Magmahal na parang walang bukas

By admin | April 11, 2012

Ilang piling bahagi ng aking talumpati sa dalawang graduation na aking pinuntahan ngayong linggo

Tuwing graduation ay nasusubok muli ang katatagan ng ating mga guro. They are among the bravest people in the world. Marahil nalulungkot kayo ngayon dahil iiwanan ninyo na ang hayskul kung saan nakilala ninyo ang inyong mga kaibigan at BFF. Pero sa totoo lang, mas malungkot ang inyong mga guro. Pagkatapos ng apat na taon, ang mga batang kanilang inalagaan, tinuruan, at ginabayan ay aalis na lang ng bigla. Alam nilang bahagi ito ng propesyon; alam din nilang ang pagtuturo mismo ay walang katumbas na salapi kundi ang kaligayahang maging bahagi ng inyong buhay; at alam din nilang ang iba sa inyo’y bibisita sa hinaharap pero ang karamihan siguro hindi na muli makakabalik sa kampus para makamusta ang inyong mga guro. At sa darating na hunyo, bagong schoolyear na naman; bagong batch na gagabayan, tuturuan, at mamahalin. Ganito ang buhay sa paaralan, transient ang mga estudyante. Darating, mananatili ng ilang taon, at aalis din tungo sa kanilang bagong mundo. Para sa dedikasyon sa pagtuturo, sa kanilang pag-alay ng buhay at panahon para sa inyong edukasyon, mga magsisipagtapos, palakpakan ninyo ang inyong mga guro.

Bakit spesyal ang hayskul? Bakit iiyak ang marami sa inyo mamaya? Bakit kahit ilang dekada na ang lumipas ay mananatiling sariwa ang alaala ng inyong inilagi dito? Marahil dahil pumasok kayo sa hayskul na musmos pa lamang at ngayon ay ganap na kayong mga kabataan. Maraming nagbago sa inyong pag-iisip, pag-uugali, at katawan sa nakalipas na apat na taon at saksi ang inyong mga kaklase sa mga pagbabagong ito. Wala kayong masisikreto sa kanila kaya habambuhay ninyo silang mga kaibigan. Dahil hayskul, talagang pilyo, makukulit, palabiro pero pinagsasabay ang pag-aaral. Hindi muna masyadong seryoso sa buhay. May nagpapaaral pa sa atin at medyo inosente pa ang tingin sa mga bagay-bagay.

Lahat yan iiwanan ninyo na ngayon. May bago na kayong mundo. Yung marami didiretso sa kolehiyo. Yung iba baka magtrabaho muna. Maghanda dahil hindi magiging madali ang paglalakbay. Marami kayong sasaguting tanong sa mga susunod na buwan at taon: Tama ba ang kursong kinuha ko? Nasa tamang kolehiyo ba ako? Sinasayang ko lang ba ang buhay ko? Ano ang magiging kinabukasan ko? Bakit hindi niya ako mahal? Bakit laging galit si tatay at nanay sa akin? Bakit may nararamdaman ako sa kapwa ko babae? Relaks lang. Kahit 2012 na, hindi pa katapusan ng mundo. Normal ang magkaroon ng problema, normal ang makaranas ng kalituhan, normal ang maging di-tiyak sa mga desisyon sa buhay. Hindi naman tayo perpekto dahil tao lang tayo. So in the next few years, expect alienation, confusion, cynicism, boredom.

Ang mahalaga, at ito ang pakiusap ko sa inyo, wag sumuko sa problema. Wag idaan sa bisyo. Wag isisi sa iba ang inyong kabiguang harapin ang iba’t ibang pagsubok sa buhay. Wag hayaang mangibabaw ang galit. Dapat pag-ibig lang. Magmahal na parang walang bukas. Pero sana mag-iwan ng sapat na pagmamahal para sa sarili.

Sa kolehiyo makikilala ninyo ang iba’t ibang personalidad. Walang sikreto sa kolehiyo maliban sa inaasahan na kayo ay maging mas responsable sa pangangasiwa ng inyong oras. At gawin ninyong mas makabuluhan ang buhay kolehiyo sa paglahok sa maraming aktibidad sa labas ng klasrum. At laging tandaan sana, nag-aaral tayo hindi lamang para yumaman (bonus na lang yun) kundi para maging mas matalino at mabuting tao.

Para sa akin ang pag-aaral ay hindi dapat hiwalay sa paggampan ng ating tungkulin bilang mamamayan ng lipunan. Dahil tayo ay iskolar ng bayan, dapat inaalay natin ang ating angking talino sa komunidad. Ibinabalik natin sa bayan kung ano man ang natutunan natin.

Mabigat at marami ang mga problema ng bansa: kahirapan, korupsiyon, krimen. Pero alam ninyo na marahil ang mga tinukoy ko dahil pinag-aralan ninyo yan sa hayskul. Mula ngayon, maglaan sana kayo ng panahon kung paano sa susunod na henerasyon ay hindi na ito malaking usapin. Kailangan ko itong banggitin dahil ang atensiyon ng kabataan ngayon ay nahahati sa maraming bagay. Sa pelikulang Wall-E, tila hypnotized ang mga taong nakatira sa spaceship; wala silang pakialam sa iba o sa paligid dahil nakatutok ang kanilang mga mata sa mga personalized screen; wala silang pisikal na aktibidad kundi ang mag click o kumain. Hindi ba pamilyar ang imahen? Hindi ba’t sa kasalukuyan ay manghang-mangha tayo sa mga bagong gadget – cellphone noon, kindle, smarthphone, tablet PC ngayon – na kahit sa daan o byahe ay dito nakapokus ang ating atensiyon? At pag nasa bahay o opisina, kung hindi TV ay sa computer pa rin tayo nakatambay. Walang pagtutol sa paggamit ng teknolohiya para sa mas mabilis na komunikasyon at pagkuha ng impormasyon pero aminin natin, may epekto ito kung paano tayo nakikisalamuha sa iba dahil hinahatak tayo nito paloob sa ating sariling mundo. Nagiging convenient ang virtual interaction kaya minsan nakakaligtaan natin na dapat mas maging aktibo tayo sa offline na mundo.

Hindi kaya’t umaatras tayo sa totoong mundo dahil nababagsikan tayo sa mga taong nakikilala natin? Pero kung lahat tayo ay magiging abala sa ating sariling mundo, kung ang pineperpekto natin ay ang ating FB profile, sino ang maiiwan sa maduming mundo para ituwid ang mali?

Paano magsisimula? Ituon ang paningin natin mula sa mga lcd screen tungo sa ating paligid. Aktibong alamin ang nangyayari sa ating komunidad. Walang dahilan para maging ignorante ngayon. Lahat pwedeng i-google. Makialam sa mga usaping bayan. Kausapin ang mga opisyal. Umakisyon.

