October 13th, 2009 by bp
I’ve had some run-ins with Senator Francis Escudero’s supporters in the past and in one of those instances I promised one of the senator’s most avid fans that I will publish his platform here as soon as it is available. It’s been a while since then and I have yet to receive a copy of Escudero’s platform. Last I heard the platform is ready but that the senator will make it public only after he announces his candidacy.
Well Escudero’s plans remain a mystery even though he said he will reveal it after he reaches his 40th birthday, which he did just recently. So what’s causing the hold up? Apparently, unlike Senator Noynoy Aquino who even saw it fit to meet with former president Joseph Estrada while Ondoy was battering the country, Escudero would like to defer any talk of politics at this time. Here’s an excerpt from an Inquirer.net report:
Sen. Francis Escudero has decided to withhold any announcement about his political plans for the 2010 elections in deference to the crisis brought about by the damage wrought by two killer storms.“It’s not right to talk about politics while many of our people are still missing, have no houses to return to and have no food to eat,’’ Escudero said in a news conference on Monday.
I’m sure many people other than those belonging to his many fan clubs are eagerly awaiting his plans. I, for one, am interested in his ideas concerning education. My curiosity stems mainly from his past statements about this issue one of which is his supposed proposal to scrap certain math subjects from the school curriculum, which led many people to conclude that the senator is for a dumber Philippines. Escudero has since claimed that his ’scrap math’ statement was taken out of context. Here’s an article from his own website:
Escudero reiterates need to review school curriculum, adopt multi-intelligence approach in education
July 3, 2009
“I believe our students will be better served by a broader vision of education, wherein teachers use different methodologies, exercises and activities to reach all students, not just those who excel at linguistic and logical intelligence, or mathematics. At the same time, developing a multiple-intelligence approach will justify a 10-year basic education since a 12-year transition seems difficult to do at this time,” he said.
This, as he clarified his proposal for the review of the basic education curriculum, saying he was misquoted in articles circulating in the Internet lambasting the proposal he raised in 2006.
Escudero said the articles quote “only part of our proposal, and not the whole picture,” particularly on the removal of certain advanced subjects such as Algebra and Trigonometry from the existing basic education curriculum.
“What we actually want is for advanced subjects like Algebra, Trigonometry, etc. to be removed from the basic curriculum, which means these subjects will still be retained in the curriculum not as core subjects but as electives which interested students can opt to take,” Escudero said.
“Why not let those with interest in mathematics or engineering take those advance courses as electives and not burden others students interested in other fields or disciplines to study these difficult subjects?” he added.
The senator said the proposal, which he filed as a bill at the House of Representatives in 2006, was intended to support the development of the multi-intelligence approach in education.
“I don’t think our graduates will lose their competitive edge if we remove these subjects from our basic curriculum. On the contrary, if we are able to focus on subjects and skills needed to be employable (while retaining core subjects such as English, Science, Mathematics, Philippine History and Active Citizenship, and the Arts), we will provide our graduates a good grasp of language, numeracy and other skills that are needed to be competitive in the global market,” he added.
Escudero said his track record in pursuing reforms in the education sector will speak for itself and prove his critics wrong.
As Sorsogon representative, Escudero authored Republic Act 9155, or the Governance of Basic Education Act, which transformed the name of the Department of Education, Culture and Sports (DECS) to the Department of Education (DepEd) and provided the overall framework for school head empowerment by strengthening their leadership roles and school-based management within the context of transparency and local accountability.
He also filed bills seeking to raise teachers’ salaries and benefits.
I think Escudero’s proposal will do more harm than good. Mathematics is a bane to many students but it is a field of study they ought to learn and appreciate. Making it an optional subject would only ensure that no student, except for the truly mathematically gifted and so inclined, will take it. In my opinion, high school students shouldn’t be given that choice. Instead of making mathematics an elective subject why not just make it more interesting much like how mathematician/columnist/author Qeena Lee-Chua does it.
Another one of Escudero’s education related statement is this
‘Across-the-board’ passing mark urged for typhoon-hit students
By Maila Ager
INQUIRER.net
First Posted 10:10:00 10/12/2009
Filed Under: Pepeng, Ondoy, Disasters (general), Education, Politics, Eleksyon 2010, Elections
MANILA, Philippines – An “across-the-board” passing grade for all students affected by recent typhoons has been proposed by a senator on Monday.
Senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero said this should be given to affected students in elementary, high school, and college levels since their schools were no longer “usable” and they could no longer catch up with their lessons.
“Ideklara nang pasado or across-the board-ipasa na lahat ng estudyante mula elementary, high school at college sa mga naapektuhang lugar [Students in the elementary, high school, and college levels in affected areas should be given a passing grade across-the-board],” Escudero said in an interview over “Umagang kay Ganda,” a morning show over ABS-CBN television network.
“If you notice, even in reliefe effortsof ABS-CBN, a lot of the youth helped when there were no classes. When classes resumed, only you were left,” Escudero told his hosts.
“What the youth will learn when they help, what the youth will learn in areas ravaged by the typhoons, these cannot be taught inside the classroom in one semester or even in a year,” he said in Filipino.
In a text message, Escudero explained that a passing grade for these students was the least that the government could do for them, “especially given the fact that they already learned a lot from this experience and the semester is almost over.”
He said the Department of Education can issue a directive on this, citing a similar incident during Edsa I.
“If I remember, this was done during Edsa I when there was no grade given to the students except “P” so that their average or grade won’t be affected,” Escudero said.
Instead of returning to school, the students should be tapped to help the victims of the calamity.
“We should tap youth power to help us get through this,” said the senator.
I seriously hope the Senator was just misquoted here. This proposal is just (I’m vocabulary-challenged so pardon my choice of word) idiotic. Oh well.
Anyway, BongV of Sanamagan gave this reaction.
OMG. He ought to be suggesting remedial classes. Deliver content online. He could have suggested that the Phil government seriously consider e-learning as an alternative measure. That way, students don’t have to be in the classrooms in Manila to be able to catch up. And the cost of deploying an online course is substantially less than constructing a new building and equipping it with chairs, blackboard, etc.
You see there are other options reason why I find it hard to understand why the good senator would pick the dumbest one. Oh wait! I almost forgot he does have a tendency to pander. Let’s double check.
Well, it is evident here:
“If you notice, even in relief effortsof ABS-CBN, a lot of the youth helped when there were no classes. When classes resumed, only you were left,” Escudero told his hosts.
And here:
In a text message, Escudero explained that a passing grade for these students was the least that the government could do for them, “especially given the fact that they already learned a lot from this experience and the semester is almost over.”
From the looks of it, Senator Escudero is just being his pandering self. And, this time he’s going after really very young kids. It’s either that or he’s really pushing for a dumber Philippines.
October 12th, 2009 by bp
A blogger friend called my attention to a banner going around Facebook. It is this one:
It’s a nice graphic if I may say so myself. However, I’m not at all impressed with the message it imparts. My apologies to Mark Gosingtian, the artist responsible for this artwork.
I’m certain Mark got his inspiration for this artwork from the outpouring of assistance for the victims of the recent floods. I can’t blame him. It really is quite a sight seeing people working together to help those in need. The effect is amplified even more when the scenes are rendered in slow motion and set to dramatic music. Such is the power of video editing.
Well, as I said earlier, I am not at all impressed with the message.
Where I’m From Everyone’s A Hero
(Mark I’m really sorry. In case you read this I just want you to know that I don’t mean to offend you especially since I got word that you may actually be doing this for charity.)
My main problem with Mark’s slogan is that it is one big exaggeration and a flat out lie. My other problem is that because it was rendered in such a fashionable manner it will certainly attract a bit of a following. Remember those ubiquitous Ako Mismo dogtags?
I know the message is meant to be inspirational and I sincerely hope it does inspire Filipinos to come out with real initiatives aimed at getting our country moving towards real progress. But that’s the problem. Slogans like these don’t really do that sort of thing. They always fail to produce meaningful results. Worse they even contribute to the dumbing down of this country by reinforcing the wrong notion that everything is alright. Unfortunately, where such an attitude or belief is the prevalent one you can be sure real progress is almost non-existent.
