- What was the effect of typhoon Yolanda in the education of the affected areas?

In the early morning of Friday, November 8, 2013, one of the strongest typhoons
(cyclones) to strike land on record slammed into the central Philippines, also known as
the Visayas region. Over a 16 hour period, the “super typhoon,” with a force equivalent
to a Category 5 hurricane and clouds that covered two-thirds of the country, directly
swept through six provinces and affected over 10% of the nation’s population of 105
million people. With the aftermath it is imperative that it brought a lot of destruction. The
storm knocked out power, telecommunications, and water supplies in at least six
provinces. Food was in short supply. Between two-thirds and 90% of structures were
heavily damaged or destroyed. Downed trees and other debris blocked roads. Some
airports, vital links to the rest of the archipelagic country, were damaged, particularly
Roxas airport on Panay Island and Tacloban airport. Most medical facilities and
pharmacies were destroyed or not functioning. Furthermore, decentralized authority, a
shortage of available government workers, looting, and heavy rains reportedly delayed
some relief efforts .Not only the economy, transportation, communication, business
industries and the government offices in the Philippines particularly region 8 are
affected but also education. The disaster quickly created a humanitarian crisis.
Operations, including classes, in public and private as well as higher educational
institutions in Eastern Visayas and in severely affected portions of Central and Western
Visayas have been temporarily suspended until second week of January next year. Not
only classes in all levels are suspended, many school infrastructures and school
facilities are destroyed. Many teachers as well as students died due to the typhoon. And
for those who survived, they are experiencing traumas brought about the typhoon and
most of the people in the affected areas are now internally displaced.

- Why does the Philippines need the K-12 program?

The current education system of the Philippines will be enhanced from the
10- years of basic education into 12- years through the program called the K-12
Education Plan of the Department of Education. The implementation of the K- 12
education plan in the Philippine Basic Education Curriculum is the key to our
nation’s development. Though the government will face many problems in the
long run of the implementation of the program, there really is a need to
implement it because the enhancement of the quality of our education is very
urgent and critical.

Here are some of the reasons why not disagree with K- 12 education plan
in the Philippines: If K- 12 will be implemented, students will be able to get
sufficient instructional time to do subject- related tasks which makes them more
prepared and well- trained on that subject area. On the other hand, if we remain
on the old system, Filipino students would continually get low achievement
 scores. For instance, international test results revealed that we often come at the
tail end / in the exams compared to other countries. Another good reason why
we should support K- 12 is that the graduates of this program will be more
prepared to enter the labor force. As we all noticed, high school graduates of the
current curriculum are not yet employable for the reason that they are not yet
competent and well – equipped with the skills needed in the workplaces. In
addition, most high school graduates are not yet reaching the legal age of 18.
With the new curriculum, senior high school students can choose a field that they
are good at and that they are interested in. As a result, they will be equipped with
the skills needed for a specific job even without a college degree. At the age of
18, the age when they graduate from high school, they will be employable and
competitive already. Thus, adding up to the nation’s manpower. Finally, with K-
12, Filipino graduates will be automatically recognized as professionals abroad
because we are following the international education standard as practiced by all
nations. There will be no need to study again and spend more money in order to
qualify to their standards. With this, Filipino professionals who aspire to work
abroad will not find a hard time in getting jobs in line with their chosen field and
will be able to help their families more in the Philippines as well as the country’s
economy with their remittances, property buying, and creation of businesses.

Filipinos are known to be competitive in the international community.

While this may be true, our current education system hinders us in becoming
more competitive among other countries. The K- 12 education plan offers a great
solution to that problem. However, it is undeniable that there seems to be
problems arising as we implement the program such as lack of government
budget, classrooms and school supplies as well as the teachers. But, if we focus
on the long- term effect of K- 12, we can conclude that it is very beneficial to us
Filipinos. Therefore, we must have the strong will in supporting K- 12 Educational
Plan for the betterment of our education system and economy. Remember, if we
want change in our society, we must start it with our education system.

