Tangub, Kimberly Lae-ann M.

STS 1 - C

Bangon Pilipinas, Bagong Bansa

May Prinsipyo, May Isang Adhika

"Di kasalanang ipanganak na mahirap ngunit kasalanang maituturing kapag namatay kang
mahirap" are the words that have stayed with me since I was seven years old after viewing a television
show about business tycoons. While growing up in an impoverished home with sick loved ones, these
words provided me with the courage to pursue my dreams of becoming a doctor. My vision for myself in
the year 2040 is to be a doctor serving in the barrio, helping to alleviate the suffering of our compatriots
in remote areas. Ideally, I'd like to be able to buy a piece of land in the countryside and start my own farm
business. In addition to providing for my family's basic needs, I also plan to travel around the world to
learn about different cultures, social classes, and geographic locations in order to broaden my horizons in
medicine, particularly in the field of medical oncology, which is the branch of medicine that focuses on
the diagnosis and treatment of cancer (National Cancer Institute, n.d.).

In the Philippines, 189 of every 100,000 Filipino people have cancer and four Filipinos each hour,
or 96 people per day, die from the disease. This is according to a study undertaken by the University of
the Philippines' Institute of Human Genetics (Flores, 2022). It is considered as the second greatest cause
of mortality among Filipinos. Sadly, cancer treatment and prevention in the Philippines are severely
hindered by the lack of health literacy and the high expense of cancer diagnosis and treatment. Due to
inadequate access to health care, numerous cancer advancements are still inaccessible to many,
especially those living below the poverty line (Trinidad, 2020).

In the next 18 years, I would like to envision a nation with more accessible and affordable cancer
treatment facilities. There will also be outreach events to educate people about the disease, as well as
provided information on where they may get help in their region. The Philippines should have already
started adapting cancer treatments with fewer to no adverse side effects to the convalescents. I envision
that in 2040, our country can easily access scientific and technological advancements like the newly
discovered Tumor Immunotherapies that targets specific genetic or protein abnormalities that have been
discovered in a patient's tumor (Bonar, 2022). The fact that Filipinos, by that time, are able to face such
chronic illnesses without fear is a positive indication that our country has made significant progress and
is capable of curing other life-threatening illnesses. I aspire for healthier Filipinos for a more productive
Philippines, because a healthy and strong workforce will lead the country to positive growth and a better
economy.

With healthy and capable Filipinos, economic growth is one of the next few things I would like to
improve in our homeland because it is the major key to increase our state’s capacity. I never lost hope
that the country's economy can once again flourish, despite the fact that our nation is currently
confronting severe economic problems, such as the current negative inflation. In June 2022, the country's
headline inflation rate was 6.1%. According to a report written by Lalu (2022), the Philippine Statistics
Authority (PSA) said that June 2022 inflation rates were higher than the 5.4% recorded in May 2022 and
the 3.7% recorded in June 2021. PSA attributed the higher inflation rate to the increase in transportation
costs from 14.6% in May 2022 to 17.1% in June 2022. In addition, the annual growth rate of food and non-
Tangub, Kimberly Lae-ann M. STS 1 - C

alcoholic beverage prices also contributed to inflation as it increased from 4.9% in May 2022 to 6% in June
2022.

The more products need to be shipped, the more costs are associated with them (Johnson, n.d.).
I believe that it is possible for the country's inflation rate be reduced or even eliminated by efficient
economic planning and policy implementation, as well as proper budget and resource allocation. A more
self-sufficient Philippines in terms of oil and food would be my ideal scenario for making this achievable.
Oil-rich territories in the Philippines need to be more extensively explored so that we can use our own
energy sources at lower prices, reduce the importation of expensive fuels, and thereby reduce
transportation costs in the country. In addition, I ideate that our country will be recognized as a significant
provider worldwide due to increased exportation, not only of minerals but also of our edible products. Let
the world know that we have a wide variety of unique fruits and vegetables to offer by highlighting our
tropical location as a selling point.

