It’s amazing how the dysfunctional mindset of Filipinos permeates the entire society, and that it’s not just the monopoly of the poor and uneducated. You will encounter a supposedly professional licensed civil engineer making excuses for being late in his building project because they have a barrio fiesta, or a supposedly U.P. graduate squandering a business opportunity by buying unnecessarily expensive office chairs and luxury vehicles for a new start-up for which they just loaned a meager few millions from a bank.
One’s educational background or top-rated alma mater does not guarantee Filipinos will be making wise choices after they graduate. Just look at the poor quality of management decisions made by PNoy Aquino and Mar Roxas (both products of Ateneo). It’s also sad to see a lot of time devoted to unnecessary topics in the classrooms, such as teaching about Rizal’s family history, calculus for those who won’t be using it, or translating things into Tagalog.
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Misappropriation of Limited School Resources
We have just transitioned to the K-12 (Kinder to Grade-12) system and a few fortunate Filipinos will be lucky enough to graduate with a college-level degree afterwards. But if you look into the content (subjects) and quality of education, you will find the system to be very wanting. Rote memorization (rather than critical thinking/analysis), spoon feeding, research that is merely copy-pasting from Wiki, and a lot of baggage taught that is eventually unused by the graduate. From my estimate, a typical Filipino graduate will only be using about a fourth of what he learns in school when he finally lands a job – and that’s if one is lucky, since many of them end up misemployed (a nurse working as a clerk) or underemployed (a doctor working as a care giver). Then in five years, much of what was learned will also be obsolete.
If only the Department of Education and the architects of course curricula in schools took a retreat to Mt. Pulag, sat down overlooking the clouds, and reflected deeply on what really mattered for our youth. The entire society would be transformed if only we focused on teaching our students the right material during the small window of opportunity open to the State to form their malleable minds. Proposed are some topics I believe we should get schools involved in.
Three Topics which Schools Should Teach
- Parenting. Not just family planning or sex education. Parenting is a life-long endeavor that deals with raising children so that winner values and habits are formed that can be the foundation of a strong nation-building citizenry. Problem is: the parenting role is relegated to the household maid, TV, school, or church because parents simply don’t know how to raise kids. If you cannot make a copy of yourself onto the next generation, it will be a dead end for your essence no matter how successful you are. Parenting is discipleship. It is getting children deeply involved in what you do and having them learn closely by following your example. There are techniques on how to get kids to obey happily and these should be taught to students, since a large portion of their time after graduation will deal with child rearing and not solving calculus or chemistry equations.
- Spending. There are skills needed in managing personal financial resources in such a way that families and businesses don’t go bankrupt. The reason why a lot of Filipinos end up begging for and borrowing money from OFWs and foreigners is that they are just so dumb in allocating/planning out the use of their money. Why are people from the North (Ilocanos) and Chinoys (Chinese Filipinos) so thrifty? Why are so many maids and bhoys hailing from the Bicol or Visayas regions? The difference lies in habits formed in which they either save/reinvest a percentage of their income or impulsively get the next cool gadget or next MLM product craze. How to manage one’s meager resources should be taught to students from a young age when they are still handling tens of pesos. Filipinos should realize that he who is faithful in little will be faithful in much – especially when some of these young people will be managing billion-peso budgets on the national scale someday.
- Scheduling. I learned Gantt charting from my dad. It was from my older sibling that I also learned to create a weekly schedule of allocating personal study (homework/lesson reviews) to vacant blocks of time outside school hours. I learned milestone based mid-term/long-term planning in church. In counties like Japan, students are taught the importance of having a rhythm in their schedules, and to ensure it is not disrupted. In some disciplined families, there are curfews and TV/internet time is controlled. Why can’t these be taught and practiced regularly in Philippines schools so every citizen is equipped with a standard set of time management values? No wonder why after a student graduates and goes out into the real world, they can’t keep up with their commit dates and lag behind in an increasingly globally competitive world. “Filipino time” and being late due to pathetic excuses like heavy traffic, heavy rain or heavy menstruation should become a thing of the past.
Common Sense for Pinoys
As insulting as it may seem, I think Philippine education should focus more on teaching basic common sense than on information and content dissemination. In fact, if only Pinoys are trained to listen to that still small voice of wisdom (common sense) in their heads more attentively, much of the disasters and chaos that plague our society could be prevented and poverty alleviated.
What I see really wanting in Philippine education is the practice and formation of good values in students. So what if your head is full of the latest and the greatest in your field? If you don’t know how to manage your own personal life in such a way that your handling of family, money, and time doesn’t get in the way of you becoming the next Steve Jobs, Jack Ma, or Elon Musk, a lot of potentially promising Filipinos will never make it big – which is why we continue to lag behind the rest of the successful tigers of Asia.
Think about why Chinoys have far better business acumen than the typical native Pinoys. Much of what they apply is actually just basic Confucian common sense handed down through generations and practiced and modeled by the parents in a family business setting.
