Impulses
Walk the talk
Most politicians often promise us that they will help eradicate poverty, promote development, build sustainable peace, etcetera. However, the Filipino youth and students (even parents, teachers and school administrators included) can't help but wonder where all these promises will lead to.
Lest we forget, these are the same politicians, pretending to be public servants who at the zenith of uprisings and elections recited a litany of promises and guaranteed to defend and advance the genuine interest of the people, especially of the youth and students. And yet, these promises, much more the pledge of assurance from some of our often-dishonorable politicians, are still waiting to be fulfilled.
Note that I did not say all politicians, but most, if not nearly all of them.
Years under them, the Filipino youth and students are uneducated, indebted and hungry.
Proof of this is the dismal state of our educational system and the other sad but vital facts about the country and the youth, the undisputed future of the land. According to Ibon Facts and Figures, PulseAsia and the National Statistics Office, as of now:
* 1 in 10 Filipinos has never gone to school (6.8 million),
* 1 in 6 Filipinos is not functionally literate (9.6 million),
* 4.1 million are illiterate,
* 11.6 million youth are out-of-school,
* More than half (51 percent) of Filipinos had at most elementary education,
* Out of 1000 Grade 1 pupils, only 688 will finish their elementary education and only 7 will acquire the required competency skills,
* Of 100 students that enroll in Grade 1, only 9 will finish college; and only four of them will land a job, decent and otherwise,
* The Philippines has one of the most crowded classrooms in Asia with a class size of 60 students per room,
* Room shortage is more than 44,000 despite government's recent pronouncement that there are no classroom shortages (no thanks to DepEd's class shifting nonsense),
* Textbook shortage is pegged at 25 million and counting,
* Public school teacher shortage is close to 60,000,
* 15 percent of schoolchildren are malnourished,
* The country is 41st and 42nd out of 45 countries in performance in Math and Science, respectively,
* Only 1 out of 4 public school teachers are confident and competent enough to teach English,
* Many of the 1.8 M illiterate children with ages at least 10 years old are street children, child laborers and victims of armed conflict,
* In a study conducted in 2004, there are 2.75 M young smokers and 5.7 M drinkers,
* Children 13-18 years old are found to be the most susceptible victims of sexual abuse,
* It was reported that there are 4.7 M working children.
Let's have some facts of general feel:
* The country has the most corrupt government according to hundreds of PERC-interviewed expats.
* More than half of the Filipinos believe that they are poor and they have experienced hunger,
* One person (usually politically critical to Malacanang) in every three days die due to extrajudicial killings,
* The country is the second worst place for journalists,
* Three in every four Filipinos wish to work abroad for financial reasons, even if they know that this means leaving behind their families,
* Top 5% of Pinoys take 30% of the total income in the country, while the lowest 30% receive only 5%,
* Land remains monopolized by a rich few, and underemployment is over 20%,
* More than a third of the population live below the poverty line (despite the distorted Palace's definition of what poverty is), with nearly half of the 88 million population living less than P100 a day.
No society is perfect in the above mentioned concerns, but the one that we call the Pearl of the Orient is usually and sadly at the bottom end of the scale.
This is the real situation of the Filipino youth, a rough glimpse of the future. This is what traditional politicians are not talking about in their blissful offices and election sorties. This is the problem yearly being drowned in empty promises, hollow rhetoric, showbiz-inspired chants, and orchestrated standing ovations. This is the crisis our government, including some of those in the local government, religious and education arena, is refusing to admit and address. Without a doubt, this year's election campaign will be like all previous elections: rich in theatrics and promises. Nothing more, nothing less. But we are not like them, right? We don't want to be like them, and we will wrestle against every juicy temptation not to be like them.
Hence, I urge you (the Filipino youth and those sectors concerned with your welfare, the parents, teachers, administrators), I urge you to reaffirm your commitment to safeguard and press forward our genuine right to quality, relevant and accessible education. On top of all these, let us forge our commitment to social justice and principled citizenship!
Beginning today, let us give others a taste of what they can expect from the vigilant youth and its allies come election time. In a time when turncoatism, apathy and hopelessness seem to define this particular juncture of our history, we will remain watchful, aggressive and unwavering in our responsibility to help build a prouder Juan dela Cruz and a well-founded Land of the clever Rizal and the razor-sharp Bonifacio.
For yes, we must accept disappointments, but never should we lose hope. Lesson is, we must neither just give up our future to just anybody nor give up our future to just any statistics presented to us. If we want change, immediate, organized and well-thought-of action must come from us. For who can better make concrete steps to combat these social ills, but us (the parts of the problematic sum)?
Let this column be the test of our commitment. A testament for our thirst for more creative and solid alternatives.
No silly promises anymore.
It's time to walk our talk.
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Bon voyage to the faculty and staff of Ateneo de iloilo who are set to travel this week to Davao as part of their educational field trip! Special mention to my High School Department colleagues Primo Escobanez, Arianne Agnes Lao, Lally Jane Calagunay, Michel Guevara, John Paul Chua, Bro. Braulio Dahuhan, SJ, Mary Antoinette Villanueva, Agnes Salmon, Jesus Amado Solas, Ma. Rosario Dordas and our principal, Aurora dela Cruz (who will celebrate her birthday on March 28 with us).
Go Ateneo!
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Engr. Herman Lagon may be reached through h_lagon@yahoo.com.