Jed Madela’s not the only one: Other personalities as sections in Cotabato school

September 22, 2023 - 6:56 PM
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Albert Einstein School_canteen
A photo of the canteen of the Albert Einstein School as shown on its website (Photo from aes.edu.ph)

Singer and performer Jed Madela is not the only personality with a section named after him.

Albert Einstein School in Cotabato City recently went viral for naming their Grade 1 section after the OPM hitmaker, who gleefully shared the news on Facebook.

Jed on Tuesday shared that his friend sent him photos of the classroom door and tarpaulins containing his names and images.

“This is from Albert Einstein School in Cotabato where they named Grade One under me! I’m so happy!!! Sending my love and thanks to Sir Edison, the faculty and the students! Hope to visit you in the future!!!” he wrote on September 19.

Jed was the first Filipino to win as grand champion in the World Championships of Performing Arts in 2005. Reports said he bested 3,000 other international contestants.

A cursory look at the Facebook page of the school reveals it has dedicated other sections to different Filipino personalities in various fields, from singing to fashion design to sports.

These are the following names of the sections:

  • Kinder A / Nursery A: Olivia Rodrigo (singer)
  • Kinder B / Nursery B: Carlos Yulo (gymnast)
  • Grade 1: Jed Madela (singer/performer)
  • Grade 2: Michael Cinco (fashion designer)
  • Grade 3: Brillante Mendoza (filmmaker)
  • Grade 4: Jaclyn Jose (actress)
  • Grade 5: Lisa Macuja (prima ballerina)
  • Grade 6: Cecile Licad (classical pianist)
  • Grade 7: Manny Pacquiao (professional boxer)
  • Grade 8: Benigno Aquino Jr. (senator)
  • Grade 9: Carlos Romulo (diplomat and journalist)
  • Grade 10: Lea Salonga (theater performer)
  • Grade 11: Hidilyn Diaz (weightlifter)
  • Grade 12: Maria Ressa (journalist)

In an interview with SPOT.ph, principal Florence Buat said that Jed Madela has been the name of their Grade 1 section for two years already.

School director Edison Morales came up with the idea to honor Filipinos who have brought pride and have contributed to the country.

The initiative attributes “Filipino artists with positive contributions to the country and gained international recognition.”

While Olivia was not born in the Philippines, she has a Filipino-American father and a great-grandfather who moved from the Philippines to the United States as a teenager.