EDUCATION SECTOR: A WORN-OUT TIRE?

Exactly ten days in September 19, 2009, after Senator Benigno "Noynoy" C. Aquino, III announced his bid for the presidency as the Liberal Party standard-bearer last Sept. 9 at the Club Filipino Greenhills, San Juan City, the Manila Bulletin, on same date, carried this news, "Noynoy To Overhaul Education". He rationalizes that the education sector is like a worn-out tire on the verge of breakdown. He presumes that to make it probably running fine, there's a need to carry out long-term solutions to the perennial problems in education in order to build new, durable, and lasting tire.

He has a good knowledge of the disparity between the private and the public sector in education. While today, many private schools are observed to have enough school buildings, sufficient
number of classrooms, and with good standard teaching-learning facilities, mostly are in idle due to the thinning enrollment. It's a sad fact that with the economic crisis felt globally, many parents of students who were first enrolled in the paying private schools, had to seek transfer in free public schools. Since according to the good Senator, the private sector holds the key to the solution of the recurrent shortages of school buildings, classrooms, facilities, and most especially lack of teachers in the public sector which, in the the first place, has been caused by the exodus of transfer from the private to the public, he plans an advocacy that was never considered yet. This is to send a good percentage of students from public schools to enroll or probably return to the private schools. This certainly will equalize student population in both, instead of building more classrooms, hiring more teachers in public sector where these are lacking.

His suggestion to prioritize the development of primary education, that is from the kindergarten to grade three, where the teaching of the basic 3R's- reading, 'riting, and 'rithmetic, are first taught is not new. The DepEd new project Multi-Lingual Approach is also geared toward this innovation. This plan is to use mother tongue from grades one to three for efficient and effective teaching-learning situations. This is still in the offing. With regards to another pressing problem which is about teachers' low salary rates, he was honest to express observation that indeed the government has scarce funds to give what is due them and while he salutes these mentors for their sacrifices, he could only extend his hands to them as he encourages them to join hands with him in search of solutions to the many problems in education.

As a retired master teacher II from the public elementary school, I have here a rejoinder to the good Senator's pronouncement. Indeed Philippine educational system, in my 40 years of stint, has long been running in a limbo on flat tire, stopping now and then for vulcanizing jobs along the rough roads. I think I never had a smooth travel while riding the system until I retired. The obsession to make education work remains a fantasy.

I just couldn't fathom why in the metropolis like Manila, a supposedly advanced urban part of the country, the education sector has to be subjected to another vulcanizing job of the DepEd- that of applying the three-session a day of holding classes in order to temper the shortage of classrooms and teachers, when their counterparts in the rural provinces like us here in Pangasinan have more than enough classrooms that even the janitors have one for themselves. What a waste, really!


Of course this move to rearrange schedules in three sessions is again met with apprehension not only by the parents but also by the students and teachers who will wake up in the wee hours of the morning to beat the 5:30 am first session and take security risks daily in transit. The third and last session that ends at 8:00 pm or so is even near impossible, if not courting more problems in monitoring the young to and from school. The dark out there is treacherous to them, isnit it ? Just as it seduces the teachers who will have no more rest period, to buckle down to complacency and never-mind-that- come-what may-attitude.

Senator Noynoy has the chance to make a difference in the country's educational system. Given his advocacy to work with people and for the people, the road may be rough and the challenge just as tough but if people are made to see the real situation, are shown honest intentions, can visualize and concretize the dropping rate of graft and corruption, they might as well give it another try. This tremains to be seen, Honorable Senator.

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THE WOOING OF AND FOR NOYNOY

.....and finally he said a resounding YES!

One moment, a surprised Filipino electorate saw on TV a beleaguered Mar Roxas , emotional and almost in tears, abdicating his lofty dream of running as presidential candidate for the coming 2010 elections, in favor of his friend, Benigno "Noynoy" C. Aquino, Jr. Noynoy's apparent nonchalance as he stood at the background, struck me. What was going on?

Another day, not long after, Noynoy, with his continued composure, was hitting the headlines right and left. He was being wooed to run for presidency. His courtiers practically hounded Noynoy, a political neophyte to the highest position in Philippine government, to consider the carrot stick they offered in a proverbial silver platter, and to come out clean and fast with an honest yes to replace his good friend, Mar. Knowing only a little about the ins and out of politics, or probably because I just have had my fills about past political maneuvers, you hear them now saying this, then on the deadline for submission of candidacy you hear them say another, I just raised my eyebrows and went on with my new-found daily preoccupation- blogging.

That same morning, I just posted in my blog my thoughts about Noynoy, "Noynoy for President in 2010". Ha ha! It was a write and forget kind of article. Politics is not my forte. But I followed through the every day's events just the same. Of course I witnessed, just as every concerned Filipino voter did, how the good Senator maneuvered a polite excuse to come to think about it. On one hand, he and his sisters were busy preparing for their expected appearances in a series of Eucharistic celebrations, in honor of the 40th day of Mother Cory's death, in still unnamed venues to the public those days.

