The informally proposed updating of the 1987 Constitution to open more of our vital industries, including education, to 100 percent foreign ownership must be tackled comprehensively and genuinely. We cannot do anything about their right to propose, but if the process of charter change (cha-cha) continues and it will be decided in a plebiscite whether we want that change or not, it would be better if proponents will only have evidence-based presentations.
If they are not evidence-based, we are just looking for a stone to beat on our head so to speak because mounting evidence shows that we need to prioritize meeting the needs of the people with lower commodity prices, higher wages for workers, better public transportation, an improved quality of education, and last but not least, the immediate end to corruption, if not, more genuine public service.
Let us start making sense of the constitutional reform for education for this week’s column. Following (not all) are constitutional provisions (Article XIV) on education:
Much improved than 1973 Consti
Such provisions are better than those found in the 1973 charter because, with the 1987 charter, the Philippine education’s essential goals have been defined and all children have been required to obtain elementary education. The Free Public Secondary Education Act of 1988 signed by then President Cory Aquino would later mandate free public secondary education.
In fairness to the Marcos Sr. administration, the Education Act of 1982 provided for an integrated system that covered formal and non-formal education at all levels, with a specific provision seeking to upgrade educational institutions’ standards to achieve quality education through voluntary accreditation for schools, colleges, and universities. Also upgraded were the obligations and qualifications required for teachers and administrators and financial assistance to private schools. (Tulio, 2008)
The problem with our trapos (traditional politicians) is that they not only do nothing for proper and full implementation of the social justice provisions, they also disrupt the educative mission stated in the 1987 Constitution. Political observers now think that the cha-cha proponents are only pushing for selfish ambitions. If politicians in favor of cha-cha are “studying,” what they are studying is how they can earn more or how they can benefit more from the policy they are making.
Are non-Filipinos better?
Studying outside the Philippines is too expensive. In the US, students are in huge debt so they are forced to work or just have the mindset to study while working to pay for the high tuition. That means it is unlikely that we will be able to bring American teachers and professors to our country with the large amount of expenses we have just to maintain them and/or their affiliated institutions. Remember that there was a case of an international school that thought it was okay to pay higher wages to foreign-hires compared to Filipino local-hires. That school lost the case over their Filipino teachers; the decision of the Supreme Court (https://lawphil.net/judjuris/juri2000/jun2000/gr_128845_2000.html) said that it was against the spirit of equal protection guaranteed by the Bill of Rights of the 1987 Constitution.
Besides, we can go through faculty exchange programs and related tie-ups with great universities outside the country. It may be lacking now, but it is in part due to the lack of support from the government in terms of appropriations for state universities and colleges. The budget given to SUCs is even lowered, no thanks to the erroneous priorities of the legislative and executive departments.
It is quite difficult to entrust the amendment of the Constitution to politicians as we still have “thin and fat” political dynasties, widespread corruption, and greed from businessmen, some of whom are even in government positions. Imagine schools 100%-owned by the Chinese. What will happen to the interests of Philippine territory and sovereignty in their pro-China lessons? Only now are we gradually fighting against China while it has been making fun of us since 2016, and it seems that we are reaping the benefits of the wrong foreign policies.
We will be exposed to various risks in national security as well as the economic welfare of most of our countrymen in this time of global unrest and it will be accompanied by the hidden agendas of our politicians, including their power struggle.
Let us prioritize good governance so that investors can trust us. It is said that we obtained billions of investment pledges from the foreign trips of President Marcos Jr., but constitutionalist Christian Monsod aptly asked: Did those who pledged hope to see the Philippines change its Constitution first? And so we need to educate ourselves on the desired constitutional reform in education, but our present crop of politicians cannot do that obviously. Educators can.
DC Alviar
Professor DC Alviar serves as a member of the steering committee of the Philippine International Studies Organization (PHISO). He was part of National University’s community extension project that imparted the five disciplines of a learning organization (Senge, 1990) to communities in a local government unit. He writes and edits local reports for Mega Scene. He graduated with a master’s degree in development communication from the University of the Philippines Open University in Los Baños. He recently defended a dissertation proposal for his doctorate degree in communication at the same graduate school under a Philippine government scholarship grant. He was editor-in-chief of his high school paper Ang Ugat and the Adamson News.