To be blunt about it. We are not a nation of heroes. We are just a nation of ordinary people currently facing extraordinary challenges. How we turn out afterwards is of course yet to be seen. I am betting though that even we apply Rhonda Bryne’s visualization technique to this hero thing there is no way we will become a nation of heroes.
Instead of aspiring for hero status why don’t we just aspire for something a little more down to earth. How about we aspire to be a nation of rational thinking people? And, if having a slogan is a must then I would suggest something less “fashionable” but truly meaningful. I propose this one from the netizen known only as Benign0:
Get Real Philippines!
It’s pretty simple, isn’t it? It may not be as sexy as “Where I’m From Everyone’s A Hero” but it certainly does more than just create an artificial feeling of patriotism. For one it tells you to do something. Now, the great thing about it is that if you feel you’re really up to it there’s already a place where you can go to get ideas. I’ll provide the link in a bit but before that I want to warn you the content in the site you’re going to see will challenge your beliefs and make you think really hard.
So, are you ready to exercise your brain and get real or would you rather just wear the national colors on your shirt and feel all hero-like? Well, if you’re the former then proceed here. And, if you really want to get into the nitty gritty of being real for the Philippines go here.
October 1st, 2009 by bp
Much has been said about what could have possibly caused the floods that hit many parts of Metro Manila. For those who still don’t get it, here’s an explanation in an easy-to-understand picture file courtesy of Benign0 of GetReal Philippines and The Anti Pinoy. Enjoy!
You may also download this picture in pdf format. Go ahead and share it among your friends. Download here.
June 22nd, 2009 by bp
I am a fan of entrepreneurs. I personally know of a few whom I really admire. Two of them are actually siblings. I have seen how they made it from having little to having a lot.
The older of the two now owns two profitable businesses and I think he is thinking of setting up another one. Originally a seafarer, this person made the shift from being an employee to a business owner after he was diagnosed with a medical condition. For some time, he made ends meet by selling real estate. He later joined a relative in a venture which later became his own.
The younger of the two has always been involved in sales. However, it was quite obvious that his true calling is to be a businessman. He and his wife, who is also entrepreneurial, set up a trading company. For some time, he also ran a small store selling shoes and RTW clothes. He later got into another retail-oriented enterprise, which has since proven to be his jackpot. In my estimate he now earns more than P300,000 a month.
I really admire these people. Truth be told I sometimes envy them. I am particularly envious of the fact that they seem naturally gifted in entrepreneurship. They can easily spot an opportunity and are always ready to take advantage.
In his latest book Outliers: The Story Of Success, Malcolm Gladwell writes about why some people succeed more than others. I haven’t read the whole book but I already have a pretty good idea of what he wants to impart. Here’s part of a Wikipedia entry about the book.
While writing the book, Gladwell noted that “the biggest misconception about success is that we do it solely on our smarts, ambition, hustle and hard work.” In Outliers, he hopes to show that there are a lot more variables involved in an individual’s success than society cares to admit, and he wants people to “move away from the notion that everything that happens to a person is up to that person”. Gladwell noted that, although there was little that could be done with regards to a person’s fate, society can still impact the “man”-affected part of an individual’s success.
Successful people may probably dismiss Gladwell’s assertion that success is also dependent on factors other than just the individual’s skillset and attitude as nothing more than an excuse. I personally think certain factors like family finances, educational background, and other things that may be attributed to ‘bad’ or ‘good’ luck can also influence a person’s chances for success.
I personally know of a young house helper who was offered by her employer a chance to go to school. The girl brushed it aside saying somthing like, “Mula pa nung bata pa ako alam ko na na hindi ako makakapag-college” (I’ve always known ever since I was a child that I won’t be able to go to college).
It’s rather sad if you think about it. Hearing a young person affirm a bleak future, which hasn’t already happened and may never even happen depending on the decisions he or she makes in the present. But, can we really blame her for having such a pessimistic and fatalistic view of life? She probably saw more than her fair share of poverty and probably got conditioned by her circumstance and probably even by her parents that she is poor and will never be anything else but poor.