Life will get increasingly complex, and involves a balancing act that entails multi-disciplinary multitasking much like walking on a tightrope while juggling 3 balls in the air – so shouldn’t our schools begin to train the future generation more practically on how to face it?
* * *
PS: Duterte seems to be the only candidate wanting to radically change what’s taught in Philippine schools. Here’s what I’ve got to say (a recent reply I gave Sick_Amore):
I want to see what happens to the Philippines under a DU30 presidency. Among the 5, he is the most unpredictable experiment. It will definitely be more fun in the Philippines under him. I hope you guys don’t deprive me of this interesting comedy show – that’s all there is to this country anyway: entertainment with the most laughable headlines.
GRP bloggers like happy vultures will have another guaranteed 6 more years of satisfying fun gorging on this decaying carcass of a country with DU30 spicing it all up like hot chilli sauce!
Look at how UPLB Umali Hall was jam packed to hear DU30 compared with Binay’s visit. Have some culinary adventure for a change guys – gasgas na ang Jollibee, McDo at KFC!
Zealous revolutionary advocate of bringing back common sense for the common good in a land of dysfunctional and delusional zombies.
Common sense is commonly defined as something “you should know already” I’m the Philippines. In reality, common sense is judgment undertaken based on the current situation and the people involved in said situation.sadly it’s a skill that can only be nurtured by a person raised to analyze things with their minds and not with their hearts.
The sad reality is that common sense needs to be taught to Pinoys.
A big misnomer, common sense is actually very rare in PH. You may have greater chances of stumbling across a golden ring while walking in Divisoria than finding a native Pinoy that has this very scarce resource.
Many of those who can think/analyze correctly have been smart enough to jump ship and immigrate elsewhere/ work as OFWs. Until we fix education in PH, for many intelligent Pinoys GETTING OUT will continue to be be the common sensical thing to do…
http://getrealphilippines.com/2015/11/country-favor-get/
I guess the first question that will be asked is, ‘what is considered proper parenting, spending, scheduling in the Failippines?’ With all Failipinos doing their own thing–with little to no regards of how their attitude and behavior affect their country and one another–I doubt very seriously if anyone in this God-forsakened country will ever come up with a general standard for everyone to adhere to.
its the right way to internationalize our Standard of Teaching, as what is now introduce in our highschool studies level, which is now introduce to Year12 international standard of years in highschool, that would be elementary up to year6, and highschool will be six years. and that is good for everyone. mind you, our President Erap is only a highschool graduate and still the favourite to be the President of the Philippines. He was the real winner in the last election of MADpnoy hacienda luisita hocus pcos saga of what commissioner Gus lagman who resigned because of these anomalies..
Financial literacy should be taught but the devil is in the details. What age should they be taught and what topics can they absorb. Maybe teaching them the concept of savings, loans, and interest? Parenting is not an exact science so I am not sure how this subject will even be taught. There are different parenting methods for different children and different circumstances. The only thing experts agree is to minimize TV and electronic gadgets for young children.
Parenting not an exact science? Will “child psychology” sound more scientific?
Parenting is very complex. The family being a microcosm of a business or government institution, is basically a management challenge. Being a mother is a 24/7 job. Behind successful people is a strong effective mother/father.
Why shouldn’t we invest in equipping the next generation of parents ? Because we can see how much of a failure PH society is judging from the products we produce – our dysfunctional children which later turn out to be corrupt undisciplined leaders of their generation.
One generation has to break the generational curse – I call it the “sacrificial generation”. This will come at a price. The bright side is – it will set PH free.
Zaxx,
pls allow me to give you an overview/outlook on how modern parents do their thing in western countries.
Modern parents both work full time. Why? Bcause having a kid is expensive PLUS both parents went to school not to become a full time housewive or full time househusband.
In the meantime the kid will be in a full time day care facility untill the age of 4 or the kid will be supervised by a nanny or an au-pair. At that age the kid will go to Kindergarden. Kids are raised to be independent so that they can go to elementary school without the company of a parent.
Parents will divide the household chores among them. So dad will also change the diapers and give the ‘bottle’.
Raising a kid is NOT the exclusive task/duty of the mother !!!!! In modern western countries the guy/dad is NOT seen as the provider. He is the co-creator of the kid and is equally responsible for the welfare and well being of the kid.
I don’t like the wholesale change of Dutete in the education system. Removing algebra, calculus in high school would just weaken Filipinos skill set in sciences which shows in our job vacancies in the very technical jobs. Essentially just make the situation worse in job skills mismatch because now, no one will know algebra or calculus and the corresponding technical jobs that they would fill.
