Every teacher knows the arithmetic of sacrifice, but few calculate it quite the way this one did: one job abroad, minus a two-year-old son, equals a future he hoped would add up. That equation belongs to Gregorio Boco, a 35-year-old mathematics teacher who traded a classroom in Cavite for one in Texas, and who has spent the years since proving that the hardest problems aren’t always the ones on the whiteboard.
From Cavite to the classroom abroad
Before Texas, Gregorio spent eight years teaching under DepEd, most recently at Tanza National Comprehensive High School, which he describes as one of the province’s standout schools. The decision to leave wasn’t made lightly. It meant crossing an ocean and, harder still, leaving behind his young son.
“I take a risk to go abroad for greener pastures,” he says. What began as three years in middle school has stretched into a high school assignment, carrying him into the 2026-27 school year. For the math teacher, the move was never only about a paycheck. He wanted international experience, professional growth, and the independence that comes from building a life inside an unfamiliar culture. “To become more independent, adaptable, and confident by living in a different culture,” he explains, listing it among his reasons as naturally as a lesson objective.
The subject nobody prepares you for
The classroom itself was familiar territory. Everything around it was not. Gregorio had to learn a new education system, a different classroom culture, and a fresh set of expectations, all while an ocean separated him from his family.
“At first, it was challenging, but I stayed positive, sought guidance from my colleagues, and continued learning through professional development,” he recalls. The adjustment became its own kind of curriculum. “This experience taught me resilience, adaptability, and the importance of continuous learning.” Over time, the Filipino educator found his footing, built relationships with his students, and sharpened the craft he had already spent nearly a decade refining.
What keeps him going is the same thing that drew him to teaching in the first place. “I enjoy working with students and seeing their progress over time,” he says, describing the reward of watching a positive learning environment take shape around him.
Representing home, one lesson at a time
For Gregorio, teaching abroad has meant carrying more than a syllabus. He sees himself as a small ambassador, sharing Filipino culture with his students while absorbing American classroom practices in return. That exchange, he believes, will make him a better teacher wherever his career leads next.
His advice to fellow Filipinos abroad reads almost like a mantra, fitting for a man whose personal motto is to always be kind no matter what. “Work hard, stay humble, respect the culture and laws of your host country,” he says. “Always represent the Philippines with integrity and pride.”
