Christine G.

Preciosa
M.ED-ESL

Half a Century of Perpetual Replanning of Philipine Education and Never Catching Up

By Preciosa S. Soliven
(A Reaction Paper)

Despite rapid economic growth in the Philippines in recent years, unemployment

remains a persistent problem for the sprawling Southeast Asian nation of more than 100

million people. One reason is that job creation has struggled to keep pace with an ever-

expanding population. In three of the past five years, the number of people entering the job

market has been greater than the number of jobs created. The conundrum highlights the

difficulty of spreading the benefits of economic growth and suggests they have yet to trickle

down to more deprived areas. Participation in the labor force remains relatively low. This is

partly explained by the high value set on further education in the Philippines: young Filipinos

typically spend some time in college before entering the labor market, contributing to the

lower participation rate.

According to researchers, “DECS officials and curriculum development planners and

specialists have not seriously taken into account findings, showing weak linkages between

education and employment. Studies have revealed no strong correspondence between

educational attainments, employment levels and wage rates. There remains a continuing

mismatch between the country graduates and labor market needs.” Who says there’s a

backlog in employment? The truth is companies keep seeking for competent or skilled

workers but there are few of them. Other than teachers, good secretaries, accountants and
food service personnel were hard to find. Most of the electricians, carpenters and plumbers

were not licensed at all. Trained building custodians were nowhere to be found.

Filipinos are known to be competitive in the international community. However, our

current education system hinders us from becoming even more competitive. With K-12

education, students will have sufficient instructional time for subject-related tasks, making

them more prepared in every subject area. With the old system, Filipino students were

consistently behind on achievement scores. High school graduates of the 10-year curriculum

were not yet employable since they were not competent or well–equipped enough for the

workplace. In addition, high school graduates of the 10-year curriculum are not yet 18. With

the new curriculum, senior high school students can specialize in a field that they are good

at and interested in. As a result, upon graduation they will have the specific job-related skills

they need even without a college degree. When they graduate from high school, these young

people will be 18 and employable, adding to the nation’s manpower. With the new

curriculum, the education department informs the public and encourages them to take up

the corresponding collegiate courses to fill up these job positions.

Today many choose to be employed in call centers, reducing them to clerical jobs

instead of pursuing their majors. In the last generation, it was even ridiculous when many

chose to invest in their own water business. Obviously, their average ambition was to get

easy jobs while gaining a big salary. Though Filipinos are known to be competitive in the

international community, our current education system hinders us in becoming more

competitive among other countries. The K-12 education plan offers a solution to that

problem.
 However, it is undeniable that there will be problems that arise as we implement the

program, which could include a lack of budget, classrooms, school supplies, and teachers.

That said, the long-term effects of K-12 education will be very beneficial to us Filipinos. How

much money has been squandered and opportunities thrown away to be gainfully employed

and fortify our economy? If only our government were realistic in the pursuit of developing

the full potential of the people. DepEd, TESDA and CHED must first work in harmony. At the

same time Dept. of Labor & Employment (DOLE) and Department of Trade and Industry

(DTI) should endeavor to align with them.