And because Dutete thinks his stock knowledge is the holy truth he forgot to check factual/statistical data that the unfilled jobs in the Philippines are those very technical that some of those jobs needs algebra and calculus. I am have been trying to give benefit of doubt to Duterte but his programs seems to be very far from reality or backed by factual data. It is very to easy to check NSCB or PSA but it is something that Duterte himself or his campaign team just wouldn’t do and rely on rhetoric and hope those would vote for him don’t check statistical data nor facts from sources.
Our country lacks R&D and our students need more maths and sciences to prepare them. Du30’s educational plan will set us back.
We can drop calculus in primary/secondary education in favor of adding the above proposed 3 topics into the curriculum. Calculus should only be taught to science, math, engineering majors in college – the people who need it.
Algebra is very basic (foundational to business math) and needs to be retained – so I think DU30’s proposal needs some tweaking. I can understand his background is law – he should get better advisers when it comes to areas outside his field. But his general idea of reallocating limited educ time/resource to skills/knowledge that matter more to the general populace is a step in the right direction.
besides, the science schools (pshs, masay, quisay, etc) will probably ignore this (pshs being under dost and not deped, so it surely wont be affected, but the other schools, i dunno) and still offer these subjects to undergrads. so the rule of thumb is if your child wants to study advanced math and science, he or she must excel during his/her elementary years and pass a rigorous entrance exam to one of these science highs. The main bonus that some of these schools are scholarship-based.
The rest of the students can enter the “regular” high schools, free of the burden of calculus and chemistry classes while aspiring to be the next one hit performer or pbb housemate.
Algebra and calculus are things you will rarely need out of school but it makes you think .. That is what education is all about.. to memorize is not a learning situation.. you can teach a dog to sit but he doesn’t know why..
The Failippines needs a national language (perhaps English instead of Tagalog) that everyone can understand; a common, non-provincial (Ilocano, Caviteno, Bicolano, and etcetera) cultural tradition that everyone can relate to; in order to get these stupid–and equally arrogant and selfish–Failipinos from outshining and killing each other and destroying their own country.
Unfortunately, these reforms will never take place because Failipinos are all afflicted by their “One Day Millionaire,” “Colonial,” and “Crab” mentalities. Failipinos would rather see a Disneyland go up in Pampanga, than come together as one nation and one people. Therefore, the Failippines will continue to be one of the most ‘fucked up’ country on the planet for decades to come.
What are three things to make the education system here in the Philippines better? 1. A common language of Tagalog. ( China and Japan got stronger after having one common language. Yes, a foreign language like English should be taught in junior high and high school) 2. Score all Universities on achieving internationally certification for the students the university graduate. (There no name universities here that make certified US doctors and nurses and other professions. There are very famous expensive universities that do not graduate students that are accepted internationally.) How are universities here graded by name or political association, because it is not by performance of its students? 3. Stop the school system from being corrupt by setting a real politics free standards for every grade and then by making a test to show whether a schools students are meeting or failing the standards.
As a first aid solution I totally support Proper Parenting. Part of the problem is that a lot of no-good people become no-good parents producing no-good offsprings that hamper society’s progress instead of propelling it forward. “Controlled” family-building seem very drastic so education is the next best thing. Coupled with a good family planning/population control mandate and support from the government then maybe we can be off to a good start.
i would also add Sports. all students / kids should engage in sports (they choose what sport they want). sports build discipline. kids will develop their listening skills and follow rules through sports / their coaches. they will learn to aim high to become champions and develop self-confidence.
in fact, it’s part of our constitution.
Sports
Part of: ARTICLE XIV
Excerpt:
SECTION 19. (1) The State shall promote physical education and encourage sports programs, league competitions, and amateur sports, including training for international competitions, to foster self-discipline, teamwork, and excellence for the development of a healthy and alert citizenry.
(2) All educational institutions shall undertake regular sports activities throughout the country in cooperation with athletic clubs and other sectors.
In line with this please support our Philippine Boxing Team.
Amateur Boxing (possible olympians this year)
SEAGames 2015 – Singapore
Mario Fernandez vs Myanmar (Semi-Finals) – TKO
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-qUKc1qWsfk
Mario Fernandez vs Thailand (Finals) – TKO (GOLD)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xVY7Z6nTFAU
Eumir Marcial vs Singapore (Finals) – KO (GOLD)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KZ6-Sd9PSdg
Junel Cantancio vs Vietnam (Finals) – Decision (GOLD)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FJqgczPVVw0
Ian Clark Bautista vs Laos (Semi-Finals) – KO
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vucxft-Wmcs
Ian Clark Bautistia vs Singapore (Finals) – UD (GOLD)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aKl7bwsOuPQ
Women’s
Josie Gabuco vs Thailand (Finals) – GOLD
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DH_Dez1yxko
Reached Finals (Gold Medal Bout)
Rogen Ladon
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ktc11kOPVZI
Nestie Petecio
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jL_Y0FeAZ2k
Please support 😀
andrew,
Yes..sports…absolutely sports!You cannot train the mind towards excellence if you don’t also train the body. Body and mind go together.
