‘My Feet Won’t Get Wet Anymore’: Mayor Teves Uses Personal Funds to Give Shoes to Can-Avid’s Youngest Learners

Posted on August 2, 2026 at 8:33 pm

Can-avid, Eastern Samar — Five-year-old Jimboy stands at the front of his pre-elementary classroom, his small bare feet shifting on the concrete floor as he waits in line. When Mayor Alicia Teves bends down to slip a new pair of blue rubber tsinelas onto his feet, the boy’s face breaks into a smile so wide it seems to light up the entire classroom.

“Now, when it rains, my feet won’t get wet on the way to school,” Jimboy says, wiggling his toes inside the shoes he has been eyeing since the mayor walked in carrying boxes filled with pairs in every color imaginable. “Thank you, Mayor Ate!”

On the morning of July 24 in the Poblacion area, Mayor Teves distributed 1,793 pairs of tsinelas to pre-elementary pupils in the Can-avid District. What makes the gesture even more meaningful is that every single pair was purchased not through the local government’s budget but from the mayor’s own personal savings.

“I was walking through the school grounds last month and saw so many of our little ones coming to class with worn-out shoes, or none at all,” Mayor Teves shares as she helps another child put on a new pair of footwear. “When it rains, the paths get muddy, and when the sun is hot, the concrete burns their feet. I knew I had to do something, and I didn’t want to wait for paperwork or budgets. These are our children, and their comfort and safety matter more than anything.”

The classroom buzzes with excitement as teachers help distribute the tsinelas—red for some, yellow for others, and Jimboy’s favorite blue for him and his friends. Teacher Maria, who has been teaching pre-elementary pupils for 12 years, says she has never seen the children so happy over a simple pair of shoes.

“Many of these kids walk kilometers to get to school, especially those from the barangays,” Teacher Maria says, wiping away a tear as she watches her students proudly show off their new tsinelas to one another. “Mayor Teves didn’t have to do this with her own money, but that’s who she is. She sees a need, and she acts on it—no questions asked.”

Jimboy lives with his grandmother in a small house just a 10-minute walk from the school. During the rainy season, however, the path turns into a muddy stretch of water and sludge. His grandmother, Nanay Caridad, says she had been saving to buy him a new pair of shoes but could never quite set aside enough money after paying for rice and school supplies.

“When he came home today with these shoes, he wouldn’t take them off—not even for his nap,” Nanay Caridad says, her voice thick with emotion. “To think the mayor used her own money to buy these for our children… it makes us feel like someone truly sees us and genuinely cares about us.”

Mayor Teves says this distribution is just the beginning. Her goal is to ensure that every pre-elementary pupil in Can-avid—including those in the farthest upstream communities—receives a pair of tsinelas before the start of the next school year. She is already making plans to transport shoes to remote barangays, where rough roads and steep trails mean children often face even greater challenges getting to school.

“These shoes are more than just something to wear,” Mayor Teves says as she watches Jimboy and his classmates play outside, their new tsinelas splashing happily through puddles they would have avoided just hours earlier. “They’re a reminder that they are valued, that they deserve to come to school safely and comfortably. And if I have to use my own money to make that happen, then that’s exactly what I’ll do, because serving our people isn’t just about holding office. It’s about caring for them like family.”

As the morning sun climbs higher, Jimboy runs over to the mayor, holding up one foot to show off his new shoes.

“I’m going to take care of them forever,” he promises.

For Mayor Teves, that promise is more than enough reward—a reminder that even the smallest act of kindness can make a world of difference in a child’s life.

Photo by: Beejay Balagbis