Bluster

Over the weekend, Pyongyang declared a “state of war” existed with South Korea. A couple of weeks before, the North Korean capital cut the crucial hotline between the two governments. The hotline is the only means for top-level communications in the event a crisis breaks out.

Other bizarre utterances emanated from Kim Jong-un as he had his million-man standing army fully mobilized. He declared this was the time to finally settle matters with South Korea and its ally, the US. The young tyrant, third in a dynastic line of succession in what has been called a “hermit kingdom”, warned he had his missiles trained on the continental US.

The rhetoric coming out of Pyongyang got shriller by the day. As the North Korean tyrant toured the frontlines, underfed troops went into a frenzy, promising their leader they would annihilate the enemy.

Over the past few years, Pyongyang indulged in truly erratic and extremely provocative behavior. They bombarded a South Korean island close to the border, killing a number of civilians. A South Korean naval vessel was sunk by torpedo. Tunnels dug underneath the heavily fortified border (curiously called a “demilitarized zone”) were discovered.

Over the years, Pyongyang almost regularly indulged in bluster and provocative rhetoric as a means to win diplomatic leverage. This latest round of blusters was sparked by a UN resolution, supported by Moscow and Beijing, imposing additional economic sanctions on the isolated country after Pyongyang test-launched missiles in violation of international convention.

Until recently, Moscow and Beijing routinely supported their erratic ally. Patience in the two capitals appears to have thinned, although the two neighboring powers are thrust into the unwanted role of nannies trying to calm the tantrums thrown by Pyongyang.

Today, the signals are clear: neither Moscow nor Beijing will support any military adventure launched by North Korea. That, however, has not discouraged Pyongyang from traipsing on the brink.

Never before has the bluster from the hermit kingdom been as extreme as it has been the past weeks. Never before has that bluster been taken so lightly as it has been the past few days. This is because the gap between the threats issuing from Pyongyang and its actual military competence has been widest.

While troops are marching in perfect cadence in North Korea, South Korean citizens are completely engrossed with their daily routines. Even the production lines at the Hyundai plant in North Korea are uninterrupted, producing the lifeline goods they do on any given day.

Having been cut off from the rest of humanity for so long, the North Korean leadership seems so removed from reality they fail to realize no one really takes them seriously. The grand military parades impress no one. No one fears large infantries anymore in this age of smart bombs and drones.

When Pyongyang test-launched an intercontinental ballistic missile disguised as a rocket to deliver a satellite into orbit, the thing exploded on take-off. While it is true North Korea has nuclear arms capability, it does not have the means to target the devices.

Kim Jong-un might be too immature or simply too stupid to realize bluster does not win wars. It is precisely that, however, that makes North Korea so dangerously unpredictable these days.

Education

UNA senatorial bet JV Ejercito-Estrada chose well making accessible public education the trademark of his campaign. From 9th place in the February surveys, he has catapulted to 3rd in the March ratings. That is a massive jump, considering how lackadaisical the senatorial contest has been so far.

The recent suicide of a UP student apparently over tuition issues and the campus protests that ensued seem to have helped propel Ejercito-Estrada’s campaign. JV was among those who welcomed the UP administration’s decision to scrap its late-payment policy, saying this policy discriminated against poor students.

As San Juan representative, JV supported the significant increase in the budgets of state universities and colleges (SUCs) from P26.1 billion to P37.1 billion. Increased subsidies will enable the SUCs to hire more competent staff and support scholarship programs.

He has advocated increasing access to quality higher education through the development of regional educational hubs, bringing the institutions closer to the students. In the present arrangement, access to quality education for bright students from the distant provinces are hindered by the cost of supporting the students in distant cities.

Ejercito-Estrada commits to sponsor legislation that will help develop youth participation in nation-building, weaving together the Sangguniang Kabataan, the student councils and youth civic organizations. In addition, he wants closer monitoring of the K to 12 program to spot shortfalls early enough.

JV’s improved standing in the race for Senate seats underscores the importance Filipinos give to the educational system as the great leveler of opportunities in society. Support for upgrading our educational system and improving access to it strikes an important chord among voters.

It is not enough, however, to consider the problems of our educational system in budgetary terms. We need to look at the efficiency of the existing educational institutions and the appropriateness of course content to the requirements of the new economy.

It has been over 40 years since former president Ferdinand E. Marcos formed the Presidential Commission to Survey Philippine Education (PCSPE). That initiative aimed at comprehensive program of educational reforms so that our schools effectively and realistically addressed the manpower needs of the country.

This should be a good time for a similar comprehensive assessment of our educational system so that both the institutional arrangement and the content of courses better matches actual needs.