Unfortunately, for the profit–driven school system of the Failippines, more and longer academic courses and schools days, respectively, bring more profit (in forms of tuition) than sports.
Aeta
Aeta,
In my days, we had PE (Physical education in primary/elementary and secondary education) but due to cuts it no longer exists nowadays as part of the standard curiculum.
Also already in my days (and still today) you can join any sports clubs you want and compete every match day (usually saturdays or sundays). To name just a few: basketball, football (soccer), table tennis, volleyball, field hockey, gymnastics, horse back riding, tennis and yes even boxing. (Warning: during excercising and executing those sports, its possible for a girl to ‘lose’ her hymen. Sorry but I think to mention this is important especially for those who pay much importantce to their hymen being intact for their first encounter of sex with their husband/boyfriend/partner.)
Unlike in USA, sports at school is not populair (in my country) for reasons already mentioned above, So if you have responsible parents they will let you choose and they will encourage and stimulate you a sports art of your liking and then you can join that sports clubs. You can train multiple times per week and play matches during the weekend. You can start joining a club from the age of 7.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Physical_education
Physical education, Phy. Ed., or PE, also known in many Commonwealth countries as physical training or PT, is an educational course related to the physique of the human body. It is taken during primary and secondary education and encourages psychomotor learning in a play or movement exploration setting to promote health.
You may have knowledge; but , if you have no “Guts”…you will never make a dent in this world. Education is very important. Learn as much, as you can in school. Be the best of what you want to be. Most companies, who recruit, in Universities, scrape off the top 10% of the class.
Ateneo University does not guarantee, that their graduates will do well in actual life. Aquino and Mar Roxas, who are graduates, of such educational institution; are failures in their careers, as politicians.
I believe that life, is a lifetime learning. Learning does not stop, when you graduate in the university; or graduate school. You learn more, as you live your life. This is the reason companies, prefer applicants, with good work experience.
In my neck of the woords, we dont use terms like:
“professional licensed civil engineer”. Or is there also something like an:
“amateur licensed civil engineer”?
One is an (civil) engineer or no engineer. It really goes beyond me why there is so much emphasize on the word professional. It almost starts me to doubt the actual qualification.
A person is an accountant, bookkeeper, teacher, president or what not. If it is a hobby then you are an amateur bookkeeper, accountant, president. Although those words (the profession) are not even mentioned when its a hobby.
Should proper parenting, spending, and scheduling be taught in Philippine schools?
The answer is a simple NO. All the things mentioned are NOT taught in Dutch schools. Why? Because all those things are taught by the parents. School will not and should not and is not interfering with what should and must happen when parents raise their own kids.
If parents are not ‘equipped’ enough to incorporate all those things during raising then there is one thing left. Dont procreate.
School is the place to learn and teach academical skills, not things that should be done at home by parents.
Robert,
in PH many engineers are very unprofessional – with the reasoning ability of spoiled self-centered toddlers. There has to be some way of classifying which is which (real vs. fake professionals) – maybe some kind of rating/feedback system like for suppliers in eBay should be set up so customers can differentiate (any tech savvy guy here up for a business opportunity?)
When a teenager gets pregnant (which happens a lot in PH), it’s like you are relegating the task of raising a valuable new life to an untrained Ill-equipped lost soul who can’t even fend for herself. To break this cycle of creating more dysfunctional creatures in a shithole like PH, some drastic education-based measures need to be institutionalized.
If we leave it to half-wit parents to do the raising up of the next generation, PH will never get out of the poverty-stricken rut it’s in. Parenting is a more pressing concern in PH than advanced mathematical ability. The Dutch are an advanced society; PH is still stuck in a medieval mindset. The article only applies to PH, and can be phased out once we reach your society’s level – which may be after a hundred years from now.
I somehow recall you yourself saying you didn’t want your kids raised in PH (by a Pinay mother?) – it only proves the point that parenting skill is not the greatest of Pinoy attributes.
Zaxx,
Thanks for responding.
I keep on wondering why the difference(s) between – lets say – modern, advanced countries and the Philippines remain so huge.
Look, all I can say is this: If I would be in the same situation as many Filipinos (being poor and probably un-educated or low-educated) then why should I procreate? What – for heaven’s sake – can I give my future kid(s)? And I dont mean material things. I simply mean ‘giving my kid a better future/life’ than I myself ever had and have?
Ergo, I wouldnt stick my P in a woman’s V (despite what the church and my own religion is preaching). Unless of course when I know how to by-pass the ‘laws’ of reproduction.
Why do I now want my kid to be raised by a pinay mother while both the mother and the kid are in PH? Simple: the kid will be circumcized and it will be baptised. Both without consent of the kid/child. Secondly: the quality of PH education is below any standard(s).
Thirdly: the way PH ‘parents’ raise their own kids goes against my own rules of how to raise kids.
