FOR the young generation, education not only refers to what the current population needs in the exercise of their voting rights but a way of life that should determine major decisions, such as raising a family and choice of profession.
According to the more than 40 student leaders from major private educational institutions around the University belt, corruption in government persists because the majority of the populace does not know better. Hence, many remain mired in poverty.
Asked whether such is a case of the chicken-and-the-egg, where parents cannot send their children to school because of poverty, the students said they refer not only to the formal education. Education also includes the simple awareness that governance should not be left in the hands of public officials, one student said. The people should be very active in politics, and not be reduced to solely working and farming.
“When I vote, I am putting my entire trust to the politician of my choice” so the voting itself is a very important exercise, student leader Francis Urate said.
Urate and the students said the propensity of politicians to use or target the masa vote should be stopped.
“We have a political system that cater to a so-called populist vote,” Far Eastern University (FEU) student Pat Anthony Padua told the BusinessMirror. “This is not good, because it only deceives the electorate.”
Padua added that resolving poverty should not even be made a political campaign promise or even platform, because governance should automatically result to addressing poverty.
Padua and the other students were attendees of a forum organized by the FEU under its annual Millennial Talk Series. It was attended by the University of Santo Tomas, Lyceum of the Philippines University, Letran University, Jose Rizal University, Philippine Women’s University, San Beda University and FEU.
For solving the poverty, The students said creating jobs should be a main focus of presidential candidates. For Padua, agriculture should be given a priority.
“Many poor Filipinos belong to the farming sector hence, agriculture should be a main strategy of the government to address poverty.”
Pressed for a particular subsector in agriculture, Padua told the BusinessMirror that the crop and livestock should be equally developed and assisted, although his present leaning is on crops as his family owns 10 hectares of rice land in Nueva Ecija.
On the question whether martial law should remain an electoral issue or not, the students were almost equally divided in their stand. Some students said the brutal military dictatorship during the administration of the late-President Ferdinand Marcos is a nonissue, adding that the country needs to “move on.”
They, however, clarified that moving on does not mean forgetting the lessons of the past.
When asked to describe in a few words the character of their choice of president, intelligence, integrity, experience and skills capped the most important traits a president should have.
Some students explained that intelligence does not necessarily constitute high academic standing. They said enough intelligence and skills are needed to solve the country’s myriad problems.
Some students said as millennials they differ from earlier generations who “are more forward with their opinion and speak their minds.” However, they also admitted that as heavy users of social media, many of them tend to believe stories as true without the benefit of in-depth study or fact-checking.
Social media, online sites and Facebook were the frequently used sources of information on current issues. Only two students said they read newspapers and vet information with books.
The majority of the students expressed excitement over the prospect of having to vote the next president and other national officials as first-time voters.
Alladin S. Diega is a correspondent for the BusinessMirrorcovering the information technology and agriculture sectors. Like his story online via the BusinessMirror Millennials Universe (BMMU) Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Millennial-Universe/435594193285671. Follow BMMU on Twitter via @millennial_U or Instagram (type Millennial Universe). E-mail comments or story to millennialuniverse@yahoo.com and the editor at dennis.estopace@gmail.com.