Beyond the Classroom
In last-mile communities, education is never limited to lessons and classrooms. It becomes survival, hope, and opportunity all at once.
Shierwin recalled how children become genuinely excited simply because they are able to attend school, ride school boat buses, and see their classmates and teachers every day.
In many places, attending school is ordinary. But in geographically isolated communities, access to education itself becomes a privilege many children fight daily to attain.
Shierwin understands this reality intimately. Growing up on an island, he experienced firsthand the vast difference between mainland and island education. He shared how he had to leave home at a young age to continue high school on the mainland, staying in a boarding house and learning to become independent early in life.
“There were fears and challenges every day,” he recalled.
He remembered noticing how mainland students had already covered lessons that island learners were still struggling to access. Teachers themselves often faced difficulty reaching remote schools, making quality education even harder to sustain.
These experiences now fuel his commitment to ensuring that today’s children are given opportunities he once had to fight hard for.
For Shierwin, education does more than provide knowledge. “Giving them access to education is also giving them courage to believe,” he said. That belief — the ability to dream beyond one’s circumstances — lies at the heart of the organization’s mission.
Seeing Resilience in Children’s Dreams
Throughout their work, both Wyn and Shierwin have witnessed remarkable resilience among last-mile learners.
Wyn Marie Gallo spoke about children from San Mateo, one of the earliest program communities of Calls Over Ridges Philippines. When she first arrived, she immediately saw the hardships these children faced. Yet despite visible struggles, something else stood out to her even more.
“You could see in their eyes that their dreams were really big,” she shared.
That image captures the emotional core of their mission: children whose realities are filled with barriers still daring to dream beyond them.
Wyn even described resilience not as an idea, but as real children with names and stories.
“To me, resilience is Joner, Johniah, and David,” she said.
By naming the children directly, the struggles of last-mile learners become personal and human rather than statistical. These are not distant beneficiaries; they are young people carrying hopes despite immense challenges.
Building Empowerment, Not Dependence
For Calls Over Ridges Philippines, helping communities goes far beyond providing temporary aid. The goal is long-term empowerment.
Shierwin shared his hope that students will someday return to their islands and continue the cycle of helping others. “I hope they finish school and eventually return to their communities to help build stronger communities,” he said.
This vision transforms education into something intergenerational. Success is not measured only by graduation, but by how learners eventually uplift their own communities.
The Creative and Social Awareness Workshop (CSAW) held in the remote community of Sitio Liao-nan aims to nurture island learners’ self-awareness, emotional intelligence, and self-confidence through engaging activities. (Photo: CORPh) 
During the Creative and Social Awareness Workshop (CSAW) in the remote community of Anajawan, island learners strengthened their friendships and bonds with peers through shared activities. (Photo: CORPh) 
Through the CSAW workshops, island learners gain the confidence to express their creativity and share their ideas without fear. (Photo: CORPh)
Wyn echoed this philosophy by emphasizing inclusion and collective responsibility. “When we try to include everyone in this movement, that is when communities thrive,” she explained.
Parents, teachers, mothers, local leaders, and even students themselves all become active participants in creating educational change. Beyond scholarships and material support, the organization also conducts creative and social awareness workshops designed to rebuild confidence and self-worth among scholars.
A Mission Carried by Hope
At its core, the work of Wyn Marie Gallo and Shierwin Espenido is driven by a belief that every child deserves the opportunity to dream.
Shierwin reminded communities that there is now “no reason why they cannot reach their goals and fulfill their potential.” Meanwhile, Wyn encouraged learners to continue dreaming despite hardships.“Thank you for continuing to pursue your dreams,” she said.
Their stories reveal that mission work is not only about programs or development frameworks. It is about standing beside communities, believing in children before they fully believe in themselves, and creating spaces where hope can survive.
In the islands of Siargao, where education often requires extraordinary sacrifice, Wyn and Shierwin continue proving that compassion, empathy, and community-driven action can transform lives.
One learner, one family, and one island at a time.
about the author
Lucy Magusara
Lucy is CORPh’s Communications Coordinator
and is based in Siargao, Philippines
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