- How will k-12 program affect to the globalization of education?

In May, President Benigno Aquino of the Philippines signed into law a basic
education curriculum that will see a mandatory kindergarten year and two additional
senior high school years added to what was a 10-year education curriculum to make
basic education 12 years. The programme has been adopted not only in schools in the
Philippines, but also in Filipino schools abroad that follow the department’s curriculum.
The goal of the new curriculum is to give Filipino students enough time to master skills
and concepts so that they are ready for tertiary education when the time comes.
Kindergarten was previously optional, and advocates of the K-12 programme argue that
students who went to kindergarten are better prepared for primary education than those
who did not. In addition, the K-12 programme “provides for the use of the ‘mother
tongue‘ language as the medium of instruction for students in the basic and lower years
to facilitate and expedite learning.”
While basic skill development and workforce preparation skills are important in
the American education system, a paradigm shift must take place recognizing that in
order to be truly globally competitive, we must be globally competent. Educating young
people to become global citizens will allow them to learn about the interdependence of
the world's systems, believe that solutions to global challenges are attainable, feel
morally compelled to confront global injustices and take responsible action to promote a
just, peaceful and sustainable world. While at first glance a focus on global citizenship
may seem secondary in a system where basic literacy remains a challenge for many,
these skills are vital. If we truly aspire to have a world-class education system in
America, we must engage with the world. The challenges that face the world today—
from global poverty and climate change to financial systems and conflict—require
globally-minded solutions. Global competency skills are necessary so that young people
can invent a future that appropriately addresses global challenges.

- As a youth, what can you say about pork barrel scam?

In the Philippines, it is the budgetary allocation given members of the Congress

and the Senate. In 2006, the amount was P70 million for each member of Congress,
and P200 million for each member of the Senate.
The term “pork barrel politics” usually refers to spending what is intended to
benefit a politician’s constituents, in return for their political support. Recently, however,
the most widely known reference to the term would have to be the 2013 Philippine Pork
Barrel Scam.
Being the future of the country, the youth is our nation’s prime asset. It is the
country’s duty to support and care for its children. In turn, the youth has an obligation to
be involved in the affairs of our nation, and not to stand by idly when scandals arise.
With the revelation of the recent pork barrel scam—whose roots go deep into the
cracks and crevices of the government—the call on the youth movement is even
greater.
It has been repeatedly said that corruption in the Philippines is not only deeply
rooted, but also is institutionalized. It has become the norm, a way of life. And, to put it
bluntly, the wrong seems to have become the right—because everyone else does it.
What’s even more scandalous is that those accused of stealing flaunt their
excessive lifestyles with neither shame nor guilt. If this has become the norm, how do
you put a stop to it? The problem is so complex that we should start examining our own
values as a people.
Government officials and their cohorts seem to have forgotten even the most
fundamental of human values. Maybe they should go back to the basics—all the wealth
accumulated in one’s life cannot really be taken to the grave or to the next life. If you
truly love your family, would you want them to pay for your sins in the form of karmic
justice?

- How does technology drive globalization? What role does the modern technology
play in globalization?
The all new technology revolution is changing the world. Technology can both
create and alleviate dependency. The impact of technology on the commercial aspect of
human culture is a major one. Technology has not only brought the world closer
together, but it has allowed the world’s economy to become a single interdependent
system. This means that we can, not only share information quickly and efficiently, but
we can also bring down barriers of linguistic and geographic boundaries. The world has
developed into a global village due to the help of information technology allowing
countries who are not only separated by distance but also by language to shares ideas
and information with each other. A marked acceleration is likely in the expansion of
human life spans along with significant improvements in the quality of human life. Better
disease control, customized drugs, genetic therapy, drugs, artificial limbs, implants or
transplants, and many other advances may continue to increase human life span and
improve the quality of life. New skills and new opportunities for employment have come
about as a result. It has increased the ability of the homemaker to run a household
effectively and carry out the financial transactions in a more effective manner. The
accelerating pace of technological change combined with increased growth of the
industries will increase the importance of education and training. Distance learning and
other alternative mechanisms will help, but such change will make it difficult for societies
reluctant to change. Other trends that because of technical challenges do not yet seem
likely to have significant global effects in the near future could become significant earlier
if breakthroughs are made.

