Philippine Independence Day was just celebrated last weekend, June 12. My daughter had just finished her school year as well. It made me curious how nationalism is seen through the lens of youth today.
I remembered my daughter’s submission in her research elective class. She could choose any topic under the sun, but she chose to study how reforms in Philippine education can be a long-term solution to solving corruption. I remember reading the methodology and being “eye-opened”. I thought it would be good to share the thoughts of a 15-year-old high-school student:
“Corruption has always been generally prevalent in many aspects of Philippine society. On a scale of zero to 100 in the Corruption Perceptions Index, zero being the most corrupt and 100 being highly clean, the Philippines has a score of 34 as of 2019 [Transparency International, 2019]. Out of 180 countries and territories, the country is 113th in the world for overall transparency. Compared to its neighboring countries that were developing at almost the same time, its rank is far lower, as Singapore, Hong Kong, Japan, and Taiwan are high in the top 40. It is safe to conclude that the overall development of these neighboring countries have benefited greatly from their lower rates of corruption, just as the Philippines’ overall progress has been stunted due to the local abundance of corruption.
“Although the Filipino people are well aware that corruption is apparent in their society, it is difficult to combat an issue in the government when the power and authority lie within the problem itself. At the same time, it has become part of Filipino norm to succumb to acts of corruption such as bribery. This is evident in a survey in 2016 showing that ‘more families or 3 out of 4 gave bribe or grease money when asked. Thus, payment of bribe or grease money is more likely at the behest of a government official rather than purely voluntary.
“‘Of the different types of services, the highest percentage of families gave a bribe or grease money when asked by a government official in accessing justice’ [Office of the Ombudsman through the Research and Special Studies Bureau, et al, 2018]. According to Transparency International’s 2009 Global Corruption Barometer, the sectors and institutions most prone to corruption are civil servants and parliamentarian/legislator; judiciary, education, health, tax revenue [Nawaz et al., 2008]. Furthermore, as of 2008, more than 30 percent of the budget allocated to government projects is also lost due to corruption [Nawaz et al., 2008].
“Though many measures have been taken to prevent and manage corruption, as previously mentioned, corruption is still very much palpable as of today. Numerous laws, policies and proponent organizations have been adamant in trying to fix this tough issue, however. I believe that one of the most effective ways of preventing long-term corruption in the future is the reform of the country’s education system….
“…A study done in 2018 on social science teachers in Surabaya [Indonesia] (Sarmini & Nadiroh, 2018, p. 12167), concluded that ‘social science teachers in Surabaya realize that teaching materials on Anti-Corruption Education is very important in social studies learning activities. Despite high awareness of the importance of anti-corruption education materials for students, there are still many social studies teachers who have not yet made instructional materials on the importance of Anti-Corruption Education for students on social studies subjects.” This paper also states that “teaching materials of Anti-Corruption Education is a theme of teaching material that is very important to guide the child with hope as early as possible to grow an anti-corruption attitude.” [Sarmini & Nadiroh, 2018, p. 12167]….”
My daughter’s hope is that “by emphasizing the importance of combating corruption, the results of this study will hopefully be able to promote a reform of the educational system in the Philippines to improve and further its overall progress and development as a nation.”
I think my daughter’s trip to Sweden, where she participated in the CISV (Children’s International Summer Village), planted the seeds of her quest for “Philippine Independence from Corruption”. From learning more about Philippine culture in their preparatory weeks pre-departure, to learning global social issues and conditions of the more than 30 countries which participated, she garnered the importance of national pride. She did this trip at 11 years old, but I feel she has brought that desire to act in the years that followed.
As a parent, I realized after reading this that the issue of corruption is no different from the pressing issues of sustainability and inclusiveness, which greatly affect our children’s future. I believe it is a good surprise how kids today are actually the ones reminding their parents for a change.
Belated Happy Independence Day, everyone.