Lahat ng pagbabago nagsisimula sa pagtatanong. Lahat ng rebolusyon nagsisimula sa isang ideya. Paano maging changemaker sa panahon ngayon? Sabi ni Antoine de Saint-Exupery, “If you want to build a ship, don’t drum up people together to collect wood and don’t assign them tasks and work, but rather teach them to long for the endless immensity of the sea.”

Walang mas makapangyarihang ideya sa mundo maliban sa ideya ng pag-ibig. Pag-ibig sa bayan ang dahilan kung bakit nagbuwis ng buhay ang mga bayaning dinadakila natin. Noong Lunes ay Araw ng Kagitingan. Pag-ibig sa pamilya ang inspirasyon ng milyun-milyong OFW kung bakit natitiis nila ang maging malayo sa bansa. Pero pag-ibig din ang dahilan ng maraming kasawian, kalungkutan, at kasamaan sa mundo. Madalas napagkakamali kasi na pag-ibig din ang agresyon. Pero ang pag-ibig na tama, kahit labis, magbubunga ng mas maraming kasiyahan.

Turo ng simbahan, humayo kayo at magparami. Graduates, humayo kayo, magparami at maghasik ng karunungan at pagmamahal sa mundo.

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My Marian Education

By admin | April 9, 2012

Delivered on March 27, 2012 at the St. Mary’s College–Quezon City Auditorium

I’m delighted and extremely honored to speak before the graduating class of 2012. Twenty years ago, I was also seated there, proud and happy that I’m about to get my elementary diploma. But I remember that I also felt sad because I will be leaving the campus which had been my second home for six years. (Hindi pa coed ang high school noon).

So what’s the difference between our graduation in 1992 and this year’s event? Well, for one thing we didn’t have an LCD projector, wala pang digital camera noon, at electric fan lang ang gamit sa auditorium. I’m certain that your grad photos will be instantly uploaded this evening in various social networks samantalang kami, iisa o dalawang kuha na lang ata ang natitira sa aming mga photo album.

But there are things which never change. Lahat naligo sa araw na ito (hopefully), bagong linis ang sapatos, bagong tahi ang mga gala uniform at barong, abot hanggang dito ang amoy ng inyong pabango, lahat excited umakyat ng entablado, lahat kakain ng masarap mamayang gabi. Mahaba ang programa pero mas mahaba ang picture taking mamaya. Why do we hold these rituals every year?

Because this a special day for everybody. But graduation isn’t just about the graduates. We organize this event every year so that we can dedicate it to the special persons in our life who sacrificed so much so that we can get a good education. Graduation should be renamed Thanksgiving Day; it’s the time to express our gratitude to our parents and teachers.

You must be very happy now since you will be high school students soon but your teachers and parents are happier. Today, your teachers will once again affirm the dignity of the teaching profession. Masaya sila hindi dahil aalis na ang mga pasaway at makukulit kundi dahil ang mga batang tinuruan nila nang buong pasensiya at tiyaga ay handa ng sumabak sa mas malalaking hamon ng pag-aaral. So graduates, clap your hands and honor your teachers.

Pero ang pinakamasaya sa araw na ito ay ang inyong mga magulang. Pag nagkaroon na kayo ng anak na nag-aaral, lubusan ninyo ng mauunawaan ang kanilang sakripisyo. Paano nila pinagsabay ang trabaho habang nag-aalaga ng bata, paano araw-araw ay may baon o pagkain kayong kinakain, paano araw-araw ay nakaplanstsa na ang inyong mga uniform sa umaga. In 1992, only my father attended my graduation because my mother was already working in another country. Your parents too sacrificed a lot so that you can have a good education. For their selfless love, and for choosing St Marys for your basic education, graduates clap your hands and honor your parents.

Graduates, be proud of your Marian education. There are two reasons why I will be eternally grateful to St Mary’s. First, I met my wife in St. Mary’s. No, she wasn’t my classmate, she’s a year younger than me. Ka-school bus ko siya. We met again in college. And second, I developed the passion for learning, the hunger to read, the curiosity about life in this campus.

The buzzword today is Information technology. Sabi nila we are living daw in the Information Age. I agree. But don’t equate IT with laptops, computers, and smartphones. What’s more important and necessary for you to survive, compete and excel is that you develop the basic and critical learning skills. Yang computer at cellphone bagay lang yan. After a few years pwede ninyo na bilhin yan ng mas mura.

Since technology is improving rapidly, we must be ready too in applying the new technology in our lives. How? Back to the basics: reading, writing, arithmetic. In today’s Information Age, it’s easy to learn how to open a laptop and surf the internet. But you must have the skills to filter relevant information from the trash. We should only consume information that matters. We should delete the spam and the unproductive software applications that waste our time and energy.

Don’t equate research with search. Don’t equate reading with the posting of status updates. Don’t equate writing with texting. So future high school students, go to the library not google and wikipedia. Read a novel or a short story, read the classics of literature – they broaden our horizon and imagination; and sabi nga ng DOT, reading is more fun than stalking your friends on Facebook. Write letters in the traditional way and don’t use texting or even jejemon language in your emails. Why? Because letter writing is a basic skill that you can use when you apply a job, when you request something from the government, and even when you compose a love letter.

Turn off the computer, TV, PSP, and cellphone from time to time. Play outside your home (with permission from your parents) with your offline friends. You can only acquire social skills if you’re interacting in the real world and not in the virtual world.

There is another aspect of Marian education which is not known by many people. I’m referring to the school’s commitment to train young individuals who understand the concept of service to man and service to community. Many people assume that I became active in public affairs because of my UP education. It’s correct. But I also credit the formative years I spent here in St. Mary’s which allowed me to easily recognize the value of public service and citizenship in my high school and college years. How can I ignore the influence of St. Mary’s when our founder, Mother Ignacia, is recognized by many historians, including our national artist Nick Joaquin, as one of the pioneers of the women’s movement in the country? The Beaterio, to quote Joaquin, “is the most enduring creation of native enterprise.”

Graduates, you will pursue different careers in the future. I wish you all the success in whatever vocation you will choose. But since I’m your speaker today, I will encourage you to be active in public affairs. Join politics, advocate good governance and be changemakers in our society. Marians, I want you to be like the plants fighting the zombies. Marians, I want you to be like the angry birds.

My dear graduates, the world will end in 2012 according to the Mayans but in your case, you will be facing a bigger new world in the next few months. I’m confident that St. Mary’s has trained you well. Treasure this gift of education. Be wise, be bold.

Again, thank you St. Mary’s for this opportunity to speak before the graduating class of 2012. Congratulations Bath 2012!

