Lessons to learn

To find solutions to our ragng national problems, we must first find out what went wrong and what is going wrong in our society. Yesterday, I took up the Economic Intelligence Unit’s assessment that politics and politicians are a major roadblock to our nation’s growth. Today, I focus on another EIU study – that Philippine education has not kept pace with the times. There are many lessons to learn from this assessment initiated by EIU and Peter Wallace.

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According to EIU, the Philippines missed the Industrial Revolution. This explains why Philippine companies cannot compete against global competition. In order to succeed, local companies have to become "niche" companies or support companies for the global giants. A good example of this is wiring harnesses for motor cars.

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There are some shafts of sunlight, though, for our country. The brightest shaft is the Filipino people’s domination in the Information Age. "The Philippines could be a priority country to consider for information technology (ITO services)," said EIU.

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Here, the focus is in education. And the first step is to bring English back as the primary language. This is not at all going to demand nationalism, because language does not connote nationalism. As EIU pointed out, English opens a country to the world – and to IT, which is in English.

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Education Secretary Raul Roco has a big job to do. The EIU report says that 35 percent of Filipino children do not get beyond primary school. Only 46 percent graduate from secondary school. And in college, the focus is misaligned. The Philippines ranked third from the bottom in a recent exam of students in math and science among 38 countries. "You won’t get ahead in the IT world with lawyers – you will with computer literate graduates," said EIU.

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Peter Wallace’s think-tank group thinks that the Philippines can be a services center of Asia, since human resources are its foremost resource. To become one, we must attract top partners in these fields to be a center for IT and education in fields where the Philipipines can build upon its rich experience, like health, community-oriented leadership training, accountancy, banking and finance, etc.

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A big hindrance, though, to become a top services center in Asia is that Philippine law does not allow foreigners to open schools. Thus, there can never be a Harvard campus in Manila, for example, that would open opportunities for thousands of Filipinos to get world-class education at an affordable price. This is one matter that Congress can probably studyand consider during its current legislative sessions.

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Elvie Punzalan-Estavillo is a unique lady who spends most of her time in civic projects and whose love of country is overwhelming. A few days ago, she wrote to me, to express fear and worry over the growing sentiment that our country is a "hopeless basket case." And she is terribly bothered that this negative sentiment is echoing not only here in the Philippines, but also overseas.

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"This atmosphere of negativism and pessimism is getting into our subconscious. It is becoming our way of thinking. It is now part of our distorted, damaged culture that is contributing to the political and economic morass we are now in," Ms. Estavilo said. "How can we expect good things to happen when our minds and tongues banner bad and dark scenarios for our beloved land and people?"

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Ms. Estavillo apeals to every Filipino to work together in overcoming thismental aberration. "Let us revolutionize Filipino thinking!," she cries out. Develop and upbeat and optimistic attitude at all times. See our country and peoople in the best uplifting way. Have positive thinking that will set into motion creative forces that will propel us to move forward. Take pride in ourselves, and command the respect and admiration of the entire world. "Our urgent task as Filipinos, during these tryng times, is to think and utter only what is good and beneficial for us all. This is the least we can do for our troubled country," the patriotic lady said.

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I received a "Dear Art" letter from the Most Rev. Jesus Y. Varela, D.D.,the Roman Catholic Bishop of Sorsogon, and let me reproduce it in full:

Peace and blessing!

This letter is long overdue not only in terms of time but more so in terms of the reason it should be written. I have long decided I had to write you for the wonderful things you have done and are doing for my seminarian Abraham ‘Bambet’ Mirandilla. But my time was consumed by the preparations we had to make for the Golden Jubilee Anniversary of the Diocese of Sorsogon. We celebrated it last June 29, and now that it is all over, I have made a resolve to do what I must to thank you.

Allow me to let you know that the help you extended surprised me no end. The Mirandilla family are in constant touch with me and they have been relating to me the many and big financial assistance You personally and the Good Samaritan Foundation have been giving. I am amazed and was touched all the more when Bambet informed me that, after some misunderstanding, which I had read in your column, you maintained the post-operation assistance to Bambet until six months. Bambet’s father himself came to me to explain the cause of the misunderstanding. Thank you for your magnanimity and compassion on that issue.

How can I and my diocese thank you, Art? Of course, just knowing and seeing that we have given a new lease on life to Bambet is reward enough. And I know that our gratitude will find its fulfillment when we see Bambet become a full-pledged priest of God. For now, please accept from me and the Mirandilla family our deepest gratitude to you and the Good Samaritan Foundation.

May the Lord who truly is the Divine Healer shower you and the Foundation with all the graces and blessings you so truly deserve. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

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Thoughts For Today:

God made a promise
that you won’t have
to face life alone…
for when you grow weak
in your struggles,
His strength will prevail,
and not your own.

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Hope you woke up today
with sunlight in your heart,
success in your path,
answers in your prayers,
and that smile always there
in your eyes.
God bless!

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My e-mail addresses: <[email protected]> and <[email protected]>