How do I know how to raise kids while never been a dad? I look(ed) at my own parents; i looked at parents of friends that I visited many times and by just observing parents with kids outside in a mall or in a street.
Now if I would start doubting myself of being or becoming not a good parent, that also will be an indicator for me, NOT to procreate.
Simple: because they’re lottery tickets and insurance policies, albeit very uncertain ones at that. They’ll use their spawn in hopes of earning a little more cash or even better hoping someone makes it big in showbiz. Disgusting mentality, but it comes with the territory when you’re that low in Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs.
Chris,
so kids are commodities (merchandise)!!?? Can we sell those commodities on the stock exchange or commodity-exchange?
Robert,
In line with Chis’ answer, a lot of poor Pinoy parents are hoping that in having many offspring (particularly girls) which they can’t even support with decent housing and 3 square meals a day, one of them would grow up to be lucky enough to bait an unsuspecting gullible Dutch guy like you into supporting the rest of the clan.
This is the type of mentality and line of reasoning that defies common sense this third-world shit-hole is up against as a society. I am simply proposing that this stupidity be systematically eradicated nationwide in schools, that the next generation be made to analyze and think the way first-world societies do (like the logic on procreation you gave).
Procreation should be a right only for those who can show proof of ability to competently raise kids. I am even inclined to propose that violators / uncertified parents be punished with ligation/vasectomy, and the child taken into custody by government. Yes, I can be harder than Duterte – if only to fix this country.
Politicians, media and the Catholic church are of no help in correcting Pinoy minds, and even promote the stupidity that prevails to ensure their milking cows and blind supporters remain dumb so they can keep their power.
Yes, many Pinoys view their children as potential ATMs. That’s why they encourage them to go abroad and remit money to shoulder their food, housing, health, transpo, bills, educ of siblings, and other expenses.
Parent don’t realize that by having one additional kid in the family, their standard of living goes down: instead of buying a genuine Nike or Reebok they will have to settle for a “Mike” or “Redbock” brand. Instead of a vacation to Boracay or abroad, they will have to settle for a nearby park/resort.
Another aspect of the Pinoy mind is that it is totally brainwashed by PH media which
revolves around the glorification of romantic love, comedy and crime. When you open up a Pinoy’s coconut, instead of a brain you will find a beating heart and a pumping P*/V* hell-bent on orgasm without counting the cost.
It’s a battle to free the mind. We can have a smart, incorrupt, and competent president
someday but if the vast majority of Pinoys are imprisoned in the mentality they are in, we will remain a basket-case economy filled with dysfunctional zombies at all levels of society.
It will take several generations to correct this. It has to start somewhere now – and since we can’t depend on media or the church, the education department may at least have the brains and common sense to consider the proposal in this article.
Let’s hope someone is listening.
Zaxx,
you mean that retard Dutch like me? Well dear old chap, I dont fall for that trap. Its not part of our Dutch culture (supporting the rest of the clan/tribe). And it will be seen as an insult to the family-in-law (in my country).
My personal logic on procreation is very simple: I cant afford kids then I wont procreate (me being religious or not religious) and if I cant give my offspring a life/future that is better than mine then its useless to procreate.
For that litigation stuff, you will have the church against you (in your country) and you first will need to make that into law. Secondly, as a result, a lot of kids will be born ‘underground’ if it becomes a law. Same happened in China with that 1-child-policy.
Politicians, media and the church will NOT easily give up their power. They thrive on it; they love it (the power).
As a foreigner – not being allowed to vote (but for the sake of arguments; just pretending I am a pinoy now) I wouldnt know who to vote for. I need to read each contender’s program (I think you call it platform) stating what they want to achieve, when to achieve it etc. So I will vote blanc (is that possible?).
“Look, all I can say is this: If I would be in the same situation as many Filipinos (being poor and probably un-educated or low-educated) then why should I procreate?”
our poor kababayans are not capable in thinking this way sadly. They dont rationalize.
Robert, I won’t blame you if you fall for a Pinay – some can be very charming. Just make sure you make money matters crystal clear from the onset. And if you’re lucky, there are some whose parents have passed away.
Yes you can probably leave your ballot blank. Since counting is automated now, the program can handle a NOTA situation. Likely it will default to the ruling party’s anointed- Mar Roxas, poster boy of this admin’s incompetence.
Zaxx,
From my personal point of view, most Filipinas do look exotic. Is that a sexist remark? Not for me, its just a fact. But I will say the same about Italian and Spanish women as well as many Latinas. The grass is sometimes greener elsewhere (but that doesnt say anything yet about the quality of the grass).
Talking about money. We dont talk much about money here in Europe (unlike the Americans do). We dont talk about how much money we make.
As for spending money on my ex Filipina GF: I (We) didnt stay in the Hilton and I didnt pay money to her family. I did give her parents gifts/presents for their hospitality (we spent a few nights there and we had a few meals there as well).