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Singapore’s Populist Budget

By admin | April 8, 2012

Singapore’s ruling People’s Action Party, which has been in power since the 1950s, has been accused of populism by its critics following the presentation of the 2012 state budget. According to the opposition, the budget contains several expenditure items that reflect the desperation of the PAP to regain the trust of voters and party supporters who have expressed dissatisfaction with its traditional brand of leadership.

But PAP could defend the populist measures as concrete proof that the government is willing to try new ideas when necessary to ease the hardships suffered by ordinary Singaporeans. Indeed, PAP could argue that it’s not at all wrong for any government to draft a budget program that seeks to build a fair and inclusive society. It can cite, for example, the cash incentives to seniors, the support programs for persons with disabilities, and the subsidies for low-income families as targeted measures to extend emergency assistance to vulnerable groups in society. For a party accused of being indifferent to the situation of its citizens, these “shock and awe” populist measures represent a welcome and refreshing change in the mindset of the party’s ageing leadership.

Meanwhile, the commitment to lessening the country’s dependence on foreign labor, and the allocation of $1.1 billion to boost the capacity of public buses, directly address two of the principal issues in last year’s elections: the influx of foreign labor, which locals blame for their dwindling job prospects, and the worsening traffic congestion in the city state.

The government has recognized that simply importing labor isn’t sustainable. According to the budget brief, hiring more foreign workers “will test the limits of our space and infrastructure. Plus, if foreign labor is too easily available, companies will have less incentive to upgrade, design better jobs and raise productivity.” Aside from giving tax breaks to firms that hire locals, especially seniors and disabled workers, the government has reduced the Dependency Ratio Ceilings for various key sectors of the economy. This means companies must employ more locals in the next two years.

But perhaps the most controversial item in the budget is the proposed infusion of $1.1 billion to buy 550 public transport buses to reduce crowding and waiting times. Many people are now questioning the rationale of using public funds to help a privately listed transport company. They are also worried about the higher operating cost that could lead to higher bus fares. As an alternative, they want the money to be issued as a loan to the company. Or maybe it’s time to reconsider the opposition proposal to re-nationalize the transport industry.

The budget has also been criticized for its lack of stimulus programs to help revive weak spots in the domestic economy, and there are also suggestions that more should be given to fund sectors that are currently mired with low productivity.

The big challenge for the Singapore government is how to convince the public about its sincerity in instituting major policy reforms in government and the economy. What politicians have to do is to simply back up their rhetoric with swift action. Otherwise, the 2012 budget will be caricatured as a grand document with empty populist promises. If this happens, it could spell the end for the 50-year reign of the PAP.

In the meantime, the public is right to anticipate the initial benefits of the healthy doses of populism that the PAP has injected into the budget.

Written for The Diplomat

Philippine Justice or Grudge?

Philippine Chief Justice Renato Corona was impeached in the House of Representatives in December after 188 legislators signed an impeachment petition. Under the law, only 96 signatures are required to immediately send the case to the Senate.

According to the impeachment petition, drafted by allies of President Benigno Aquino III, Corona betrayed the public’s trust, violated the Constitution, and is guilty of graft and corruption. The eight articles of impeachment contained allegations that Corona illegally amassed his personal wealth during his incumbency in the Supreme Court, and that he used his position to undermine and block the criminal cases filed by the government and concerned private citizens against his patron, former President Gloria Arroyo.

In other words, Corona’s impeachment was presented to the public as a key component of the government’s anti-corruption drive on the one hand, and a necessary reform for effectively prosecuting abusive public officials in the previous administration on the other.

In the past three months, the Senate has been transformed into an impeachment court. The prosecution panel has already finished its presentation of evidence and witnesses on the three articles of impeachment that highlighted Corona’s questionable wealth and bias toward former Arroyo.

Meanwhile, the defense has already begun presenting its witnesses. (It was cut short when Congress adjourned last week for the summer and Lenten break). The trial will resume next month, although it’s still uncertain whether the impeachment case could be finalized before the end of the second regular session of Congress in June.

Many are disappointed with the performance of the prosecution team, and some legal experts criticized the weak evidence and arguments presented during the trial. But in fairness to the prosecution, they were able to prove the disparity between Corona’s income as a public official and his numerous bank accounts and high-priced properties in different parts of metro Manila. They also succeeded in pointing out Corona’s failure to publicly disclose all his assets, something that’s required for every employee and officer of the government.

But it isn’t just the less than solid performance of the prosecution that could jeopardize the case. Actually, the president’s unusual combative stance against the chief justice in the past six months gave credence to accusations that Aquino is less concerned about ending Corona’s corrupt lifestyle and canine loyalty to the former president than pursuing a personal vendetta against the chief justice, who led other members of the Supreme Court in issuing a landmark decision to distribute the president’s family-owned sugar and rice plantation to thousands of small farmers.

Then there are valid concerns that the president is hyping the impeachment to distract a public worried about price hikes, low wages and abysmal social welfare programs. The opposition has in fact advised the president that his extraordinary enthusiasm and determination to impeach Corona should be applied to solving the country’s other problems, like poverty, unemployment, and environment disasters.

The Corona impeachment was initially an accountability and anti-corruption measure that received overwhelming public support. But the president’s questionable motives in spearheading the impeachment, and his apparent vindictive attitude towards a single individual, have transformed the issue into something else. Unfortunately, the sins of the previous administration that the impeachment was supposed to reveal haven’t been given much attention.

The trial is no longer about the chief justice and the crimes he allegedly committed against the Filipino people. It’s Philippine democracy that is now on trial today.

Written for The Diplomat

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Change the ASEAN Model

By admin | April 2, 2012

A smartphone app called ASEAN One, which translates popular business phrases into 11 languages of the Southeast Asian region, was launched last week in Bangkok. Private sector initiatives like this, which promote the concept of a Southeast Asian community, should be encouraged.

Aside from ASEAN One, there are bigger projects that seek to foster unity in the region. For example, there has been talk of sending a single regional team to the Olympics. Meanwhile, some economists are in favor of a single regional currency and even the establishment of a Southeast Asian bank network. In addition, tourism officials are currently studying the feasibility of adopting a single travel visa for the whole region.

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations has a big role in facilitating the success of these region-wide efforts. It has the authority to coordinate with government ministers of its member countries to ensure regional cooperation on various issues and policies. And it can tap the resources of its members and even global institutions to implement innovative programs.

But despite its modest success in promoting cultural exchanges, especially in organizing summits and conferences, ASEAN has miserably failed in the past four decades to resolve conflicts and divisions in the region. Its policy of non-interference has weakened its political influence and organizational capability. It couldn’t even sanction member countries accused of committing widespread human rights violations.

