Extension of sufferings

THE president’s vision for 2016 for the country’s basic educational system is great. It sounds like a big renovation of a nipa-hut into a mansion. It projects an image of a better Philippines and a productive citizenry.

But here lie a lot of questions. PNoy wants to create a powerhouse of intellectuals by extending the students’ years in schools, adding two more years in elementary and secondary education and obliging kids to go to pre-school, without responding to the major visible problems that has caused education quality’s degradation.

Classroom setting in the rural areas. Photo: lonelyplanetimages.com

We cannot deny the fact that a two-year extension in school is a burden for the children’s parents. It’s another year of spending, another year of sacrifice. But we understand P-Noy’s intention. He wants to improve the poor education system and producing competitive Filipinos at the end of the day.

But how could we able to fulfill these, when the main issues are lack of classrooms, teachers and textbooks are still unsolved?

We have 80 students crammed into a small classrooms with one teacher in charge. We have five pupils sharing one rotten English textbook. We have teachers conducting classes under Talisay trees. These are all real stories happening in both urban and rural public schools. All of them suffer the same problems. No classrooms. No textbooks. No teachers.

If the president’s plan on adding two years on basic education will be granted, then are we trying to extend the years of these kids holding rotten books.

Are we going to extend their sufferings within a small classroom together with their 80 classmates where they could not even afford to move? Are we trying to let their parents spend more for the same quality of education?

The vision is for improvement but if our country will take this without putting remedies on the present problems, then how could we make things better? It would surely add odd and chaos.

P-Noy should attend first to these before he could even think of extending the years to spend in these rotten and rotting schools.

Like a big project, renovating nipa-hut into mansion, it would only be possible if resources are already available.

photo from: http://sustainablephilippines.wordpress.com

Like the jacket

(Dedicated to all OFW daddies)

It is not easy to live a life without a father in your side, especially when you’re the only son within your family. You have nothing to follow when it comes to manner, nothing to imitate when it comes to decision-making and nothing to talk to when you have concerns like how to court a girl.

My father used to work as an OFW in the Middle East for almost around eleven years. He often went back here in the country because of his contracts and hectic schedules in their company. Though, we have communications like chatting through ym or calling him via phone, still the conversation isn’t that intimate. I could still feel the distance between us even though I could see his face and hear his voice.

When my father went back in the country last November for a 20-day vacation, I felt the excitement to see him again. I was very excited to share all the stories happened when his out of the country. That’s why when we’ve met again, I did nothing but talked and talked and cherished every moment we were together. As usual, he bought several boxes of chocolates, gadgets and other pasalubong for the relatives and family-friends; he even bought a rim of cigarettes and had asked me whether I smoke or not. In that very point, I really felt the need to spend time with him so that he may know me more as a person and as his son.

We went to different shopping malls in the city; we bought various stuffs for my siblings and spent time watching movies in the cinema. We spent time going everywhere and exhausting ourselves.

I was wondering when papa suddenly brought me in GMall’s Lee store. I asked him if he need something there. He didn’t answer me back; instead he got a brown Lee jacket and told me to fit it. I told him that I have a lot of jackets so there’s no need for me to have a new one.

“Marami nga pero hindi naman talaga makakapal. Malalamigan ka pa rin nyan.”

He responded. I was truly touched with my father’s statement. Those were simple words yet it means so much for me. I felt his care and concern. That was momentous.

Today, my papa remains as working hard father in Qatar. He continues to strive for our living. He works together with several Filipino daddies aiming to provide everything to their families. Like the jacket he gave me, I want to comfort him in the future and protect my papa from the harsh weather. Well, how I wish that someday, after I could graduate in college and hopefully land a good job, I’ll be the next man who could give back what is due to my papa.