However, if low productivity in agriculture is being caused by lack of funding, how can this be
achieved? The Philippines has a lower percentage of its total budget dedicated to agriculture than its
ASEAN neighbors. Without the unusual additional funding from other sources, agriculture will only
account for 1.7% of the entire budget in 2020. Compared to its ASEAN counterparts, Indonesia, Thailand,
and Vietnam all did far better: 3.4 percent, 3.6 percent, and 6.5 percent, respectively (Dy, 2020). It was
for this reason that the Department of Agriculture (2021) requested an additional ₱12 billion in funding
above and beyond the planned ₱95 billion budget for 2022 in order to address surmounting food and
agriculture global challenges in the “new world.” — the global scale of the ‘new normal’ as an offshoot of
the Covid-19 pandemic (DA Communications Group, 2021).

In light of this, it is my sincere hope that our agriculture industry will one day be given the financial
raises it rightfully merits. It should be given the attention it needs for the next two decades. In 2040, the
government should have provided farmers with adequate capital, low-cost inputs like seeds, fertilizers, a
well-operating irrigation system, a proper pest and disease management plan, and technological
advancements for cheaper and more sufficient labor. I foresee our country producing enough rice, fruits,
and vegetables to feed the Filipinos. Furthermore, working in the fields should not be a symbol of poverty;
during the next 18 years, we should all be able to view farming as a respectable and well-paying
profession. I would like to think that the families of our agricultural workers would fall into the middle-
class sector. They should at least have the luxury of an assured chance of eating thrice a day, having a day
of rest even just once a week, and sending their children to school.

Conversing of school, the Philippine education system has a multitude of troubles and among
them is the lack of accessible learning facilities, especially in secluded areas of the country. The population
density in the rural parts of the country is low, and there is a corresponding deficiency in schools and
classrooms. Despite the fact that public school is free, many families are still unable to take their children
to school due to a variety of difficulties, such as transportation issues. Children walk at least two to three
kilometers to and from school every day. There are rivers and hills to cross and mountains to climb with
their school bags on. It is a luxury for those who can afford to ride a tricycle. Schools are too far away for
Tangub, Kimberly Lae-ann M. STS 1 - C

most rural communities to access daily. As a result, families cannot make ends meet, and their children
are pulled from school (Weinstein, 2012).

I genuinely have a soft spot in my heart for remote communities in our country, and I always
dream for them to have decent roads and transportation around. In 2013, rural roads were built in the
town of Libungan in the province of North Cotabato with the Mindanao Rural Development Program that
enabled the community's 844 farmer households to increase productivity (World Bank Group, 2013).
Furthermore, the Eastern Visayas Regional Agriculture Office announced in July 2022 that PHP1 billion in
Philippine Rural Development Projects (PRDP) funded by the World Bank had been completed in the
region in the previous six years. (Meniano, 2022). These programs became the inspiration of my dreams
for the said society sector; I aspire them to have cemented roads for efficient travel to school or even
provide schools nearer to their homes. I also would like to picture rural areas having free accessible school
vehicles for a safer, faster, and worry-less travel of students and teachers to learning centers and for going
back home after classes. This will encourage students to come to school more often as they will have more
accessible learning facilities through painless travel.

Unfortunately, students like me face several other issues in addition to transportation. As an

iskolar ng bayan, there are times when I witness red tagging firsthand. It is heartbreaking to hear bad-
mouthed words from people you just want to fight for. As a result of the rallies that took place after the
polls on May 9, the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) made the
assumption that students from the University of the Philippines are agents of disruption and
destabilization of peace and order. Hermogenes Esperon, the national security adviser, was quoted saying
that the state university was a primary recruiting ground for the communist New People's Army (Cabrera,
2022). These baseless accusations put the lives of students in danger who are doing nothing more than
speaking out and fighting for the country that each and every Filipino citizen deserves. It has come to be
understood that activism is identical to terrorism and that speaking is associated with ungratefulness.