In fairness to ASEAN, advocating unity isn’t its primary function, a fact that further highlights the need for alternative models on how to strengthen the Southeast Asian community. The question is whether it’s still possible to undertake region-wide activities despite the border clashes of its neighboring states, the rise of racist and ultra-nationalistic attitudes among politicians, and the general lack of interest in the issue among Southeast Asians.

ASEAN’s refusal to act as one body has allowed economic and military superpowers like the United States, China, and Japan to conveniently stage their geopolitical games in the region. There’s no unified ASEAN front willing to confront China’s aggressive efforts at claiming territory and resources in the region, and no ASEAN effort to check the expansion of the U.S. military presence in the Asia-Pacific. Worse, ASEAN member countries are in many cases choosing to align themselves with either one of the superpowers to boost their clout in the region.

Meanwhile, it feels like an insult to the ASEAN idea that smugglers, drug traffickers, and terrorists seem to be more successful in building strong, albeit underground networks in the region. Despite the illegal nature of their activities, they are able to recruit and indoctrinate individuals who understand the strategic value of connecting the grassroots of one country with the remote villages of another country in the region. In short, they are sometimes better able to maximize the advantages of Southeast Asia than ASEAN’s leaders are.

Overhauling the ASEAN way of doing things is something that should have been done years ago. Isn’t it strange that ASEAN countries are ready to welcome the arrival of U.S. warships on its shores while remaining hesitant to welcome Timor-Leste as a new member of the regional grouping?

ASEAN should do some serious soul-searching on how to assert its political relevance, and must do more to prevent global superpowers, criminal gangs and terrorist cells dominating the region’s political economy and agenda.

The first challenge for this new ASEAN, though, would be to build a more cohesive community in this part of the world.

Written for The Diplomat

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The Power of Imagination. The Gift of Time

By admin | March 31, 2012

I was speaker in four graduations this year. Excerpts of my speech….

If there is more powerful achievement than education, it is imagination. You are college diploma holders and you are officially recognized by the community as educated individuals. But it doesn’t mean your mind is only reserved for strictly academic and technical matters. It’s equally important that we use our mental abilities to dream of new things and new ideas. Education has taught us how to open a laptop, write our thesis, and research our assignment on the web; but imagination allows us to rethink our way of doing things and forces us to create innovations. A generation ago, the idea that personal computers can be portable, keyboard-less, and wireless was unthinkable. Actually, most of the great and wonderful inventions that we enjoy today were once ridiculed as wild ideas.

In 1870 Bishop Milton Wright dismissed the idea that man will learn how to fly. He said: “The millennium is at hand. Man has invented everything that can be invented. He has done all he can do.” He added, “Don’t you know that flight is reserved for angels.” But what happened after that? His two children, Orville and Wilbur, made and flew the world’s first airplane. Lesson: Today’s laughable idea is the standard knowledge of tomorrow. So if you made a silly suggestion in class, it shouldn’t be outrightly dismissed. Your vindication will come in the future.

In 1943, Thomas Watson Jr. of IBM confidently asserted that “there is a world market for maybe five computers.” How many of you have computers here? Lesson: Don’t believe what experts are always telling us. Whether you’re a carpenter or a CEO, our knowledge and understanding of our world is always limited. What’s important is that we continue to improve our way of life.

Schools exist not simply because it aims to be the repository of human knowledge. They aren’t banks where we enroll so that information can be deposited in our heads. As training institutions, they provide us with necessary skills, attitudes, and know-how so that we can have productive and meaningful lives.

An educated person recognizes that he needs to learn more, acquire more wisdom, and experience more knowledge about life and the world of man. He’s humble enough to appreciate that every person, rich or poor, has something to contribute in the advance of human civilization.

The school’s mission is to equip us with the basic skills so that we can continue the search for truth and enlightenment even after the end of our formal schooling. Its aim is to produce a breed of young individuals who are curious and passionate about life and learning.

I admire college graduates who are academically proficient and ‘obese’ with too much information. But our world will reserve a special place in recognition of dreamers, innovators, and social revolutionaries whose out-of-this-world imaginations have fundamentally changed the way we live. Again, I emphasize the value of imagination.

While web surfing, I read this poetic description of the Empire State Building, one of the tallest and most famous buildings in the world:

“It was a thrilling experience to be whizzed in a “lift” a quarter of a mile heavenward, and to see New York spread out like a marvellous tapestry beneath us.

“There was the Hudson – more like the flash of a sword-blade than a noble river. The little island of Manhattan, set like a jewel in its nest of rainbow waters, stared up into my face, and the solar system circled about my head! Why, I thought, the sun and the stars are suburbs of New York, and I never knew it! I had a sort of wild desire to invest in a bit of real estate on one of the planets. All sense of depression and hard times vanished, I felt like being frivolous with the stars. But that was only for a moment. I am too static to feel quite natural in a Star View cottage on the Milky Way, which must be something of a merry-go-round even on quiet days.”

It was written by a blind person, Ms Helen Keller. Lesson: Don’t underestimate the power of imagination. If a blind person can write such beautiful words about the experience of seeing something majestic, what’s stopping us from experiencing the same thing? Sadly, instead of ‘seeing’, we are merely visually absorbing scenes in front of our computer screens these days.

One more thing, we succeed in life if we experience its wholeness and not if we accumulate some overrated material things.

My dear graduates, life is a constant struggle. You lose if you abandon your dreams and if you allow one setback to determine the future of your life. There’s truth to what philosopher and retired basketball superstar Michael Jordan said in one his TV ads: “I’ve missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games, 26 times, I’ve been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.” It doesn’t matter if you fail several times as long as you know how to stand up and learn how to fight back.

We are living in an instant world, a fastfood society. Instant noodles. Instant search results. Instant news. Instant communication. Many of us also expect to succeed instantly. We want to realize our dreams instantly. But life can’t be forced to give instant answers to our questions. We can’t change the world in two minutes. Even climate change required centuries of destructive human practices before it mutated into a terror phenomenon. If after a few years, you still haven’t achieved your life goals, don’t despair. Learn from the story of the Chinese bamboo tree.

“You take a little seed, plant it, water it, and fertilise it for a whole year, and nothing happens
The second year you water it and fertilise it, and nothing happens
The third year you water it and fertilise it, and nothing happens.
The fourth year you water it and fertilise it, and nothing happens.
The fifth year you continue to water and fertilise the seed and then sometime during the fifth year, the Chinese bamboo tree grows 90 feet in six weeks.”

My dear graduates: Patience. My dear graduates: Determination.

