Teach by all means: Evidence of university-community-school partnerships through the Bayanihan spirit

Promoting partnerships between universities, communities, and schools helps address challenges within the school system, particularly the theory‑practice nexus. This study investigates emergency remote teaching (ERT) in a disadvantaged area of Mindanao (Philippines) towards learning recovery through a university‑community‑school partnership animated by the Filipino cultural value of Bayanihan – collective solidarity, resource pooling, and reciprocal obligation. A descriptive qualitative approach was used, collecting data through interviews and online diaries from 16 teachers affected by armed conflict and the COVID‑19 pandemic. Thematic analysis revealed that teachers employed multimodal instruction (radio‑based learning, modular learning, digital platforms) sustained by relational presence and collective responsibility. Community partnerships exemplified the Bayanihan spirit by addressing the digital divide and resource constraints. Despite challenges such as increased workload, stress, and student‑engagement gaps, ERT fostered technological skill development, sustainable resource mobilization, and enhanced community engagement. This study contributes an empirically grounded framework showing how Bayanihan mediated university‑community‑school partnerships during ERT. While scholarship on culturally embedded disaster response exists, this study provides one of the first detailed accounts of Bayanihan’s role in educational emergency response, offering a model adaptable to other collectivist cultural contexts. Findings are geographically and socioeconomically specific to Mindanao, limiting generalizability. Further research is recommended to expand and adapt the proposed partnership model to diverse settings in the Philippines.