Yu, Abiah Kaylene B.

A-116

EXERCISE 2: Philippine in the 21st century

Over the years, the system of governing our country has been erratic and this due to the
different ideologies of its past leaders that also correspond to the situation during their
administration. Hence, the whole Filipino nation eventually flourished, and we become what
we are right now—a free and sovereign country. However, it cannot be denied that our country
was severely pounded by discrimination, injustice, and bloody wars instigated by colonialism.
Despite these unfortunate events, Filipinos still hold their ground strong against any inequity
and oppression up to this day aiming to preserve their national identity; and to further develop
a humane and exceedingly progressive nation the following elements must be taken into
account in creating the blueprint of a Philippine Nation in the 21st Century:

1. Highly
Accessible and
Flexible Education
System

5. Cultural 2. Enhanced
Preservation Healthcare System

4. Fair Justice System 3. Non-discriminatory

and Competent Society
Government

Highly Accessible and Flexible Education System – It is a well-known fact that education is a
basic human right and not a privilege. Thus, to accomplish the building of a strong nation, highly
accessible and flexible learning must be prioritized that even the communities at the hem of
our society will receive a proper education. Moreover, education does not provide a mere
degree, it provides competency and complex life skills that are beneficial to the economy’s
growth. In accordance with this, a higher education rate equates to higher competitive
advantages of economic development as this can bring a huge leap on an economy’s
productivity because the number of educated people rises which means more skilled people
can do jobs more effectively and efficiently (Radcliffe, 2021).
Enhanced Healthcare System – Assuring the health and safety of each citizen is another
significant factor in nation-building. As stated by Colombo (2020), poor health reduces labor
market outcomes which can amount to enormous expenses to societies. With that being said,
enhancing and prioritizing healthcare for all is a must to keep the well-being of the people and
for the country to continuously thrive.
Non-discriminatory Society – The 21st Century is a whole different era that redefines norms
and beliefs that are detrimental to some groups in our society like LGBTQ+. In fact, according to
United Nations (2021), human rights are based on the principles of equality and non-
discrimination, which contribute to alleviating disadvantages on a variety of levels and in a
variety of domains. Hence, for the Philippines to be a more prosperous and civilized nation, a
free and more acceptable society in which negativity could not grow and foster is widely
needed to allow various significant ideologies that are far different from the old foolish norms.
Fair Justice System and Competent Government – These two factors go hand in hand as they
make a nation stable and peaceful. A fair justice system mirrors a competent and effective
government as the main purpose of having democratic governance is to provide order to the
nation while taking the voice of citizens into consideration (American Bar Association, n.d.).
Thus, a nation must establish a capable, transparent, and compassionate governance to
overcome more global hurdles like the pandemic we are facing right now to further develop an
unruffled Philippine nation in the 21st century.
Cultural Preservation – Lastly, cultural preservation is another important thing to consider as
our own culture is what also makes us one and united. More often, modernization is viewed as
progress, but this gradually kills a nation’s identity as our unique practices inherited from our
roots are slowly being forgotten (Guess Blog, 2017). Hence, preserving our culture is a major
factor to build a nation with an own established and unique identity.
References:
American Bar Association. (n.d.). Governance and Justice System Strengthening.
https://www.americanbar.org/advocacy/rule_of_law/what-we-do/governance-justice-
Colombo, F. (2020, October 02). How to build a better health system: 8 expert essays. World
Economic Forum. https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/10/how-to-build-a-better-
health-system/
Guess Blog. (2017, September 11). Preserving Culture and Tradition in Modern World. Day
Translations. https://www.daytranslations.com/blog/cultural-preservation/
Radcliffe, B. (2021, May 11). How Education and Training Affect the Economy. Investopedia.
https://www.investopedia.com/articles/economics/09/education-training
United Nations. (2021). Enhancing equality and countering discrimination.
https://www.ohchr.org/EN/AboutUs/ManagementPlan/Pages/equality.