Besides, career-oriented successful persons are not always the happiest people in the world. Or if ever you pursue that road, I hope you will not reach the destination at the expense of other people. Don’t lose your humanity; don’t transform into cold calculating machines just for the single-minded pursuit of career success. The godfather in the Godfather II film was alone even after he successfully eliminated his enemies, including his own brother. The Facebook founder in the film Social Network was also alone at the top, desperately adding a former girlfriend in his network of friends, even after creating the most successful website in history and even if his net worth is already more than a billion dollars. You may be the most powerful person in the country today but tomorrow you might spend an extended vacation at the Veterans Memorial Hospital. It’s lonely up there in the throne and CEO seat especially if you’re unable to share your success with another person.

The gift of youth shouldn’t be wasted. What’s this gift that the youth inherently possess? It’s neither beauty nor vanity but time. Time is what we have which our elders have already lost and wanted to reclaim. But we also grow old if we throw away our ideas and ideals. We can remain young by being faithful to our chosen mission in life. We can be like Benjamin Button who rediscovered the power of youth in his aging years.

Our precious time shouldn’t be exclusively devoted to our personal enrichment. Our mortal life is only good for 70, 80, 90 years (if you’re lucky) and in the greater scheme of things, that’s a relatively brief period. So it’s wise that our time should be ‘wasted’ in the pursuit of noble dreams.

The youth have time, knowledge, and passion. But don’t confuse time with our happy hours. Don’t equate knowledge with wisdom. Don’t merge passion with aggression. Time is spent well if it serves the cause of humanity. Internet-knowledge becomes useful if it leads to the discovery of truth. If fueled by idealism, passion becomes a wonderful creation of love. Love that nourishes life.

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Perverse Transparency

By admin | March 22, 2012

Promoting transparency is the preferred technique of politicians and their apologists today. If an official wants to be politically-correct, he must be optically-correct as well. Behold the rise of politico-techies! Before, a politician must learn how to hold a smiling baby while posing before the cameras. Today, he must instantly tweet the incident.

Governance requires the use of sweet-sounding words to deceive the public. The chosen vocabulary is usually related to the popular struggles of the voting citizens. A politician must profess to be a champion of the poor, labor, women, children, and indigenous peoples. He must promise to advance education, health, peace, environment, and of course democracy. Meanwhile, a reformist openly advocates women and gender rights. But the latest addition to the propaganda arsenal of politicians is the enthusiastic promotion of the information and transparency craze.

The administration of Noynoy Aquino seems to be battle-ready in the ‘information warfare’. It has three communication experts and several underlings whose daily mission is to bombard the public with bits and bytes of trivial and even contradictory information. The president’s official speeches, statements, and directives are instantly uploaded in the web. Budget materials are posted online. Every government agency claims to have a social media campaign. What we have is a reverse Wikileaks; it’s the state which leaks official documents to the public. Convinced that it adheres to the minimum principles of transparency, the Aquino government has willingly aligned itself with the US-backed Open Government Partnership.

But the Aquino government is neither open nor transparent. It couldn’t even fully support the Freedom of Information bill. For several months, its decepticon spokespersons were pushing for freedom of information with responsibility. Its FOI version which was finally presented to Congress last week is loaded with provisions that would prevent the people from accessing vital government documents. For example, the records of minutes during policy formulation or decision making by the president can’t be disclosed. Furthermore, the president can easily classify all his meetings as executive sessions to hide the illegal and immoral transactions in the Palace.

It seems we have the right to demand the release or publication of ALL government documents as long as the record keepers allow it. We have the privilege to review, analyze, and scrutinize online state documents but we must be content if the declassified materials will turn out to be nothing more but voluminous files of dull statistics, staffing summary reports, scanned news clippings, and archaic laws. We can inquire about safe numbers like cash transfer disbursements, crop losses, and Corona’s bank accounts but the extent of the Cojuangco family’s business transactions in the Noynoying era is a well-guarded state secret. The public can go gaga over agency budget reports which are now conveniently downloadable in the internet but it is forbidden to touch anything that politicians are keeping in their office and home vaults. The skeletons in the closet must remain hidden.

That we have a secretive state is a given fact even if the current supremo is a self-proclaimed proponent of open governance. But what makes the Aquino administration more sinister than its predecessor is its false, shameful, but believable assertion that it hides nothing from the public because all government activities are instantly reported in the websites and social networks.

What’s the modus operandi? The tactic was perfected by the previous government and it has been readily adopted by the Yellow Mafia. Here’s how it works: Summoned by the UN a few years ago to give a briefing on the human rights situation in the Philippines, former Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita submitted large stacks of documentary evidence during the assembly as proof of the government’s compliance with international human rights agreements. We learned later that the files were merely copies of the 1987 Constitution and several laws on human rights protection.

In short, distract the interested parties by drowning them with too much information of little value. Translated into governance, it involves the sophisticated use of new communication tools to overwhelm and confuse the public with superfluous information. Data production, processing, and distribution are hailed as indicators of change and good governance. Worse, as Susan Sontag warned earlier, “the freedom to consume a plurality of images and goods is equated with freedom itself.”

The innovation of the Aquino regime is its wise appropriation of the language of feel-good reformism in the age of new technologies. A president answering facebook comments. A government most willing and ready to engage citizens in twitter conversations. Online ranting and debate as unmistakable components of democratic governance.

But what’s wrong with information overload and communication fanatics?

Paul Virilio reminded us that when there is over-communication, the value of the word is lost. He added that “the truth of the facts is censured by over-information.” We become ‘fascinated victims’ of disinformation.

Jean Baudrillard pointed out that “there is something obscene about the instant replication of an event, act or speech…for some degree of delay, pause or suspense is essential to thought and speech.” He noted that “we are no longer fighting the spectre of alienation, but that of ultra reality.” We are no longer seeing or discovering the truth; we are merely visually absorbing the scenes in front of our computer screens.

The grand deception is to equate conversation, especially online conversations, with political participation and empowerment. We are hypnotized by realtime exchanges which prevent us from immediately recognizing that conversations must end at one point so that we can pursue our original task of struggling for a new political order.

To prioritize conversation/communication over political action is to fall into the trap of modern dictators who want to redirect the energies of netizens into virtual engagements. As politicians lure us into their inner circle of social networks, their other aim is to weaken our political capabilities in the offline world. (“The system expelling us, even as it integrates us”). They interact with us so that we may forget the essential issues and reduce politics into 140 characters.

Beware of politicians who blindly worship the power of new media. Beware of overnight IT experts who equate transparency with the online posting of government documents.

Transparency is too precious to be left in the hands of bureaucrats and politicians. It’s a powerful weapon of the people which needs to be rescued from the distorted usage of conservative and reactionary ideologues.