Zaxx, if you really want the Pilippines to modernize into something like the Philippines 2.0., then pls use modern arguments. Being a housewife is so 1950s. Seeing a man only as a provider is so 1950s. You really have to reshuffle the PH culture into the 21st century. Unless of course you dont want that.
Robert Haighton,
Anyone and anything look exotic until they start making demands of your time and money. Then they just become mundane.
Aeta
I am perfectly able to distinguish between what is pretty & beautiful and what is ugly. I cant imagine that people think about me being exotic. With a milky white skin standing at 6 feet 3. Hardly exotic.
My pinay GF was possessive and jealouse but she never demanded or asked me for money. However when I told her that it is a big No No to send her parents money IF/WHEN she and I would be living together, was a big shock for her. People in the Philippines still think that when people do marry that they also marry with their parents and uncles, aunts and what not. In my country, we only marry with each other. The future is about US not US and THEM.
Robert Haighton,
No, brother. Failipinas see you as a ticket out of the “Hell Hole” they’re in first. Love comes second, if it ever comes at all.
Aeta
Dear lil sister,
I know that but they dont stand a chance with me. Being an ATM is not part of the Dutch culture so why should I behave like an ATM in the Philippines.
Secondly, if Filipinas are not able to embrace the Western ideas where each individual is equal to the next and where 2 people must insert the same amount of effort, time and money into a relationship, then it doesnt stand a chance to work.
In short, they have to give up their retarded culture even much more if they come here alone.
your brother, Robert
Robert Haighton,
Now I’m a sister? Come on. Just a friendly advice from a lil sister to his big brother, who still wet his drawers whenever he sees an exotic Failipina: it doesn’t matter where you hide your ATM card. Once a woman gets a hold of you big and small heads, she’ll eventually get a hold of your wallet. Not trying to sound sexist, but never say never; it happens to the best of us. Whoever says he or she never gives in to temptation, are usually the ones who are easily tempted.
Aeta
Okay dear big sister,
I will give you a rub down of what I paid (although I cant give you exact amounts bec they got lost in my memory). Here we go:
– First, she told me that not all ATMs could be trusted even after punching the right PIN code; so we ended up using only CITI bank’s ATM. She told and warned me that even after punching the right code, my card could be ‘eaten’ by the machine. Regardless of her statement being true, I dont mind. It never happened.
a) I paid for all the various hotel bedrooms.
(Note: Did I mind? No. If I was there as tourist, I also had to pay for the rooms myself)
b) I paid for nearly all meals.
(Note: see note at a)
c) I paid for nearly all public transport.
(Note: see note at a)
d) on day 1 (day of arrival of first visit), she paid for everything bec I didnt have any PHP money on me. Later, I reimbursed her for this inconvenience.
e) when we visited one of her best female friends, she insisted (almost demanded) from me that I should/must pay for the cake. I was against this idea. Not bec of the amount but bec of the principle. I am visiting someone I dont know at all and then its very stupid to let the guest (me) pay for the cake. At this moment, I was ‘weak’ and so I gave in.
Bottomline: If I visited the Philippines alone as a tourist, I dont think I would have spend less. Do I feel used financially by my ex (back then my GF)? No. For me visiting the Philippines probably was my cheapest vacation ever (thanks to the low cost of living).
Would I do it the same way next time? Maybe yes, maybe no. It depends.
Bottomline 2: my GF was always in a situation where she could steal my credit card and/or bankcard. But she didnt. She didnt even steal cash money. And I never expected her to do that (now, you can call me naive).
Bottomline 3: We had online dicussions/conversations regarding the (our) future. I told her straight forward that sending money to her family was and is a big no go. For 2 reasons: I would feel used (and hence I would doubt her love) and her parents are responsible for their lives. In fact this issue is strange bec both parents do get a pension. Her mother was a state teacher and her father was head of the agricultural dept in her home town. Her only sibling (brother; 7 years or so younger than her) is employed by PNP.
Okay now you can give me your judgement about me being her personal ATM.
Robert Haighton,
I don’t know what to say. I’m lost for words. Your life is just an ‘open ledger’ for everyone to read and analyze—that is, if they’re willig to take the time to weave their way through the endless labyrinth. Goodluck to you.
Aeta
My favourite wisdom person,
that is because I am not full with BS lies and secrets. Maybe your remark says a lot about Filipinos in general. Why should I hide the truth and facts? Labyrinth or maze?
Robert Haighton,
Perhaps it is not about telling the truth, or whether it is a labyrinth or a maze. Maybe it is about your character being so transparent that everyone can see through you, find out there is nothing there to make them want to stay, and just keep going. Ever thought about that?
Aeta
Transparency works best for me, certainly in personal matters. At work, I am diplomatic (being transparent at work, will be used against me).
I am not sure if I follow you. Who is them? But let me tell you this: I ended the relationship bec of lets say irreconcible differences. Or in plain English: she was the famous fox in sheep clothes. It only took me about 30 months to discover that.
