“Tattooed and teaching, and have guided thousands of college graduates in the past seven years.”
A Facebook post by a tattooed educator from Bacolod City has gone viral, receiving praise and love from netizens after he proudly showed off his tattooed arm.
The college instructor, 31-year-old “Sir Reyan Bantolo Ballaso,” who teaches Linguistics and Communication subjects to BSED (English major) students as well as BS Office Administration students at Bacolod City College, shared a photo of himself wearing a school uniform with his arm tattoo visible.
Photo courtesy: Reyan Bantolo Ballaso (FB)
“Tattooed and teaching, and have guided thousands of college graduates in the past seven years. Proving that making an impact knows no boundaries,” he wrote in his Facebook post on August 27, 2024.
In the Philippines, teachers with tattoos are still not widely accepted, especially if their tattoos are visible while they teach.
However, based on the comments on his post, many netizens showed support and appreciation for him. People expressed that it’s already 2023, and it’s time to end the stigma surrounding individuals with tattoos.
In an interview, Ballaso shared that he has long been judged for his tattoos. He even recounted that, despite holding a high position and having a doctorate at a previous private school, he still could not escape the gaze of the “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,” he said.
Photo courtesy: Reyan Bantolo Ballaso (FB)
Ballaso hopes that, as time progresses, long-held social stereotypes and stigmas will gradually disappear, as they often lead to discrimination.
