Mr. Darren Joe Gacer Follero is currently the content lead for languages and the arts and the head of the English Department of the Lyceum of the Philippines University-Manila Senior High School. He teaches creative writing, languages (both English and Filipino), literature, and qualitative research courses in the said institution. He has a degree in Secondary Education major in English and is currently pursuing his master’s degree in Literature at the Philippine Normal University-Manila.

Known to his students and colleagues as Titser Di, Mr. Follero is a passionate and dedicated educator. One of his volunteer works is when he became a volunteer teacher for the Special Mathematics Program of the Department of Education Schools Division of Makati at Jose Magsaysay Elementary School. Because of his love for the teaching profession, recently, he was awarded as one of the Most Outstanding Faculty Performers (sixth university-wide and second in the senior high school) during the Academic year 2019-2020 at LPU-Manila. He also passed the Licensure Examination for Professional Teachers last September 29, 2019.

Mr. Follero is also an active member of various professional organizations. He is one of the conveners of Alyansa ng mga Tagapagtanggol ng Wikang Filipino or TANGGOL WIKA; a fellow of the Literature Educators Association of the Philippines (LEAP), Inc.; and an associate member of the Philippine Association for Teachers and Educators (PAFTE).

As a hobby and interest, Mr. Follero is an essayist and a poet. One of his notable works which has featured in some online literary folios and collections is his 2011 essay Kabataan, Pag-asa Pa Rin Ba Ng Bayan,” an essay that has reached different parts of the country that students use as oratorical contest piece.

The research interest of Mr. Follero includes languages, particularly on language learning and acquisition, and literature. As part of his professional development, he attends to various conferences, seminars, webinars, and workshops. He attended a crash course in creative writing at the De La Salle University-Manila and a research conference at the University of Santo Tomas.

Life as a teacher requires so many things to sacrifice. But if you continue to love what you do and you love the people for whom you do it, you will never get tired of teaching… and yes, that what makes the teaching profession the most difficult yet the noblest and the most fulfilling of all professions!