Robert Haighton,
Now I know why you keep striking out with Failipino women–or just women in general. You’re like an open door at the end of the hallways that leads to nowhere.
I know, I know. You will say something in return, even if it is completely out of context, just to elicit a response. And that is fine.
A conversation with you is an effective cure for my insomnia, because it doesn’t require much thought.
Aeta
“A conversation with you is an effective cure for my insomnia, because it doesn’t require much thought.”
That is because I am simple and primitive in thinking.
Robert, don’t forget that most schools in this country are Catholic, so there’s also lots of time wasted on prayers, sermons and whatever it is they do.
My nephew’s school also has a ‘flag ceremony’ at the start of the day, training them to be proud Pinoys. Presumably they get to the education at some point.
Dave,
I know.
And in most PH schools, wearing uniforms is mandatory (to show that we all are equal, similar and the same, right?). Well, the difference is clearly visible between pupil/student A and pupil/student B on day 1 at school.
Not just the students – many schools have a uniform for teachers too!
Dave,
how can I possibly discriminate who is a teacher and who is a pupil/student?
Thank god, in my country a pupil, student and teacher wear casual clothes (in each level of education; so Kindergarden, elementary, secondary, college, high school and university).
Which makes sense. Would you take someone wearing flip flops and sandos while teaching seriously?
Chris,
actually, I dont care as long as she/he is the best teacher for my kid(s).
Chris,
to put it in a very blunt way:
I dont care how and who my kid’s teacher is. If he/she is naked, heterosexual, gay, lesbian, unmarried, living together (unmarried), religious, atheist or muslim, as long as he/she is the best teacher, I am fine.
Wearing a uniform tells me nothing about how good a teacher is.
I agree with the article. I hope someone from our education system will take note of it and see how it could be implemented.
Many who are self-taught far excel the doctors, masters, and bachelors of the most renowned universities.
Yup, Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, and Mark Zuckerberg did not need a college diploma to be successful. Pinoy students should not be spoonfed; instead they should be taught how to fish for their own technical skills. Otherwise, how will they remain competitive when what they learn in college goes obsolete?
A college diploma is only for people who want to be employed. For big- minded entrepreneurs, they see the world outside our typical box. These days, smart dropouts hire the PhDs.
The discipline of reading English books is more important than one’s college degree. I can’t emphasize this enough – read read read, not watch watch watch!
zaxx,
“The discipline of reading English books is more important than one’s college degree. I can’t emphasize this enough – read read read, not watch watch watch!”
This is exactly what is wrong with the Failippines, where millions of “dime-a-dozen” degreed–but English illiterate—Failipinos think their use of colloquial “Tag-lish” makes them look and sound educated.
We only have our government officials and big businesses to thank for this nationwide promotion of ignorance, with their selfish desires to sidetrack quality education in place of profit; keep the general population mentally handicapped with their “monkey see monkey do” type of education (instilling rote memorization instead of critical thinking skills in schools); and the continuous mental bombardment of mind numbing movies and television programs, that keep millions of Failipinos in a state of being constantly “star-struck” or ‘zombie-like’ creatures (inability to think introspectively instead of impulsively).
At the same token, our government officials and big businesses protect their own family members from their own oligarch/elitist-induced mental plague, that has been afflicting the Failippines in the last 30 years, by sending their children to some of the most exclusive schools in the country like Ateneo, or, Ivy League institutions abroad.
Aeta
Aeta,
Yes, that’s a good gist of the situation you made there. We are back to square one when the Spaniards and the Catholic priests kept Indios in the dark by leaving them illiterate and unable to access Spanish books and scriptures that could have liberated them from their deplorable social caste system.
The question is how to free the captives. We cannot ask or expect the ruling elite or media to educate the people to their own loss, since they live on the blindness of the citizens. Pinoys blindly watch the mind-numbing shows and blindly pay for expensive crappy services because the powers that be want to keep their hold on all the money-making machinery that ensures them their lifestyle of royalty in the land.
I think we have a chance in the education sector. If some bright / progressive mind is among their ranks today, he/she will bring suggestions proposed in this forum to the table for consideration and if we are lucky – actual implementation. I think there are many in the education department and schools that still have some ounce of common sense and concern (malasakit) for the children – the future of this country.
Good you mentioned English again. The educational system in the country needs to be brought back to using English in all levels and in all types of classroom communication, except in the misnomer subject called “Filipino” (and teaching Filipino should be kept only till grade-6). And that will be a step on the ladder out of the poverty-stricken shit-hole Pinoys can’t seem to rise out of.
zaxx,
The only way to “free the captives” from these oligarch/elitists-induced mind-numbing movies and television programs is to beat them in their own game, through the use of “guerilla tactics” via social media programs (personal blogs, facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube), that will stir the ‘zombie-like’ mind of our people to wakefulness of how important English is in their lives.
