I have told a lot of people that I will be voting for Nicanor "Nick" Perlas. Yet despite Ka Nick's record of career achievements and socio-political action with the grassroots, unfortunately I do not not share the same pick with my friends and relatives. Most of them would vote either for Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III, Manuel "Manny" Villar, Gilbert "Gibo" Teodoro, or Eduardo "Brother Eddie" Villanueva.
But there's something that I share with most (if not all) of my friends and relatives. We have the same "second choice" for the presidency in mind. That candidate is the good senator Richard "Dick" Gordon.
But there's something that I share with most (if not all) of my friends and relatives. We have the same "second choice" for the presidency in mind. That candidate is the good senator Richard "Dick" Gordon.
At first, it was Gordon's sense of uncompromising political will that made me consider voting for him, but the fact that we all met at the same political intersection made me think again.
There must be something special about Gordon that most wise voters made him their "second choice". Gordon may be more than just a strong-willed and hard-headed presidential aspirant, or a proto-dictator as some would even opine.
Gordon may, hopefully, have something under his sleeves that would at long last advance the welfare of the differently educated sector. After all, this senator who is known for his academic AND professional excellence was courageous enough to admit on national TV that he failed his sophomore year in Ateneo due to his own share of teenage mischief.
Until a good friend posted a comment in my blog entry about Gibo. My good friend Cheery said that Gordon's thrust is to equip students with trade skills at high school level! Cheery's comment pushed me to research further on what Gordon has in mind as far as reforms in the Philippine educational system are concerned.
Trade skills for high school graduates
"You will not graduate under my administration in high school without learning a skill that you can work with," Gordon said according to an article from the Philippine Daily Inquirer.
Now that makes sense. That thrust does not only uplift the quality of Philippine basic education program but also saves time, money and energy. Let's face it: a lot of our countrymen in remote areas in the countryside are having such a hard time to go to school because of geographical factors that not even infrastructure can totally iron out. This is especially true for the rural upland communities. To require them to be a college graduate to have the something to eat is very insensitive, and to stress the "need" for more masters and PhD degree holders despite the sad reality of their situation (just like what Gibo did) is downright insane.
And I believe Gordon's "trade skills for high school graduates" strategy is feasible. Not only I replied to Cheery's comment that I learned basic gardening skills in elementary. But more importantly, in the local corporate world I have been excelling in the field of data processing and management for almost a decade now, and as a differently educated person my high school formal education is the academic attainment that I have been using the most all these years!
But of course, we should not just stop in enhancing the Philippine basic education program. No matter how incisive the Philippine education system gets, people will still find it really hard to land a job if the culture of academic elitism prevails and skilled people are not given the chance.
A regime of meritocracy: providing Filipinos with opportunity
In the forum sponsored by Carlos P. Romulo Foundation and ANC Channel called "Presidential Policy Forum: Philippine Credibility and Competitiveness in the World" which was held on 15 January 2010 in Asian Institute of Management Conference Center, Gordon said, "The Filipino is a great manager of his talents. What is important is to provide him with the opportunity upon which there is a rule of law, there is a regime of meritocracy."
He further added, "That is why he succeeds abroad. When he works hard, he gets good compensation. We make sure that they feel that they are part of the process of making the Philippines A-1."
These words immediately reminded me of my memorable experience when I got sent to Wellington, New Zealand for training and process standardization. My Kiwi colleagues did not view me as a college dropout or as an "intelligent" UP student. No academic biases. No discrimination whatsoever. In fact, despite my academic deficiencies my Kiwi colleagues looked at me as an excellent customer master data analyst. That's because my Kiwi colleagues gave me a chance to prove my skills, my worth as a Filipino. I can even fondly remember an instance when a Kiwi colleague was convincing me to migrate to their country when I recited an impromptu poem to her, much to her enthrallment.
For me, my New Zealand experience was meritocracy at its best. It's very ironic that it is in New Zealand, a foreign country, where I felt respected as a working soul.
How I wish we could have the same thing here in the Philippines. Why require applicants for an entry-level call center position to have a college degree? Why turn down an articulate differently educated applicant in favor of a college graduate whose spoken and written English is far from intelligible?
Attractive salary for teachers
If you want good compensation, why would you be a teacher and earn only Php 15,000 if you can earn Php 18,000 by being a call center agent?
The result? We have more call center agents who serve as verbal dartboards to foul-speaking customers than teachers who serve as the guides of our children in their educational journeys.
Needless to say, any effort to uplift the quality of Philippine education will be useless if we do not pay enough attention to the welfare of our teachers.
Gordon's approach to this matter is simple. "Gusto ko, P40,000 ang suweldo ng teacher kaagad in the next 6 years," he said in his website.
Gordon wants our teachers, the noble educators who mold millions of future Filipino professionals every year, to get the kind of compensation that they rightfully deserve. Isn't that beautiful?
Not a big fan of academic elitists
And most of all, I think Gordon is not the kind of candidate who is comfortable with people who overemphasize their academic credentials. He said in an interview with Manila Bulletin, "Communication is not verbal exercise. May laman dapat ang sinasabi mo. Wala kang laman kung wala kang nagawa. Hindi sapat yung pinag-aralan mo, pag hindi alam gamitin yung pinag-aralan mo."