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Southeast Asia’s Forgotten Wars

By admin | March 19, 2012

Written for The Diplomat

For tourists, Southeast Asia conjures visions of exotic islands in places like Phuket, Bali, and Boracay. For investors, it’s a relatively safe destination, where their capital can flourish in global cities like Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, and Bangkok. Its ancient history is preserved at Angkor Wat, its rich biodiversity is visible in Borneo, and its readiness to blend with foreign cultures is highlighted by the folk Catholicism in the Philippines.

But Southeast Asia is more than just white sand beaches, temples, and resorts.

Unfortunately, it’s seldom mentioned that Southeast Asia is actually one of the most war-ravaged places on the planet. Indeed, there are still several unfinished wars in the region. For example, the world’s longest ongoing civil war involves the Karen National Liberation Army, which has been fighting for independence from Burma’s central government for the past 60 years. Meanwhile, the Maoist-influenced Communist Party of the Philippines has been waging an armed revolution in the Philippine countryside since 1969, making it the world’s longest communist insurgency.

While Timor-Leste succeeded in becoming an independent nation in 2002, it was able to achieve this only after more than two decades of bloody struggle with Indonesia. Speaking of violent conflicts in Indonesia, it seems West Papua’s current bid for independence is unlikely to be resolved peacefully. Separatist movements are also thriving in southern Thailand and the southern Philippines. Thailand’s Islamic insurgency, in particular, has intensified in recent years, and some analysts believe it could soon become Asia’s biggest insurgency.

Several countries in the region are still hurting from the scars of past wars. Laos is officially the most heavily bombed country in the history of warfare. Between 1964 and 1973, the United States military dropped more bombs on Laos than it did worldwide during the whole of World War II. Nearly a third of them failed to detonate, and they are scattered across half of the country’s agricultural land. Some experts have warned that it will take a century before the 80 million cluster bomblets can be completely removed.

But a recent study has claimed that more bombs were actually dropped by the United States on Cambodian soil. Official estimates pegged the total tonnage of bombs dropped on the country at 500,000 tons, but the new study revised the figure to 2.8 million tons of U.S. bombs. Whether the new findings are accurate or not doesn’t change the fact that Cambodia, like Laos, is among the most heavily bombed countries in the past century.

If Cambodia and Laos suffered tremendously from U.S. military offensives, think of the damage inflicted on Vietnam during the long, nightmarish decades of full-scale U.S. armed intervention in that country. The human casualties are easy to count, but the impact of that war in a poor rural nation can’t be measured in numbers alone. For instance, the war ended more than three decades ago, but Vietnamese fields and forests are still contaminated with Agent Orange and other harmful chemicals used by the U.S. to defeat the Vietcong.

While it’s a welcome development that Khmer Rouge atrocities are being documented, and that the perpetrators are now facing trial, they can’t erase the trauma of the genocidal war that led to the slaughter of almost two million innocent people.

Global headlines often mention Southeast Asia in relation to news reports on the fastest growing economies and the rising military tensions between the United States and China in the Asia-Pacific. They describe the potential of the region in terms of trade and commerce on the one hand, and its geopolitical value if military superpowers should collide in the future on the other. What they always fail to include in the discussion is the ongoing local wars in many places in the region, and the roots of these conflicts which include, among other issues, the negative legacy of centuries of colonialism and neo-colonialism. In short, they speak of Southeast Asia as a place with no past, where only the present and future matter.

The duty of Southeast Asians is to remember the region’s painful past and, when needed, exorcise the ghosts of history that continue to haunt the present.

Related article:

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Poverty and Disasters

By admin | March 6, 2012

“God may send hurricanes, but their consequences are not God-given” – Winston James

According to a government think-tank, 34.6 percent of households experienced job and asset losses during typhoons in 2011. Almost 70 percent suffered a reduction in income while 45 percent complained of rising expenses immediately after the onslaught of a typhoon.

Floods mean a reduction of income amounting to P1,150 on the average per household. Meanwhile, the average loss in assets is worth P2,042 per family. Floods also inflate the expenses of households by P3,305.

Poverty worsens the suffering of families affected by natural disasters. How did the poor cope during calamities in 2011? Almost half shifted to cheaper food items while a third of them reduced the portion of food they are consuming. A quarter of the population was forced to limit the use of electricity and bought ready-to-cook food to survive.

The same survey (which was presented in a Congress committee hearing) revealed that 20.5 percent of household spent less for recreation during flooding and typhoon disasters.

The government shouldn’t only intensify its relief efforts during disasters; it should also devise intervention programs to cushion the negative impact of disasters on poor and vulnerable groups. Since food-related coping strategies are the most common reactions of the poor during disasters, the government should be more innovative and aggressive in delivering basic food supplies in affected towns and provinces.

At the global level, climate change wreaks more havoc on poor societies which seem to be cursed by bad governance and high income disparity. At the grassroots level, extreme weather events are causing the deterioration of the conditions of the poor.

Indeed, nature doesn’t discriminate but the world of man is an imperfect environment dominated by inequality, oppression, and injustice. Nature surprises us with weather disturbances but the real disaster is the grand failure of mankind to break the cycle of intergenerational poverty in almost all corners of the world.

Where’s the disaster preparedness plan?

The article below was first published by The Diplomat

A 6.9 magnitude earthquake struck Negros and Cebu provinces in central Philippines on Monday afternoon, killing dozens of people on the two major islands of the Visayas region. Strong aftershocks plus a false tsunami alert caused panic in several coastal towns. The casualties are bound to rise in quake-damaged villages as rescuers continue to search for survivors.

The earthquake is the latest disaster to hit the Philippines in the past two months. Last December, heavy rainfall caused flashfloods in Cagayan de Oro and Iligan in north Mindanao, killing more than a thousand people and destroying the homes of an estimated 100,000 families. Barely a month after this tragedy, a landslide buried more than 30 people in a small mining community in Pantukan, Compostela Valley in southern Mindanao. Several provinces including Cebu, Davao, Bukidnon, Maguindanao, Negros, Leyte and Aklan have also suffered from floods since January.

What makes this wave of flood disasters more worrisome, aside from the human casualties, is the fact that there was no major recent tropical cyclone to hit the country to trigger the floods and mudslides. Residents living near river banks are already thinking of relocating because if normal rains alone can cause such destructive floods, the impact of strong typhoons could well be much worse.

The Philippines is actually one of the most disaster-prone countries in the world. Situated inside the Pacific Ring of Fire, the Philippine archipelago is battered by at least 25 major storms every year. And because of climate change, it also suffers from extreme weather disturbances. Next month, several parts of the country are expected to experience an extended period of drought due to the El Nino phenomenon.

