"Tattooed and teaching, and have guided thousands of college graduates in the past seven years."

Viral at pinusuan ng mga netizen ang Facebook post ng isang tattooed educator mula sa Bacolod City, matapos niyang i-flex ang kaniyang brasong may tattoo.

Ibinida ng college instructor na si "Sir Reyan Bantolo Ballaso," 31-anyos, nagtuturo sa Linguistics at Communication subjects sa Bacolod City College sa BSED students (English major) gayundin sa mga mag-aaral na kumukuha ng kursong BS Office Administration, ang kaniyang litrato kung saan nakasuot siya ng school uniform at bantad ang tattoo sa kaniyang braso.

"Tattooed and teaching, and have guided thousands of college graduates in the past seven years. Proving that making an impact knows no boundaries," aniya sa kaniyang post noong Linggo, Agosto 27.

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"Happy start of the school year, everybody," dagdag pa niya na may hashtag "#tattooededucator."

Sa Pilipinas, hindi pa lubusang tanggap ang mga gurong may tattoo sa bahagi ng kanilang katawan lalo na kung ito ay nakabantad o nakalitaw habang nagtuturo.

Ngunit batay sa comment section ng kaniyang post, marami sa mga kapwa netizen ang nagpamalas ng suporta at appreciation sa kaniya.

2023 na raw at panahon na upang tapusin na umano ang "stigma" sa mga taong may tattoo.

Sa eksklusibong panayam ng Balita kay Ballaso, isinalaysay niyang noon pa man ay hindi na maiiwasang mahusgahan siya dahil sa kaniyang tattoo.

Dumating pa nga sa puntong kahit mataas na ang kaniyang posisyon sa dating private school na pinagtuturuan at may doctor's degree na, hindi pa rin siya nakaligtas mula sa mga mata ng "judgmental."

"Indeed, I made the choice to resign from my teaching and head position at a private school in Bacolod after seven years. I felt that despite holding a leadership role and having earned a Doctor's degree, I faced discrimination on a daily basis."

"I understand that she's a new principal and she probably did not know what I could bring to the table and it appeared that my contributions were overshadowed by societal stereotypes," aniya.

Sa kasalukuyang pinagtuturuan ay mas tanggap daw siya ng mga administrador at kasama sa trabaho.

"Now, at my current college institution, the administrator and colleagues show a greater level of maturity in their acceptance of my tattoos which makes it easier for me to do my work and safer for me to walk without being judged. It is important to provide that atmosphere in a workplace, especially the leaders."

Nagbigay rin ng kaniyang saloobin ang college instructor hinggil sa "stigma" na bawal magpa-tattoo ang mga guro.

"I've come across posts celebrating businesses for embracing individuals with tattoos, which is a positive step towards recognizing the artistry rooted in our history. However, it's disheartening to observe that within the academic sphere, there still exists a prevailing stigma against tattoos, even from fellow teachers."

"It's sad kasi teachers are expected to be open-minded, teachers should respect and accept individual differences. Also, we teach art and history in schools, yet we perpetuate discrimination against tattoos, which seems contradictory. Teachers have an important role in dispelling this stigma and discrimination sana eh. What's even more disheartening is that tattoos have no bearing on a teacher's competence and does not hinder a teacher to be the best."

"Isa pa, children don't naturally harbor biases and prejudices; they learn them from their surroundings. So it's a cycle that needs to end kasi it will not help us propel forward. A simple discrimination can lead to a broken society. It's high time we, as a society, unlearn these biases to create a more inclusive world for everyone," dagdag pa niya.

Ipinaliwanag din ng tattooed educator kung ano ang kahulugan ng kaniyang burda sa braso.

"My tattoos are 1. wings- these are the people and situations that enable me to fly coming from a less privileged family. 2. Zeus-represent my major which is Language and Literature and my profession that I highly respect."

"If people will just look at the meaning of the tattoos, they'd know that those tattoos represent our stories and serve as reminders of the important people and moments in our life. Not a part of those tattoos speak evil."

Hangad daw ni Ballaso na habang tumatakbo ang panahon ay mawala na ang mga social stereotypes at stigma na matagal nang nakasanayan, at sa madalas na pagkakataon ay nakakapag-discriminate pa.

Matatandaang ang sportscaster na si "Tito Mikee Reyes" ng "Frontline Pilipinas" ay nagbahagi rin ng kaniyang karanasan tungkol dito.

Aniya sa kaniyang pinag-usapang Instagram post, hindi niya tinanggap ang isang hosting gig matapos siyang pakiusapang takpan ang kaniyang mga tattoo sa braso.

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