OPINION: What Someone Wishes for Something Wonderful

People try to get the best education they could possibly have. They would hunt for schools which have prominently made names and reputation in the growing education landscape. They would diligently shove themselves into these schools to  experience what it takes to carry the fame the schools have incredibly possessed through the years. Well, this is only for a group of people in the community but not necessary for all because education is a costly commodity that not many can avail of, even if they try hard.

This has been written from a teacher’s standpoint. It is deeply saddening to witness the woeful condition of Filipino children in the streets who for example struggle to survive and to escape poverty everyday by  running through the labyrinth of stopped cars, trucks, buses, and jeepneys. Their lives are wastefully spent as their lovable parents distressingly allow them to roam in the perilously busy roads to earn a peso. This has been an endless issue of negligence of parental duties which results to dumping innumerable dilemma to the government and even to the normal, able, and responsible citizens who have personal lives to attend to. If only these deplorable children could all be sent to concerned Filipinos who could give them better and decent lives, then their parents would possibly realize how unprepared they are to have brought the innocent children to unsure existence.

We wish to help the poor fellows because we can and not because we should but frustratingly, they in general have never expressed willingness to be changed. We see on TV documentaries couples with more than five children whom they could hardly feed or even clothe, yet when they are interviewed, they seem to ignore the embarrassing situation they chose to make; that is, creating life to kill it. Can we consider that humans are like animals---they should multiply for perpetuation? Definitely, yes, but not in this present condition of the impoverished people. The same principle of “don’t-give-what-you-don’t-have” certainly applies.

Now, if we help them, we could perhaps start off by cultivating in them genuine sense of responsibility and ownership. They should learn that life is primarily dependent on the creator or the owner and not on somebody else. They must be strongly encouraged likewise to accept natural responsibilities (e.g., parenthood, fatherhood, motherhood, guardianship) by going back to the real essence of family. Moreover, proper education---that should be inclusive---has this dynamic force to transform their mindset and eventually their actions which in return will provide them beneficial understanding of what life is and how it should be relished.

Analysts, when asked if poverty can hopefully be alleviated in due time, believe that this is very likely to happen if Filipinos would join hands to do it, of course, with the omnipresent government assistance and humane mandate. How? One, business opportunities should be evenly dispersed in different places in the country wherein jobs are continuously generated and decent wages are provided. Two, cheap but quality housing and road projects should be prioritized by the government before relocating poor people from crowded sections of cities to new and economically healthy places. Three, education sector should receive bigger budget so that school administrators, teachers, and other stakeholders can efficiently lay the foundation for youth empowerment. We heard that national security which covers army and police receives so much from the national budget yet it has never directly improved lives of many Filipinos. Furthermore, the number of schools that are built in our country should not be primarily seen as a strong indicator of development, rather, the schools' accessibility, commitment to nation building, inclusiveness, and stringent compliance to standards should be rectified to contribute enormous effects to the desired development. Last, we should always support social welfare and development programs particularly through Department and Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), Department of Education (DepEd), and Department of Health (DOH).

How we wish that quality education could cater to the needs of the society and could suffice the demand for national development. How we zealously hope that education would transform Filipinos in heart and in mind. How we wish we would no longer see playful kids in the dangerous highways and streets but witness them in the comforts of their homes and schools. What more can we look forward to for Filipinos, for Filipino children in particular?