Seeds of corruption – 3

In the last two issues last week I wrote about the seeds of corruption. I brought out some sociological factors relative to the incidence of malfeasances in public offices and in private organizations. I also underscored the role of family upbringing in the character formation of the individual, pointing out along with this certain socio-cultural values that abet the occurrence of such venal practices.

Presently, I shall dwell on some forms of intervention that operate as a counter-check to social wrong-doings. Such interventions are provided mainly by the home, the church, and the school, all supposedly acting in synchrony with each other as values transmitting agencies.

In the home are cultivated most of the individual’s personal values such as love, loyalty, kindness, generosity, thoughtfulness, patience, humility and a host of other character-related qualities. In the same manner negative values such as indolence, ill-temper, pugnacity, carelessness, disloyalty, cruelty, dishonesty, and more are also learned in the home front. Towards corruption the home can therefore function only as a control mechanism if what the individual learns from it are positive values. If the values are negative, the home serves to promote also negative values, and become a breeding ground of future corrupt people.

How to make the home become the fountainhead of good and desirable behavior? The church and the school have the answers. The former teaches spirituality and rightful living while the latter dispenses lessons on career preparation even as it focuses too on rightful living. Spirituality lifts the heart towards the supernatural and the divine. It is a search for God following the footpath of the prophets and, in the case of Christianity, of Christ himself. To the extent that the church and the school succeed in their values transmitting functions to that extend does the home fulfill its role as a character formation center. Failure on the part of the church and the school therefore renders the home or the family incapable of performing such role. But even assuming that these two institutions do their job effectively as such, still they are bound to fail if the home does not cooperate. For how can the church and the school influence the home if the family members distance themselves from them?

Take the Holy Mass the church celebrates every Sunday or holiday of obligation as its major religious event. Is this attended by majority of Filipino families? The answer is clearly in the negative. Even in urban areas where churches are within easy reach very many still choose to stay away from them. Many and varied are the reasons but all these gravitate towards one: Lack of faith. There are no statistics on the number of non-churchgoing families. But at one time when this writer talked to some 150 college students and asked how many were regularly attending the Mass only about 20 responded affirmatively.

Without the spiritual ministering of the church, how can family members get a seasoning in the values that make for an upright and socially desirable individual? There is of course what some philosophers call animal faith or the tendency to do good minus the buttress of spiritual persuasion. But without faith in God one’s moral mooring is weak. Given a chance to do wrong without getting caught, the choice usually tilts far from what is right.

For itself, the school teaches righteousness and goodness and all such behavioral qualities characteristic of a wholesome and well adjusted personality. As a learning agent the school aims to sharpen the mind and soften the heart in the hope of turning out socially desirable individuals. Yet exposure to years of schooling in various levels is no guarantee towards acquisition of exemplary behavior. Look at the big-time grafters in the government and private organizations – are they not holders of masteral or doctoral degrees in various disciplines? A lawyer is one with a sharp and analytical mind, exposed to the ethics of public service and seasoned in matters of what is a legal or illegal. Yet, whose names are generally lumped with corruption and venalities?

If highly educated Filipinos are highly inclined towards corrupt practices, what kind of behavior can we expect of those who have not completed high school or worse, the elementary course? This is disturbing because a great many of our young people these days quit schooling without finishing their basic studies. In fact many don’t get a chance to step into the elementary or secondary classrooms for reason of poverty.

This scenario considered, the home, the church and the school are therefore becoming ineffective as values transmitting agents. No wonder criminality is on the rise. No wonder corruption continues to be a way of life for many.

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