But to pin the blame on climate change for the casualties is wrong since many of the weather-related deaths are preventable. It must be emphasized that the negative effects of climate change are compounded by poverty, bad governance, and destructive economic activities.

The government’s inefficiency during crisis situations was exposed when it failed to mobilize its resources on time and coordinate the efforts of all agencies during the recent flooding and earthquake disasters. The public has the right to demand the formulation of a comprehensive disaster risk reduction program that can save lives and minimize casualties during freak weather events. Indeed, politicians were able to gather and distribute relief goods to survivors, but scientists and environmentalists insist that the government should have prioritized the setting up of an effective early warning system, emergency drills, quick response teams, and the construction of adequate infrastructure in calamity-prone areas as part of its disaster preparedness program. The geo-hazard map that the government has already completed would be rendered useless if there’s no concrete national disaster management plan.

The present government also has to explain why it re-issued logging and mining permits in landslide-prone provinces. At a minimum, it should review all large-scale mining activities and determine their impact on the country’s fragile island ecosystem. It should also reconsider the petition of multinational companies to expand their fruit plantations in the uplands of Mindanao Island.

The “inconvenient truths” of climate change have already been thoroughly discussed by academics, the media and even government institutions. Everybody knows that strong typhoons, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions are common in this part of the world. The Philippines is a country that should excel in disaster preparedness, but unfortunately its climate change adaptation program is a major disaster.

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Cambodia’s Fainting Workers

By admin | February 29, 2012

Cambodia’s garment industry represents 90 percent of the country’s exports and employs more than 300,000 workers by some estimates. It survived the 2008 global financial crisis, although job losses were registered across all special economic zones. But despite its vital contribution to the local economy, the garment sector has been facing criticism that it has been able to maintain global competitiveness only at the expense of providing its labor force with better working conditions and benefits. Indeed, the statutory minimum wage of Cambodia’s garment workers is currently the lowest in the Mekong region.

Last year, more than 200,000 workers in the garment sector went on strike in protest over their pauperized working conditions. The government responded by reminding employers to strictly enforce the occupational safety and health standards required by law.

To further highlight the demands of garment workers, the Asia Floor Wage network organized Cambodia’s first ever People’s Tribunal on Minimum Living Wage and Decent Working Conditions early this month. It was also the first tribunal in the Asia-Pacific aimed at establishing a standard on the issue of fair pricing for garment manufacturers and, in particular, strengthening the bargaining power of female workers within the global supply chain.

Aside from the wage issue, the tribunal also discussed the alarming rise of mass fainting incidents in many garment factories. In 2011 alone, the Free Trade Union reported that 2,300 workers fainted in five factories. Initial investigations revealed that many workers suffered from low blood sugar, malnutrition, dehydration, food poisoning and over-exertion. The government later confirmed that the fainting cases were related to poor working conditions in many factories.

During the tribunal, workers in the “fainting factories” recalled how they regularly work for 12 to 14 hours a day while being exposed to strong chemicals in hot and poorly ventilated environments. Most of the female workers said they also have to travel long hours, standing in overcrowded trucks, to get to work each day.

To stop the fainting, factory owners merely need to ensure that occupational safety and health policies are implemented. Specifically, workers should be taught how to properly handle chemicals and electrical equipment. In addition, workers should be given time to rest at the weekend, while any overtime worked during peak factory production periods should be undertaken in compliance with the law.

The tribunal succeeded in articulating the demands of garment workers, but the proposed reforms still need to be aggressively presented to the government and the global clients of Cambodia’s garment factories. Just a week ago, 162 garment workers in a Preah Sihanouk factory were reportedly rushed to various hospitals and clinics after they fainted at work.

A few years ago, there was a global outcry over the recruitment of child workers in Southeast Asia’s infamous sweatshops, an outcry that forced Western companies, employers, buyers, and local governments to sign a pact against this unfair labor practice. Today, consumers should likewise be informed that clothing companies are able to cut the prices of goods at the expense of Cambodia’s fainting workers.

Written for The Diplomat

Indonesia Police Target Teens?

Indonesians are shocked and angered by reports that children accused of petty crimes have been arrested and beaten by the police.

In Soe City in eastern Indonesia, a 16-year-old boy was arrested and charged with stealing and selling eight pink adeniums from a private garden. In the Central Sulawesi capital of Palu, a 15-year-old boy identified as only A.A.L. was beaten by the police and faced a possible five-year jail sentence after he was accused of stealing a pair of used sandals owned by a policeman. In Bali, a teenager was convicted for stealing a wallet containing 1,000 rupiah (11 cents). In Cilacap, Central Java, two men were charged with stealing 15 banana bunches. Deli Suhandi, a 14-year-old boy accused of stealing a phone card worth 10,000 rupiah ($1.12) that he found lying in the street, could face a seven-year prison term.

The initial reaction of many people was to condemn the unnecessary violence employed by the police in apprehending the teenage suspects. Subsequently, symbolic protests were organized by ordinary citizens in front of police stations, courts, and even local parliament buildings across the country. In Soe, 1,000 pink adeniums were deposited by protesters in front of the police station to show support for the young flower thief. Meanwhile, children’s rights activists have began collecting coins to highlight the case of the wallet teenage thief in Bali. In Cilacap, the Muhammadiyah Students Association has launched a campaign that aims to gather 1,000 bananas and demand the freedom of the banana thieves.

But the action that has gained global attention is the “sandal protest,” which saw thousands of ordinary Indonesians throwing worn-out sandals in front of police stations all over the country. The protest was successful and the boy was returned to his parents without receiving a prison term.

The widespread protests reflect the people’s outrage over the human rights abuses suffered by the juvenile offenders and the unfair treatment of the poor by the police. The issue reinforced the perception that policemen are harsh to petty criminals but lenient to big time law violators, especially corrupt public officials. The protests are no longer simply about children’s rights, but also the injustices experienced by the poor.

The protests have the potential to develop into a genuine grassroots movement that could inspire and empower the poor to demand for more democratic reforms in the country. Instead of dismissing the localized actions, the government should be ready to address some of the reasonable demands of the protesters. For example, the passage of Juvenile Court legislation and the adoption of a restorative justice approach in dealing with young delinquents. The president should also order law enforcers to undergo human rights training and review standard procedures for apprehending suspected criminals.

If the police desire the community’s support for the campaign against criminality, they must first erase a reputation of giving rich criminals preferential treatment while condemning the poor to face the full force of the law. Ultimately they need to fulfill their duty as upholders of justice.

Written for The Diplomat

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Relevance of Behavioral Sciences

By admin | February 25, 2012

Edited copy of my keynote speech during the 2012 National Conference on Behavioral Sciences, College of Medicine, UP Manila.