It is disheartening to encounter being called by names simply for holding the moniker of the
university. Students and activists seek to correct malfeasances in the government; rallies are occasions
enabling the Filipino people's problems to be heard and not said to disrespect who is seated merely.
Understanding where each people stands is the first step toward establishing peace and order in the
country. I have a desire that by the year 2040, calling individuals names in a manner similar to this is no
longer a thing, and I hope that there is a more secure environment for people to express themselves.
Students attending state universities, particularly those attending the University of the Philippines, must
be seen as the embodiment of the country's people. I am also hoping to see a more amicable connection
between them and the government. Not only should our students be consulted on issues pertaining to
academics, but we should also be asked to reveal what the general populace of the Philippines wishes to
see in the government.

In the next ten to twenty years, I wish that everyone in our country will not only understand what
our country wants but also look closely at what it really needs. Filipinos must know the right standards in
choosing political leaders. Popularity and name should not be the only thing we must look into. I would
love to envision our country being led by economists, doctors, lawyers, and environmentalists, not by
Tangub, Kimberly Lae-ann M. STS 1 - C

actors and children of former politicians. The triumph of Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in the presidential election
held on May 9 indicated the continued dominance of political dynasties in the political affairs of the
country. Another family that came out on top is the Duterte clan from Davao. With the election of his
daughter to the position of vice president, former President Rodrigo Duterte, whose reign concluded on
the 30th of June, was successful in strengthening the authority of his family. The majority of successful
candidates for seats in the Senate also come from long-established political families. For instance, in the
election that took place this year, two siblings of Estrada's were elected to the Senate (The Diplomat,
2022).

I hope that in 2040, Filipinos have developed an understanding of what are the consequences of
their votes. They should be thoughtful about who the leaders of the country will be as it is a huge factor
in where the Philippines will be in 2040. One major yet unresolved social issue is poverty. From 23 percent
in 2015, POPCOM Undersecretary Juan Antonio Perez III said the poverty incidence dropped to a low of
16 percent in 2019. However, the figure ballooned to 23.7 percent at the height of the global health crisis
in 2021 (Jaymalin, 2022). Only by bringing together the appropriate department heads can this be
resolved. Having leaders that are knowledgeable in economics, agriculture, finance, and health can help
alleviate poverty over time. I would like to see Philippine agencies modeled after Canadian departments,
with divisions headed by experts in their respective fields.

All the mentioned 2040 aspirations are not far from possible as long as we will give our full support
to the current president, no matter whether we are red or pink from the past election, and if will also look
for the next two most qualified leaders our country can have for the subsequent two terms. We should
look for a president who understands the poor since those people below the poverty line feel the most
significant problems of a nation. I believe that appropriate solutions can only be given by someone who
actually experiences the hardships himself/herself. In addition, he or she should be a fine example of a
citizen who abides by all of the republic's laws, including those found in the Constitution, legislation,
agreements, and rulings of the Supreme Court (Council of ASEAN Chief Justices, n.d.). The country's future
leader must also be decisive in choosing the people of the cabinet and in making choices for the country.
Finally, he/she must be an expert in economic management because when an economy is boosted, other
sections of the country will follow suit. A stronger economy will lead to more financing for research and
development, equipment, infrastructures, and a lot more, allowing for more efficient solutions to many
social problems.

Going back to the opening lines addressed in this paper, I have come to the conclusion that I
cannot entirely agree with the assertion that dying poor is a sort of sin but rather it is the unfortunate
fruit of the absence of a more significant factor, opportunity. Masipag ang mga Pilipino, kulang lamang
tayo sa oportunidad mula sa isang matuwid na pamamahala. We have 18 years to make these changes
available, and we must collaborate to turn this country into the safe haven we have always sought. Maybe
we are not known for being the wealthiest country in the world. However, I still believe that we can all
achieve our goals because we possess something that is incomparable to others: we are dreamers, and
we have the unwavering resilience to fight for our AmBisyons.
Tangub, Kimberly Lae-ann M. STS 1 - C

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