I guess to some extent I do agree with Gladwell. However, I also subscribe to the idea that attitude can make a lot of difference. We’ve all heard stories of dirt poor individuals who have risen above their circumstances by simply having a positive attitude. Had that house helper been conditioned at an early age to have a more positive outlook then perhaps she could have seen her employer’s offer of free schooling for what it was — an opportunity for a better life. Unfortunately, she was not conditioned that way. Sadly, there are many more like her.
Poor Filipinos generally have a fatalistic view of life. They don’t know that they have it within themselves the power to change their lives. There’s no question their struggle will be greater compared to those who have a little more resources but that doesn’t diminish the fact that they can change their lives if they want to.
This administration has been doing a lot of so-called anti-poverty programs. It claims to have empowered many poor Filipinos to rise above poverty. Has it really? As far as I can tell most of these pro-poor programs are nothing more than dole-outs expect maybe for those livelihood and skills trainings. I personally think a real anti-poverty program should not only be able to open up opportunities for livelihood and education. It should also be able to change how the impoverished think. It should teach them the basic idea that being poor is also a state of mind and that if they strive to be a little more positive and pro-active then the fight against poverty will already be half-won.
Here’s another excerpt from that Wikipedia entry about Gladwell’s book:
When asked what message he wanted people to take away after reading Outliers, Gladwell responded, “What we do as a community, as a society, for each other, matters as much as what we do for ourselves. It sounds a little trite, but there’s a powerful amount of truth in that, I think.”
Government agencies such as the Department of Education, Commission on Higher Education and the Department of Social Welfare and Development should consider coming up with an educational campaign aimed at teaching all young Filipinos about having a positive mindset. The campaign should also cover parents. They too should be taught how to raise their children to be more positive about themselves. If it were up to me I would make positive mindsetting part of the curriculum.
May 27th, 2009 by bp
There’s no doubt about it: One of the biggest problems in this country is poverty. Our upcoming leaders should find a way to address this once and for all. Hopefully they would do so with long term solutions not just with stop gap measures such as emergency employment programs and dole-outs.
It is said that there there is nothing blessed about being poor. Filipinos especially those in the lower income brackets should rid themselves of the notion that there is virtue in being poor. Being poor is just not a good state to be in.
Now there are those who say that “poor” is a state of mind. If you see yourself as being poor you will feel like one regardless of how much money you have. To a certain extent that could be true. But, when financial demands come to bear at a time when money is simply elusive you will know that no amount of mindsetting will help you pay the bills. At the end of the day being poor simply sucks.
Bestselling author Robert Kiyosaki wrote something about how current educational systems produce not entrepreneurs but employees. To drive home his point Kiyosaki even came out with the provocative statement that also became the title of one of his books — “If You Want to be Rich and Happy: Don’t Go to School.”
The author of the “Rich Dad Poor Dad” book series may just be oversimplifying. I don’t think he really meant to recommend that people do away with formal education. Having an education after all still works as an access pass to many financial opportunities.
Kiyosaki merely wants to point out that being an entrepreneur (specifically an investor) is the best option. He belabors the point that employment is not the path to true financial freedom.
In any case, Kiyosaki’s observation about the non-entrepreneurial thrust of current educational systems or currricula is worth examining. The government should seriously look into this and consider implementing major reforms that would ensure that the next generation of Filipinos would be more entrepreneurial.
Those of us who are already sufficiently educated tobe employees should also explore other means of wealth creation. Again, entrepreneurship is the key. Having one’s own business enterprise is highly recommended.
Of course, this is not to say that setting up a bricks-and-mortar business is easy. With all the details such as salaries, supplies, space rentals etcetera, going into business is obviously one big challenge in itself. Fortunately, there is another option, an easier one at that.
If you’re reading this blog then you already have the most basic skills needed to get into an online business. Yes, you read it right. This is a pitch for online businesses, of which there are quite a number of models to choose from. One need only learn how to make them work.
You might want to read Willie Crawford’s “20 Ways To Make $100 Per Day Online” if you want to know more about possible online businesses. I’ve just started reading it and I can honestly say that I’m now beginning to see a number of real online opportunities to make some extra cash.
Going back to the real topic of this post. There’s just no justification for people to remain poor. It is in our personal and national interest to be as rich as possible.