The most intelligent students in the UP System are enrolled in UP Manila. I have three reasons for asserting this: First, UP’s Oblation scholars are studying here. Second, the top UPCAT passers are also based in the campus. And third, that’s what my wife has been telling me who is by the way a graduate of Development Studies in the College of Arts and Sciences, UP Manila.

Congratulations in advance to the organizing committee for the successful 2012 National Conference on Behavioral Sciences. It’s an honor to be invited to keynote this gathering of students, teachers, and researchers in the field of Behavioral Sciences. I’m not from the academe but I was trained as an educator. I will address you today as a student of politics who views human behavior in relation to the social context.

The topics chosen in the panel presentations reflect the various disciplines that encompass your field. There are presentations about family, clinical health, same sex, work culture, and teaching dynamics. In particular, I’m interested to listen to the discussion about the party list system since I have my own views on this issue.

Maybe one of these days I’ll write a paper about the psychological capacity or incapacity of members of Congress. Or perhaps the profile of matriarchs and patriarchs of prominent and local political dynasties would be an interesting topic as well. After two terms in Congress, I’m somewhat an expert witness on these issues.

The conference is being held while the whole country is commemorating the 26th anniversary of the 1986 Edsa uprising. Maybe it’s relevant to survey the perceptions of post-Edsa babies about the People Power revolution. Or since Enrile is still alive, maybe you can also conduct a research about octogenarian politicians in a country dominated by young voters.

The conference venue is situated near political institutions which are locked in a bitter power struggle. Beside UP Manila is the Supreme Court where the Chief Justice holds office. He is facing an impeachment trial in the Senate which is located in nearby Pasay. Yesterday, former President Gloria Arroyo entered a not guilty plea in the Pasay RTC. As students of Behavioral Science, maybe you can look for interesting research angles to deepen our understanding of these political events. For example, an analytical and critical analysis of CJ Corona speeches; or a paper deconstructing the legal jargon in the impeachment trial and how it’s being interpreted by the masa; or a fashion piece about the different neck braces of Congresswoman Arroyo.

There are many articles of impeachment, oops, research topics, which you can highlight to probe the political, social, psychological, and cultural dimensions of the impeachment. We should not allow politicians and lawyers to dominate the debate. The impeachment is a political process that needs to be explained to all; and to focus exclusively on the legal aspects of the event limits the knowledge and wisdom that our people can derive from monitoring the trial. The challenge to Behavioral Science students is to popularize the theoretical tools you are using in the academe so that other social institutions like the media can be effective agents of enlightenment and not disinformation.

The point is that our privileged education should always serve the needs of the larger community. Our discussions shouldn’t be divorced from the real problems encountered by our subjects. We can’t speak in esoteric academic language all the time because the impact of our researches must be explained in clear and unambiguous terms to policymakers and the general public.

I think the other goal of the conference is to improve Behavioral Science education in the Philippines. But we can’t address this issue without mentioning the overall state of Philippine education. I won’t delve into the specifics of the problems besetting the country’s education system since I’m confident that we’re all familiar with these issues; but I’d like to highlight some points which directly affect Behavioral Sciences and the social sciences in general.

There are two policy reforms being readied by the government: K-12 and the Congress-initiated proposal to form another Education Commission to review and overhaul Philippine education.

K-12 will be pilot implemented this year while full implementation will take place in 3-4 years. Deped is currently initiating a curricular review. We learned that some Tesda subjects will be integrated in high school and advanced mathematics will be taught too. There has been a lot of criticism to the decision to remove science education in the first grade while the Catholic Church continues to oppose the introduction of Reproductive Health topics in schools. Meanwhile, consumer education will remind students not to buy pirated goods and they will learn how to play the Stock Market. It’s good that computer education, human rights education, and climate change awareness are already included in the basic curriculum package.

Curriculum design is the most politically important aspect of public education but the people are often not democratically consulted on this matter. Technocrats and bureaucrats always decide which subjects should be taught inside schools. Therefore, the Behavioral Sciences camp must make representation to advocate the inclusion of Behavioral Science concepts in the general education curriculum. You must be part of the curriculum review team so that the obsessive desire to excel in science and mathematics can be balanced by the equally important goal of producing young graduates who have strong backgrounds in history, culture, and social sciences.

I don’t subscribe to the narrow viewpoint that the task of education is merely job preparation. It should be more than that. The role of schools and teachers is still to educate a new breed of ‘total’ persons, critical thinking persons, who can contribute to the advance of civilization. Social sciences, including behavioral sciences, are essential components in the holistic development of a person.

More than the K-12 program, I’m looking forward to the proposed Edcom2 which would give us opportunity to review the orientation of Philippine education. The market-driven character of the country’s higher education is a major weakness which should be rectified. We are actually supplying the manpower needs of other nations and big foreign corporations which are based here instead of addressing the specific requirements of the local economy. Our education, designed by the Americans and their little brown brothers in the academe, caters to the needs of other countries which prevents it from being a significant factor in jumpstarting an innovative economy.

Global competitiveness is worshipped as if it’s the end goal of human civilization. The collateral damage in this myopic drive to numeric excellence is the human, social, and behavioral sciences which have to fight literally for survival in the academe. Profit, output, job matching, industry requirement – the social sciences must adhere to these new indicators of relevance in order to remain in the university. The rise of corporate values in the academe should not distract the social sciences from tackling issues that concern the welfare of the ordinary citizens, including topics that challenge the supremacy of corporate and elitist thinking in our opinion-making institutions.

I hope the conference will also lead to the critical evaluation of our scholarship practices and research methodologies. While objectivity is the standard, it shouldn’t lead to the presentation of a research subject in isolation to the larger social environment. Our empirical researches should be linked to broader studies about the political and social structures of society. I raised this point because sometimes our extreme fascination with our subject, in particular our obsession to document, analyze, and categorize the poor, the queer, and the marginalized may prevent us from relating their experiences to the other social forces which are crucial in determining the roots of the issues we are studying.

For example, the problem with the official reports on poverty which legislators and the Executive use in the drafting of programs is that they don’t tackle the principal role of neoliberalism, the dominant dogma in the Western world today, in explaining the continuing backwardness of the Philippines. Unfortunately, there are poverty studies that reproduce the ideological categories that sustain the discrimination and further marginalization of the poor. They view the poor as passive victims who merely require charity from the non-poor and token assistance interventions from government agencies. But the poor as an organized bloc struggling for bold reforms in governance? They are often treated as a national security concern.

The theme of the conference, “Promoting the Behavioral Sciences: Synergy in Action”, essentially captures the appropriate framework in pursuing our academic work. Not all theoretical studies have practical value but they must be relevant and integrated to the everyday lives of the people in our community. The academe must not insulate itself from the real world; it must aim to change the world.

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