The Role of Education in Philippine Democracy

by Adrian Benedict P. Manalaysay, PUP College of Law

"On this battlefield, man has no better weapon than his intelligence, no other force but his
heart." (Jose Rizal, a Filipino hero)

Plato, an ancient Greek philosopher, once said that one of the penalties of refusing to participate
in politics is that you end up being governed by your inferiors. He dreamed of a country ruled by
a philosopher-king who would use his wisdom and virtue in the administration of state

In a democracy where people are sovereign, education is what we need in order to make every
Filipino a philosopher-king. The Philippines can only achieve true democracy if we have a
universally-accessible quality education which would inculcate critical thinking skills and inspire
active civic participation.

Critical thinking skills will help voters choose competent leaders by scrutinizing the integrity of
the character and the feasibility of specific platforms of the candidates for public office. Voters
will not be easily swayed by the propaganda and rhetoric made by politicians.

Monitoring government program through an active civic participation will make public officials to
be more cautious in their actions. Public accountability will result in a more responsive and
efficient public administration. People can only be expected to faithfully obey the laws and pay
taxes if good service and public safety are assured to them.

According to Benjamin Franklin (an American philosopher), an investment in knowledge pays the
best interest. That could be one of the reasons why the 1987 Constitution of the Philippines
mandates the State to assign the budgetary priority for education (Sec. 5[5], Art. XIV). The
framers of the Constitution must have believed that it is through education that our beloved
country will develop into a stronger, self-reliant nation-state.

"To defend a country, you need an army. But to defend a civilization, you need schools. You
need education as the conversation between generations. There is too much 'I' and too little
'We' in our culture, and we need to teach the children to care for others, especially for those not
like us." (Jonathan Henry Sacks, a British rabbi)

Related Video: House of Lords Debate on Education - 7th December 2017 (Rabbi Sacks' Speech:
bit.ly/2R4WXtN)