The Philippine public school system: will it survive as a great libertarian rampart

Title

Creator

Drilon,Rex D.

Language

English

Source

The Cabletow III (3) January 1961

Year

1961

Rights

In Copyright - Educational Use Permitted

Fulltext

THE PHILIPPINE PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM: WILL IT SURVIVE AS A GREAT LIBERTARIAN RAMPART? The role of the public school system in a free society cannot be underrated. Never will there be a more vicious threat io our democratic ideals if public education should be lettered and sectarian. By Bro. Rex D. Brilon Associate Professor of Political Science & Secretary of the University of the Philippines While the Filipinos sleep, there is something going on in their country that eventually may spell the differ ent e between a Inc people and a shackled people. l he public school ssstem in the Philippines is in clanger of being so watered down from with in and so discredited from without that someday the Filipinos will wake? up and find too late that this great libertarian rampart has crumbled. One report says that there are now more than (>5() schools in the Philip pines mu by one powerful sectarian organization alone. While these sec tarian schools inc tease in number and are metic idously strengthened, our public: school system has progres sively weakened in standard mainlv clue to lac k of government appropria tion. So much public monev is spent—and maybe wasted and scpianderecl — on projects and undertak ings not so urgent or crucial as pub lic education, and yet the people as a whole do not seem to be aware lliev possess great power to press the Con gress to give the public schools a high priority in its budgetary atten tion even perhaps al lhe sacrifice of other forms of public services. Once the initiative and control of education return to any one church (as of old) or to several churches ol different persuasions, the minds of the people will be shaped toward an ecclesiastical orientations, promoting an interest inimical to the broad gen eral interest of the nation. That means conformism and uniformism. and with these evils lhe familiar hand-maidens of superstition, ex ploitation, and oppression. A peo ple reduced to that level have no chance in the world to reach a point of development beyond mere social adolescence. Which is why Filipino nmti'irity is long in coming at all, or in fact lias not yet come about for all the 100 years of Western encounter. The hope of this country is the University of the Philippines as long as that institution remains free and noil-sectarian. The pubiic school system is an important part of that hope as long as lhe pressures to con trol it or thwart its pristine purposes by private groups — religious, econo 89 mic, political — are vigilantly watched, resisted, and defeated. Fur ther, that hope remains alive as long as the public demands with uncom promising urgency that the govern ment give the public school svstem and the University of the Philippines increased budgetary support from year to year and sees to it that the Constitution regarding education is courageously implemented no matter what the reactionary forces do. Let me repeat the warning: Take out the public school system and the University of the Philippines from the social scene, and the days through which Rizal lived and suffered will be here again before we know it; even if you do not take out these symbols of free institutions, but mere ly allow them to be weakened, as some forces are attempting to do, those Rizal days will come back just the same, though slowly and stealthi ly, but just as surely. You tan bet on that! Then when this country retrogres ses because the thinking is again dimmed and the human personality is again downgraded, as of old, we will say with gnashing teeth to our selves, "We deserve what we get be cause we were not smart enough to learn from lhe bitter labours of our great men of the past." Remose always comes later than the deed. History has taught this repeatedly, but I guess some people have to learn it many times and pay a heavy price before it sinks in. Here & There (Cont’d) NOLI ME TANGERE LODGE NO. 1 18, F & A M One of the few lodges to install their officers for 1961 was the Noli Me Tangere Lodge No. 1'18, F & A M which held their installation of olficers at Plaridel Temple on Dec. 7, 1960 with Brigadier General Alfredo M. Santos, (AFP), as the Guest Speaker. It being a public installation, it was well attended by a large number of friends, brethren, and members of the families of the members. Musical numbers were rendered by Profs. Regino Dano, Dirnpna Clarin, and Mrs. Gudela C. Baltazar. Officers elected and appointed to serve the Lodge in 1961 are: Cesar B. Aguilar, Worshipful Master; Cesar C. Rillona, Senior Warden; Benito R. Mendoza, Junior Warden. ROSARIO VILLARUEL CHAPTER No. 2, OES Conchita O. Ilagan, Worthy Mat ron; Victorino R. Floro, Jr., Worthv Patron; Josefina E. Esguerra, Asso ciate Matron; Hilario G. Esguerra, Associate Patron; Pilar R. Gonzales. PM, Secretary: Victorina A. Uson, Treasurer; Elizabeth S. Piopongco, Conductress; Andrea V. Vallejo, As sociate Conductress; Esperanza G. Martinez, Chaplain; Cristeta L. Alva rez, PM, Marshall; Lina C. Navia, Organist; Virginia R. Sack, Adah; Erlinda G. Alonzo, Ruth; Inez Z. Morgan, Esther; Gracia M. Elefano, Martha; Belen Q. Villanueva, Electa; Mary C. Spuler, Warder; Antonio Gonzalez, Jr., Sentinel. 90 THE CABLE TOW January, 1961

pages

89-90

Media