The sick 'men' of Asia

Excuse me for borrowing this popular phrase, but indeed, we have many sick men in our turf right now. They are the literally “sick” men who take refuge at the infamous St. Luke’s Hospital to avoid being captured in the lion’s lair. There are “sick” men who choose to exploit our country’s resources through their power and might. And there are the “sick” blind men who continue to be cowards, meekly following the treacherous road that their leaders take.

The phrase “sick man of Asia” originally referred to the Qing Empire in the late 19th and early 20th centuries when it was defeated by Western and Japanese powers and was forced to make territorial concessions. This phrase corresponds to “sick man of Europe”, referring to the weakening Ottoman Empire during the same period. It was also used as a derogatory term for the Chinese by Japanese invaders during the Second World War and the years immediately preceding it, in which Japan occupied sections of China (Wikipedia).

Today many countries have used the phrase to refer to the deterioration of government caused by men and women who abuse their power and who have perfected their ‘mischievous’ craft to a fine art. As a result, the country and its people suffer.

I still cannot understand why our President allows the country to be this way. I always thought Presidents are good people who will save and protect us – I guess I am too naïve. I know I need to grow up and realize that life is not what it seems to be. There are labyrinths, dungeons, dragons and mysteries created by governments who are fundamentally nothing more than people and their beliefs.

Why is the President allowing such chaos and lawlessness to persist? Why? Does she have a secret agenda along with her top military officials already positioned in their respective agencies and offices? Just asking.

My suspicious thought tells me that the chaos happening nowadays seems to be planned so that some stricter control of power will arise. There is so much unpredictability going on right now in government, in Congress and at the Senate. Confusion lingers in our midst.

We are entering a state of normlessness. We are losing the sense of what is right and wrong. Our norms have been eroded by crazy and ignoramus public servants who are creating a new set of norms and mores that will definitely destroy the fabric of this nation. If they do not stop and think, our quality of life will definitely be corroded by their actions.

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Why is Department of Education Secretary Jesli Lapus keeping mum about the state of public education in our country? Why doesn’t he explain to us why our basic education covers only ten years while the rest of the world already covers the 12-year program? Here in Asia – Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Iran, Papua New Guinea, Japan, Korea, Nepal, Pakistan, Singapore, Thailand like the USA covers 12 years of basic education (this includes primary and secondary levels). Korea and Sri Lanka covers 13 years of basic education while Myanmar covers 11 years. It is only the Philippines and Botswana that covers 10 years – but I heard that Botswana has already amended its educational system to cover 12 years. Susmariosep! We are really the ‘sick man of Asia’ with such status – so what do Secretary Jesli and Madame Gloria have to say about this? Where are our priorities placed?

Basic education plays a very crucial part in our country’s development. I do not understand why the Presidential Taskforce on Education does not realize the importance of it. The facts and statistics are alarming and yet we choose to wear sunglasses to avoid the glaring message. In 2007, a report on the length of basic education and education spending as percentage of GDP of the Asean countries showed that the Philippines and Cambodia spends only 2.5% and 1.5% on education respectively. While countries like Laos, Indonesia, Singapore, Brunei, China, Korea and Japan spend an average of 3.3% on education. Malaysia spends 6.2% and Thailand 4.2%. Again, this clearly shows that basic education in our country has not been given much priority. Is this intentionally done so the leaders can continue to exploit the poor?

Another report detailed the drop-out rate of our students in the public school: out of 100 Grade 1 pupils, 66 finish Grade 6 (34 drop out); from the 66 students in Grade 6, only 58 enroll in 1st year high school; out of 58, 43 finish high school 15 dropout; from the 43 high school graduates, only 23 enroll in college leaving 20 out of school youth and from the 23 only 14 graduate from college with 9 dropouts. Sanamagan!

Clearly, ten years of basic education is not enough – ask the experts in the field of education and industry. As a matter of fact, you do not even need to be an expert – logic and experience will tell you that we are in a ‘terrible’ state. No wonder, our public high school graduates end up entering menial jobs – they cannot even read with comprehension, think and speak appropriately – causing employers to be frustrated. They are not functional literate. They become victims of illiteracy and as a result add to the country’s social problems.

I know it is not a matter of quantity or the number of years – it all boils down to quality. But has this country ever prioritized quality? It is only in the private sector where quality is given top attention – what about “quality” in public service?

Chairman Angeles of CHED has been preoccupied lately with his Road Map to Quality Higher Education: A New Philippine Education Highway. With all due respect I ask why is he the only “Samaritan” burning the midnight oil? Why doesn’t DepEd, TESDA and CHED all meet up over coffee to discuss a roadmap for the entire education and public school system of the country? How can you work in fragments? How can we resolve our problem in education if the leaders themselves don’t meet eye to eye? C’mon! Give us a break!

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Valentines’ weekend has just ended. Many are still under the spell of ‘cupid’ and I am sure everyone is still filled with thoughts of love. So do not forget that: “Love always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always preserves…it never fails.” Let’s keep our fingers crossed.