Sec. Sonny Angara and the need for values formation

We all know the severity of our educational crisis. Eight collective years under former secretary Leonor Briones and VP Sara Duterte did not make an impact. It may have even deteriorated the already sorry state of Philippine education. Global learning aptitude rankings confirm this.

I was relieved when the Vice President Sara resigned. The job was too big for her… and it showed. Although I would have preferred a professional educator to replace her and not a politician, I was somewhat appeased that the post was given to senator Sonny Angara.

I have known Sen. Angara for many years. Outside being a family man and a good person, Sen. Angara wields academic credentials that make him among the country’s best and brightest. He is a graduate of London’s DOUAI School, the London School of Economics and Political Science (with honors) and Harvard Law School. He is both academically accomplished and experienced in navigating the bureaucracy – which is good. I just hope the problems at the DepEd do not overwhelm him.

The stakes could not be higher. DepEd’s failure to level-up the next generation of Filipinos in reading, math and science means relegating them to be the most ill-equipped workforce in the region. This will consign them to a life of manual labor vis-a-vis their more intelligent regional peers. It will cause Philippine industries to be less competitive than the rest. Senator Angara simply cannot fail.

Following his confirmation with the Commission on Appointments, (now) Secretary Angara has had his hands full untangling one of the most bureaucratically convoluted and corrupt agencies in the country.

Lest Secretary Angara focus solely on reading math and science, let me bring to light the need to revamp the values system  of our youth. The flaws in their attitudes are serious. Let me illustrate what I mean through a story.

Toxic Filipino values

My family has a business in the hospitality industry. In our quest to become more competitive, we hired a new operations manager with impeccable credentials. Let’s call her Angie. Angie graduated from an international school in Manila and earned her business degree in a prestigious European university. She is smart, confident, cultured and multi-lingual. We hired her not only for her talent and capabilities, but also for how she complements the expats in our organization. Admittedly, however, her profile differs from the rest of our Filipino employees, all of whom were educated locally.

Angie tried her best to make a good impression during her first weeks with us. She came to our meetings prepared. She was participative, engaging and well researched. She asserted her ideas clearly, all of which made sense. We were impressed.

Angie is the opposite of our Filipino employees who are deathly afraid of expats. They agree to everything they say and rarely assert themselves. They only speak their mind among fellow Filipinos.

For Angie’s good performance, she became the subject of ridicule among her countrymen. One afternoon, when management was out in the field, the Filipino staff (12 of them) ganged up on Angie to throw insults at her, disguised as jokes. They called her “inglesera” and “socialera.” They mocked her for her participation in meetings, saying,“Ikaw na… alam mo na lahat.” Worse, they called her a “fake Filipino” simply because she came from a privileged background.

Naturally, Angie felt attacked and outnumbered. She was put in a situation wherein if she fought back, her fellow Filipinos would accuse her of being “pikon” and incapable of taking a joke. If she remained quiet, they would intensify the insults. Angie found refuge in the rest room until the bosses returned. There, she broke down. She then reported the experience to our Human Resources Department.

Our Filipino staff continue to treat Angie with contempt. They make it a point to make her feel like an outcast.

Angie’s situation brought to light certain insights about the Filipino youth in the workplace, as follows:

• Speaking English is no longer normal, it makes one an outsider. Applying one’s self and trying to excel is viewed with contempt. The bullying mentality is pervasive.

• Filipinos like to laugh AT people, not WITH people (influenced by pop culture, exacerbated by popular noontime TV shows). The sense of inferiority towards foreigners is debilitating. There is an understanding in the workplace that to be “Filipino” is to be timid and subservient.

• There is derision towards privileged members of society.

What does this tell us about the prevalent values of our youth?

• Striving for excellence is not the overarching mindset. Mediocracy is the default.

• There is a self-imposed glass ceiling among Filipinos when competing with foreigners. The sense of inferiority towards expats is debilitating. Filipinos have clearly not recovered from our colonial hangover.

• Talent shaming among countrymen is prevalent.

• There is a strong “us and them mentality” between the “ordinary folks” and those perceived to have more in life. The resentment, jealousy and prejudice is obvious.

• Filipinos are generally timid when alone but become rabid bullies when in a pack.

• Our workforce is losing its competitiveness in English.

Certain values need to be re-taught and drilled down on our youth. Among them are the Filipino sense of self-worth, confidence and pride; the value of hard work and the pursuit of excellence; the celebration (not mockery) of talent and achievement; the vilification of mediocrity; the normalization of English; a purge of bullying culture; the value of ambition and elimination of crab mentality.

I have high hopes that Secretary Angara will address both our academic deficits and values formation of our youth. I wish him the best.

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Email: [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @aj_masigan