Features OpiniOn Beyond independence

AS the country celebrated the 125th anniversary of the declaration of independence on June 12, millions of Filipinos suffering from under-education and weak literacy are unaware of the event or its significance. Jose Rizal, a staunch advocate of education, would have been disheartened by the current sad state of Philippine education.

The founding fathers would also be dismayed that on the 125th anniversary of Independence Day, a large segment of the population still needs liberation from several of the same major problems that fueled the Philippine revolution over a century ago: poverty, hunger and injustice.

While the nation is no longer under colonial rule, the Philippines has yet to achieve credible defense capability against external threats. No country is an island and the world has become interconnected and economies interdependent.The Philippines can forge strategic security alliances with other states. But countries appreciate allies that make an effort to strengthen their self-defense capability. This is something that the Philippines must pursue, especially as it deals with growing external security issues.

At the same time, greater effort is needed to create an enabling environment that will empower more Filipinos to get out of poverty, and stay out. Cash handouts to the poor, even if conditional, can be unsustainable especially for a government that supposedly faces fiscal collapse unless certain reforms are undertaken.

The education system, although mandatory and free from kindergarten to college, is seriously in need of fixing. The sorry state of education is affecting all aspects of life, from economic growth to the quality of governance and the way people pick candidates in elections. National competitiveness has suffered and the Philippines’ standing in the region has slipped in most of the human development indicators.

Celebrating the 125th Independence Day should include a sincere commitment to make life better for all, and not just for the miniscule segment of the population that controls money and power in this country. (Philstar.com)