The all-too-good-to-be-true courtship on another hand, caused Noynoy to seek retreat for short-lived refuge in some popular sanctuaries frequented by Mother Cory when she herself, needed an assuring shoulder/s to lean on during her rough times as President of the land while dispensing about her state duties. Thus, I could presume that Cory's built-in wisdom as God-fearing Roman Catholic also runs in Noynoy's blood and became a ready catharsis in his hour of deliverance from this current dilemma of that magnitude. He admitted though that he was not as religious as his mother was, although he had joined her in many occasions when she went over in the protective walls of said sanctuaries.

The sporadic demands for Noynoy to run for presidency catapulted him in leaps and bounds in the days to come(no official survey result yet).The whole world watched. It was also, to my mind, an unobtrusive test whether Mother Cory's Magic would work on him. And it did! I'm not a political analyst of a caliber, but my opinions as a voter encourage me to observe how Cory's Magic can be used to Noynoy's advantage. Today, I find my thoughts craving for more so that I can say more. After all, I'm a trying-hard intelligent voter.

Firstly, unless this Cory Magic springs to real life with tangible proofs of positive change in the lives of the people, the great majority of whom are living deep in the quagmire of misery and poverty, it remains just that. Without follow-up by a nation under a good if not a better leader, the democratic principles which Ninoy and Cory died for, their charisma which is still gaining support, will die a natural death. Therefore, Cory's Magic must be institutionalized in the Filipino people's culture. Election 2010 gives us the chance. Noynoy, together with his political analysts and advisers know this, in broadest terms among these seasoned politicians.

Secondly, the gargantuan task ahead necessitates careful planning as well as execution by someone who must possess a formidable character to be able to unite a divided opposition- with or without an administration's anointed one. The neophyte presidentiable's winning or losing power rests heavily on majority support from the camp of a newcomer. This support must be turned into votes come election. The preponderance among the incumbents who are contented and happy in their perks is of course a risk to depend on for support.

Thirdly, as Senator, Noynoy is still wanting in know how as far as the powers of a president mandated by law and by the Constitution are concerned. His having a mother for President in the past gives him an edge alright but this is not an assurance of winning. He should also read the Constitution and must read it well so that, if he wins, upon assumption to office, he already has good working knowledge of the oath he must make- to preserve and defend it against tyranny. Then as he gains further knowledge and establishes a foothold, he will come to gripes with the naked reality that in order for him to stay, he must possess furthermore an unswerving willingness to sacrifice his personal and family interests above the peoples' national interests; to make himself in constant struggle to arise with highest morality; to lead with an incorruptible leadership; to adhere to the principles of democracy; to listen to the pros and the cons when state matters are threatened by partisan motives; and most importantly, to work with and not against people in a spirit of mutual trust for the common good.

To the Honorable Senator, Benigno "Noynoy" C. Aquino, Jr., the days of courtship have only just began. To the intelligent electorate, your romancing with the best presidentiable not of your own choice, but of a people's choice, start - now !

NOYNOY FOR PRESIDENT IN 2010

So, what's new about it? If this gathering storm for Noynoy's endorsement for presidency materializes in fullest force come election 2010, there's nothing new to it. Obviously, the good senator is a political nobody for this highest position in government. He has no political clout, no political ascendancy, no political machinery . Noynoy is simply riding the euphoria of his Mother Cory's so-called "Cory Magic" of recent times. That's barely 40 days after her death of natural cause.

So, what's new? Mother Cory, a plain housewife, rode too, on "Ninoy Magic" of her times. Ninoy was then the Filipino people's last card against a tyrant government. The volatile social condition caused by Ninoy's assassination and later by fraudulent elections angered the people and their raging madness was so powerful that it swiped instantaneously the grieving opposition candidate Cory that she gave in to people power to be installed as president. She was upheld by the world as a fitting symbol of democracy and the first woman president of the Philippines. The time element and the exigencies of circumstances favored her unquestionably.

Election 2010 is still a long way to go. Noynoy will be facing all conceivable risks- time, sincerity of support by his endorsers, machinery, funding. He will be banking on "Cory Magic". That he cannot deny. Therefore he is faced with maintaining people's honest and sincere consensus not only among the opposition but much more among the electorate. His chance for the presidency might be another history record-breaking episode of peoples' initiative. This is not impossible in this country of people agitating for reforms in government since the days of his father Ninoy.

Cory (a plain housewife), against Marcos, was installed by people power. And so was GMA ( a brilliant economist), against ERAP(a school drop-out). ERAP and FVR (a seasoned military gentleman) have something in common. They have strong personalities (many fans?) never mind if they were articulate or not about good governance. The collective actions of the people at the end of their terms spoke for each of them. For sure, despite Cory's limitations in governance, ( there had been several failed coup attempts under her administration), she stands out from the rest in eternity. GMA has yet to prove her worth.

The time element that favored Mother Cory is now put to test on Noynoy's case. The recent move by his immediate comrades to usher Noynoy( a political newcomer) into presidency may now be gathering in power. But it's all up to the good senator to discern and make e deeper introspection. His retreat is a very welcome personal decision. He can't just make decisions by himself, let alone in haste. He needs good counsel and honest ones, too.

The political arena awaits him. While in wait, we must not forget that things happen as they do today as a warning to all Filipinos that since EDSA I, leadership in our government has grown more unstable and is gaining momentum. Noynoy is not starting from a blank slate. In his blood runs his Father Ninoy's mercurial dreams for the country and his Mother Cory's Christian wisdom and magic. Let's just pray and wait.

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