Better Philippines

Bloggers Lunch With Chiz

Pinoy Buzz has been blogging about the interview he and several bloggers had with Senator Francis Escudero last Saturday. You can read the first two parts of his series titled “Grilled Chiz: Lunch With An Ex-Presidential Candidate” here and here.

I was actually planning on joining Pinoy Buzz but I had to beg off because of a prior commitment. I wanted to find out from the senator himself if he really suggested making mathematics an elective subject. Pinoy Buzz was kind enough to ask the senator on my behalf. Here’s that part of the interview:

First off, I’d like to say that I kinda like Chiz better when he speaks like this. It’s more natural and candid compared to his usual style. It’s also less insulting when he uses fewer motherhood statements. To the senator’s handlers and rabid supporters, hayan ah constructive criticism yan for your idol.

Anyway, if you listened carefully to the senator he is now claiming that he is really not against mathematics at all. He says he was just proposing that the review of the country’s curriculum be done more frequently and for subjects to be made more relevant.

I totally support the senator on this. However, I still disagree with his proposal to make mathematic subjects elective. Considering the almost natural aversion of students to anything mathematical, giving them the right to choose is almost a guarrantee that no student will ever take those subjects.  Unfortunately, Escudero didn’t really clarify this in that interview.

Now I’d like to show you a screenshot of the senator’s website. Please take note of the posted article about this particular proposal of his.

I’m posting this here so that everyone will know that he really proposed making math an elective subject. You may have heard in that youtube clip his claim that he was just misquoted on this whole mathematics issue.

On another matter… I appreciate Escudero’s idea of presenting a platform patterned after the format of the National Budget. I only hope the senator would release his platform immediately so that we can all start scrutinizing it. Come to think of it if the Senator really cares so much for this country he should present his platform whether or not he decides to push through with his presidential bid. If his platform is really any good he shouldn’t be selfish about it. Instead he should even let other politicians or incumbent officials take a crack at implementing it. Idea sharing baga. Para naman sa bayan eh.

Btw, I also think there’s merit in Escudero’s  idea of appropriating the profits of PAGCOR for education.

Now, I hope the senator’s rabid fans will now see that those of us who have been dissing him all this time are not really against him per se. We’re just doing what we do to get him and the other candidates to start talking about their plans for the country.

You can view the full interview of the senator over at YouTube. It’s divided in about 18 parts. Start with this link here. Just ignore the juvenile questions like the one about superheroes.