- Should same sex marriage be legalized in the Philippines?

Gods law comes before any law. Gay marriage is an abomination and marriage of a
man and a woman is sacred in the eyes of God. Same-sex marriage is against "natural
law," Archbishop Emeritus Oscar Cruz said. Same sex marriage cannot be legislated
because appropriating the word “marriage” could not change its true meaning in the
same manner that men will regret attaching their unions to heterosexual marriage. This
is not to say that the social attitudes and behavior of Filipinos toward homosexuality and
same-sex marriage are not changing. They are, and social media has triggered a shift in
how we digest controversial topics that in the past have been filtered and controlled by
traditional institutions, such as the Church and our schools. Remember that Philippines
is a religious country.
And, formulating a law on same sex marriage would cause disharmony, anger and long
lasting hurt. Because, accordingly, far from creating equality in marriage, the law would
establish two different sorts of marriage—statutory gay marriages and traditional
marriage.

The question now is this: Can marriage, as a matter of course, fulfill a happy
family? Or, is it possible to have a happy family even if there is no marriage as a matter
of fact? Is marriage as precondition for a legitimate relationship notwithstanding gender
preference of both parties? Congress may as well discuss marital term limits.

- Discuss what you know about pacquiaos case the “tax evasion case” .

The Court of Tax Appeals (CTA) on Thursday issued a gag order against boxing champ
Manny Pacquiao and the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) on the former's tax case.
CTA First Division presiding judge Roman del Rosario ordered both camps to stop
speaking about Pacquiao's tax case publicly. The BIR is running after Pacquiao for back
taxes from 2008-2009, worth over P2.2 billion. Henares said Pacquiao may have initially
owed the BIR P1.1 billion, but the amount has since doubled due to surcharges and
interest. Pacquiao had filed a civil case against the BIR before the CTA questioning the
tax liability. Has Manny Pacquiao read the words of Jesus, “Give unto Caesar what is
Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s”? Jesus was ordering you to pay your rightful taxes.
Embossed on brass, silver, gold coins, legal tender of that period, was Emperor
Caesar’s likeness, indicating that coins belonged to the Emperor. One had to return
some of the coins to the Emperor so the Emperor (as with the BIR) will have funds for
paved roads, police, firemen, health centers, courts, for the use of all citizens including
Pacman and his poor relatives. To accurately calculate his unpaid taxes, BIR needed
supporting documents–the most important of which is legal evidence that he paid U.S.
taxes. It is no problem to ask the U.S. Taxman to send a Certified True Copy, CTC, of
one’s original tax returns, costing $12. Only the person himself, Pacman, can make this
request for a CTC from the U.S. taxman, and not anybody else. Instead of paying this
$12 fee to the IRS for a CTC, Pacman’s accountant instead sent a letter to BIR
confirming that Pacman has already paid his U.S. taxes. A letter from a Pacman
employee is not what the BIR needs. A letter from a Pacman employee is not an official
legal document. BIR needed a CTC from the IRS--US Taxman, not a letter from a
Pacman employee. Any employee can be ordered by Pacman to write a letter. But the
BIR will not accept it. The legal allowed time by BIR had passed. Whatever BIR says he
owes is now final and executory. This document from the IRS is what this tax case is all
about. BIR waited for two years for this document without any compliance from
Pacman. Finally, the BIR moved to do what the law allows BIR to do to people who
refuse to pay their legal taxes–garnished and levied his assets--lock their assets
equivalent to what they owe the BIR. Manny Paquiao refused to follow the words of
Jesus, “Give unto Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.” Assigned Bible
Ambassador by the Romano Catholic church, he admits that he has not read most of
the Bible, and hearing his biblical statements, I can tell he has not understood much of
what he claims he has read.