Wow! There's no better way to say that!
A good pick for the differently educated
All these being said, now I can see why lots of people are considering Gordon for the presidency. Aside from his brilliant academic attainment, he also has an impressive record of public service.
And as a differently educated writer, I can say that his views regarding the Philippine education system are more respectable AND respectful than that of Gibo.
(Click here to view photo source)
There must be something special about Gordon that most wise voters made him their "second choice". Gordon may be more than just a strong-willed and hard-headed presidential aspirant, or a proto-dictator as some would even opine.
Gordon may, hopefully, have something under his sleeves that would at long last advance the welfare of the differently educated sector. After all, this senator who is known for his academic AND professional excellence was courageous enough to admit on national TV that he failed his sophomore year in Ateneo due to his own share of teenage mischief.
Until a good friend posted a comment in my blog entry about Gibo. My good friend Cheery said that Gordon's thrust is to equip students with trade skills at high school level! Cheery's comment pushed me to research further on what Gordon has in mind as far as reforms in the Philippine educational system are concerned.
Trade skills for high school graduates
"You will not graduate under my administration in high school without learning a skill that you can work with," Gordon said according to an article from the Philippine Daily Inquirer.
Now that makes sense. That thrust does not only uplift the quality of Philippine basic education program but also saves time, money and energy. Let's face it: a lot of our countrymen in remote areas in the countryside are having such a hard time to go to school because of geographical factors that not even infrastructure can totally iron out. This is especially true for the rural upland communities. To require them to be a college graduate to have the something to eat is very insensitive, and to stress the "need" for more masters and PhD degree holders despite the sad reality of their situation (just like what Gibo did) is downright insane.
And I believe Gordon's "trade skills for high school graduates" strategy is feasible. Not only I replied to Cheery's comment that I learned basic gardening skills in elementary. But more importantly, in the local corporate world I have been excelling in the field of data processing and management for almost a decade now, and as a differently educated person my high school formal education is the academic attainment that I have been using the most all these years!
But of course, we should not just stop in enhancing the Philippine basic education program. No matter how incisive the Philippine education system gets, people will still find it really hard to land a job if the culture of academic elitism prevails and skilled people are not given the chance.
A regime of meritocracy: providing Filipinos with opportunity
In the forum sponsored by Carlos P. Romulo Foundation and ANC Channel called "Presidential Policy Forum: Philippine Credibility and Competitiveness in the World" which was held on 15 January 2010 in Asian Institute of Management Conference Center, Gordon said, "The Filipino is a great manager of his talents. What is important is to provide him with the opportunity upon which there is a rule of law, there is a regime of meritocracy."
He further added, "That is why he succeeds abroad. When he works hard, he gets good compensation. We make sure that they feel that they are part of the process of making the Philippines A-1."
These words immediately reminded me of my memorable experience when I got sent to Wellington, New Zealand for training and process standardization. My Kiwi colleagues did not view me as a college dropout or as an "intelligent" UP student. No academic biases. No discrimination whatsoever. In fact, despite my academic deficiencies my Kiwi colleagues looked at me as an excellent customer master data analyst. That's because my Kiwi colleagues gave me a chance to prove my skills, my worth as a Filipino. I can even fondly remember an instance when a Kiwi colleague was convincing me to migrate to their country when I recited an impromptu poem to her, much to her enthrallment.
For me, my New Zealand experience was meritocracy at its best. It's very ironic that it is in New Zealand, a foreign country, where I felt respected as a working soul.
How I wish we could have the same thing here in the Philippines. Why require applicants for an entry-level call center position to have a college degree? Why turn down an articulate differently educated applicant in favor of a college graduate whose spoken and written English is far from intelligible?
Attractive salary for teachers
If you want good compensation, why would you be a teacher and earn only Php 15,000 if you can earn Php 18,000 by being a call center agent?
The result? We have more call center agents who serve as verbal dartboards to foul-speaking customers than teachers who serve as the guides of our children in their educational journeys.
Needless to say, any effort to uplift the quality of Philippine education will be useless if we do not pay enough attention to the welfare of our teachers.
Gordon's approach to this matter is simple. "Gusto ko, P40,000 ang suweldo ng teacher kaagad in the next 6 years," he said in his website.
Gordon wants our teachers, the noble educators who mold millions of future Filipino professionals every year, to get the kind of compensation that they rightfully deserve. Isn't that beautiful?
Not a big fan of academic elitists
And most of all, I think Gordon is not the kind of candidate who is comfortable with people who overemphasize their academic credentials. He said in an interview with Manila Bulletin, "Communication is not verbal exercise. May laman dapat ang sinasabi mo. Wala kang laman kung wala kang nagawa. Hindi sapat yung pinag-aralan mo, pag hindi alam gamitin yung pinag-aralan mo."
Wow! There's no better way to say that!
A good pick for the differently educated
All these being said, now I can see why lots of people are considering Gordon for the presidency. Aside from his brilliant academic attainment, he also has an impressive record of public service.
And as a differently educated writer, I can say that his views regarding the Philippine education system are more respectable AND respectful than that of Gibo.
(Click here to view photo source)
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