“MATATAG NA KINABUKASAN NG BAGONG PILIPINAS”

 (Erico Joseph T. Canete)

            IT’S A GREAT HONOR to be invited as guest speaker to the graduating students of Bilar National High School on their 24th Commencement Exercises on May 31, 2024. Yet, it is equally challenging to reflect and to synthesize personal thoughts in line with the DepEd’s nationwide theme, “Kabataang Pilipino Para sa Matatag na Kinabukasan ng Bagong Pilipinas,” 

           How can the youth of today contribute to the strength and the common good of our nation considering the challenges, complexities, and social problems they are facing? In an article published on March 14, 2024 by Amy Morin, a US based psychotherapist and a licensed clinical social worker, as medically reviewed by Charissa Chamorro, PhD., the ten social issues and problems that trouble today’s youth are social media, peer pressure, on- screen violence, depression, bullying, sexual activities resulting to unwanted pregnancy, drug use, alcohol use, obesity and academic problems. 

            Let’s focus our discussion on education as auxiliary to acquire virtues in addressing these problems.

            We can find copious definitions of education. Subjectively, St. Thomas Aquinas’ definition rings a bell. He said, “Education is direction and advancement of the person to the perfect of state of man as man in the context of virtue to achieve his end; happiness.” The Declaration on Christian Education, ‘Gravissimum Educationis’ by his Holiness Pope Paul VI on October 28, 1965, has a profound explanation on this claiming; “The true education aims at the formation of the human person in the pursuit of his ultimate end of the good of the societies of which, as man, he is a member, and in whose obligations, as an adult, he will share.” 

           The phrase coined in the beginning of the 19th century, the three Rs in education (Reading, wRiting and aRithmetic), are important basic skills taught in schools. These train the cerebrum to be rational, analytic and scientific. Obviously, education is not limited in this context. We need to be synthetic, intuitive and affective, likewise. 

           The three Rs form the cerebrum. Yet, as an addendum, we need education in values and virtues to direct us to be sensitive to our spiritual, moral, and societal responsibilities. 

          What better institution carries this responsibility than the family. Educating the child starts here and cannot be delegated to the school. The schools’ basic role is to teach the educand on how to earn a living with their chosen field of profession.  Yet, if the school supplements the family’s role to form the moral and spiritual formation of the educand, then it becomes the second family.

           How? There are plenty of ways. 

          Teach the educand to give justice to God and others through adoration and respect for life/selfless love for others respectively. Teach the educand the virtue of temperance to tame their desire for pleasure and consequently develop a sense of respect on the dignity of human sexuality. Teach the educand to respect human authority, and to be responsible steward over material things. Finally, in a world of lies and deceit, teach the educand to love the truth. 

           Hone the intellect and strengthen the will thru virtues; keys to strengthen the individual person and society alay sa matatag na kinabukasan ng bagong Pilipinas,”