I agree that Tagalog, for all its intended purposes, should not be taught past grade 6, but it should only be treated as regional dialect and not a national language; the same goes for other regional dialects.
Rather than our somewhat proficient Failipino English tutors trying to capitalize on the Japanese, Koreans, and Chinese markets, locally or via Skype to earn their livelihood, they should start their own local tutorial services and target grade school and college students on how to enhance their working knowledge of the English grammar.
I am already tutoring a few students, OFWs and call center applicants, as well as local business people on their English grammar skills during my free time, and had to turn away a few prospective clients because the demand is growing.
Making English the Failippines’ national language is what all of us should be campaigning for, in order to get our regionalist and backward-thinking people on the right track of ensuring the survival of our nation.
All other strategies at reforming the Failippines is counter-productive at best, and country-destructive at worst. English is the only way to go.
Aeta
Aeta,
“guerilla tactics” is a good strategy. keep up the great work.
Yeah, Pinoys need to realize the equation: “English = Money”.
Then they’ll probably switch back to using English.
Hey, zaxx! This has no relation to your article but I’m sure you’ll love this. I just read this in https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Davao_death_squads
😀
LOL! That’s great research Sick_Amore. Someone should make a movie mashup based on this, with the Punisher as the new leading character.
Looks like Wiki archived this pretty fast, before DoJ could use this as hard evidence for a case against DU30.
Another issue is that schools and parents are often at odds these days. It’s expected that they work together to help children grow decently. But these days, that’s the sign of something: people are so polarized that they can’t agree even on things like basic decency. Many are scrambling to protect their comforts, and are convinced by media, partisan politics and propaganda that everyone else different from you is a threat. It seems to me that most adults involved have lost their sense of duty of being good examples in society and showing how to live right.
ChinoF, that’s a good point.
Pinoys can’t even get themselves to agree to disagree, which makes it extra difficult to progress.
Actually, when children see the disconnect between the values education that the school teaches and the dysfunctional behavior of adults/parents, they get confused and eventually end up emulating what is evil rather than good – coz it’s the easier thing to do (human nature).
For a mind-revolution program to succeed in schools, the parents themselves need to be a positive reinforcement. Seminars, PTA meetings, newsletters will help for schools to get the cooperation of parents. Otherwise, the students need to be made aware of reality, and be taught NOT to copy and even CORRECT the dysfunction of their parents.
They need to be taught that the current generation of adults are mostly DUMB, and that they are the generation of the SMART. And after “40 years in the wilderness” with the last dumb Pinoy dead, a new PH society will emerge.
The piines world ranking in education is worse than dismal. I think you have to dig a hole to get to it it’s so bad. The teachers are arrogant and stupid. My 9 year old son had to keep correcting his teacher she made so many mistakes. She didnt like him but if a nine year old knows more than you do as a teacher I really don’t care how it makes you feel. The uni’s are in the bottom ranking nothing to be proud of at all. The system has to use international standards that can’t be cheated that is impossible to do in the pinnes. Did I mention the teachers are arrogant and stupid for the most part. They wouldn’t know common sense if it hit them on the head from space. Did I mention the teachers are arrogant and idiots. You have to get people who actually know how to teach because from what I’ve seen it’s an empty barrel their picking from. Did I mention teachers are arrogant and moronic. Most good teachers left to teach in another country we have two at our location. The wife is a really awesome teacher, very humble, I wish the teachers in the Pinnes were like her the place would be rocking. I don’t know the other one. Uni’s are pathetic, students cheat and profs don’t even look. If they don’t see it it didn’t happen. No wonder the rest of the world doesn’t take your diploma’s at face value because cheating and fraud are so rampant it pulls down the capable students, the few there are, with the garbage. No one can count subtract add multiply or divide in their heads thy are all stupid.
If you want to fix the problem you have to take the new generation away from the influence of all peenoise and raise them, educate them separately then you will have a chance. As long as the new kids have any influence from any peenoise you messed it all up. You have to keep the peenoise stupidity away from them then you will have a generation that can give you hope. That is the only way to save the Pinnes. Don’t let them be influenced by any peenoise at all. Its like a stupid idiot moron virus that effects all peenoise well almost all. A few are immune but only a few. The rest have the stupidity virus!
If you’re honest you know I’m speaking the truth.
I see that one person almost had my concept the 40 years till the idiots are all dead. The problem is they do influence the kids. You need to separate them even for 10 years to get them on the road to critical thinking and solidify it and the Pinnes will have hope again till then its a sad case that will not change. I weep for the Pinnes and the wasted youth that could have hope if not for the stupidity virus passed down by the older ones. How I wish it could change. ;(
Things to add to the Philippine Curriculum:
Research Skills
Study Techniques
How to use the internet for research and learning.
Logic and Philosophy
Literature
Financial Literacy
Programming
Computer Literacy
Values Education
SEX EDUCATION
History through investigative methods
….