Reducing illiteracy and poverty

THE LAST TIME that I spoke before the Management Association of the Philippines (MAP) was six years ago, in January 2007, when international confidence in the Philippines was improving because of rosy economic indicators — budget deficit and interest rates were down; inflation was under control; the stock market and foreign exchange reserves were up; and the peso was strong. The general atmosphere then was optimistic. We know now that after a couple of years, that optimism would slide as accusations of corruption escalated against the previous administration.

Today, we find ourselves in the same economic scenario where confidence and optimism are palpable. However, unlike six years ago, President Benigno S. C. Aquino’s administration enjoys a positive reputation as it tries its best to practice good and transparent governance. In fact President Aquino’s integrity and his fight against corruption has been recognized internationally especially after his talk in Davos.

We can see how the President and his team are working very hard to turn the country’s image and competitiveness around. Much has been said about the term “inclusive growth” which is contained in the Philippine Development Plan for 2011-2016. Inclusive growth refers to the country’s economic and social progress that can be sustained and with the end-view of reducing poverty. In trying to achieve sustainable growth, the country must find solutions to major deficiencies in infrastructure, human development (which includes basic education and public health), environmental and ecological balance, and governance. The goals of inclusive growth are very ambitious and may take generations to achieve. It will require the collaboration of all sectors of society and a genuine desire to demolish age old barriers, like corruption, to achieve better social equality.

The good news is that we can already see some work being done to realize Government’s inclusive growth objective. There are already initiatives underway such as much needed investments in infrastructure, human development programs, job creation and transparent governance. Since this is the MAP, I would like to add that the Philippine Development Plan singles out the role of private business; that “a big part of the solution to the governance problem… lies outside government itself and involves the active participation of private business, civil society, and the media in governance monitoring and feedback.”

I raised some questions back in 2007 that pointed out what I thought were the main reasons behind the unresolved problems that have plagued our country for generations. There were five issues that I discussed: political vs. economic democracy, the declining quality of education, overpopulation, the massive housing problem, and microfinance for the poor. These are the underlying causes of poverty and the solution will require the concerted effort of government, business, schools and private individuals.

It would be safe for me to assume that all of us inside this room have been privileged to live in comfort, have had some measure of business or professional success and have taken on leadership responsibilities. I would like, then, to talk to you about those who aren’t as fortunate — the bottom group — the Filipinos whose well being will determine the future of our country.

I am referring to some 25 million out of the 100 million Filipinos who are considered the poorest of the poor, whose families subsist on less than one hundred pesos a day. And the despair worsens as you go farther away from the National Capital Region with those in Muslim Mindanao suffering the most. Can you imagine their situation? How can we, the privileged ones, help uplift their lives?

Since my retirement from SGV, I have focused on specific advocacies that I believe will benefit this bottom group. The first is the strengthening of basic public education. The second is the accessibility of credit to the poor. If we give attention to these two issues, then we will be well on our way towards sustained inclusive growth.

It is pitiable that public education has deteriorated. I am a product of the public schools Burgos Elementary and Mapa. I could compete with any La Salle or Ateneo graduate. But by the time my children went to school, I did what most of you did and sent them to private schools. Education, I strongly believe, is a basic necessity for the development of all human beings. I have always believed that education should be available to all because it is the greatest equalizer in society.

Education, however, has to be relevant to the requirements of the times. While public education in the Philippines continues to be free, it has been plagued with administrative and fiscal challenges that have affected the quality of both teaching and learning. The decline has been alarming in the past 50 years. Today, except for public science high schools, if parents have the means, they would send their children to private schools.

While the quality of education deteriorates, there is also a parallel concern about the dropout rates in public schools. Roughly speaking, out of 100 Grade 1 students: only 66 will finish Grade 6; only 58 will go on to first year high school, but only 43 will graduate; then 23 will be able to enroll in college out of which only 14 will graduate with a college degree. This results in high illiteracy levels that deepen poverty.

There are currently millions of illiterate Filipinos; and illiterate individuals are almost sure to be poor. Although public education is free, they still need to scrape money for school uniforms, transportation, school supplies, food and other expenses.

Brother Armin Luistro as Education secretary is making important strides in implementing policies on improving education. This is in contrast to the string of education heads in the previous administration. There are successful private efforts to improve public schools. Since 2001 the Synergeia Foundation (under the brilliant leadership of Dr. Nene Guevara) which is transforming basic education in collaboration with local government units, parents and the private sector. Synergeia has been successful particularly in Muslim Mindanao which is an indication that when there is political will, change can happen.

The Philippine Business for Education runs a program for teachers to help improve the quality of teaching and to attract the younger generation to consider teaching as a career option.

I would now like to take up the issue of providing credit to the poor who are more honest than the rich.

The late President Cory Aquino was a leading advocate of microfinance through her involvement with the PinoyMe Foundation. Dr. Aris Alip, founder and president of the Center for Agriculture and Rural Development (CARD), Inc., is serving 1,700,000 low income Filipinos. Dr. Alip and his staff are now extending their activity to student loans for the poor.

To see how you can help the poorest of the poor in education, let me tell you of a conversation with the previous Papal Nuncio Edward Joseph Adams.

He told me that the majority of middle and upper class Filipinos are not Christian. While they go to church regularly, they don’t help the poor in education. When I asked my friends I found they help only the children of their drivers and cooks and are not aware of the educational problems of the very poor members of our society. Dr. Alip, who is in daily contact with the very poor, is working on a program to help this group so that they can at least read and write.

As members of the MAP, I challenge you all to do your part in realizing this goal of reducing illiteracy and reducing poverty. –Washington Z. SyCip, BUsinessworld

(This was lifted from the author’s speech at the 64th MAP inaugural meeting and induction of 2013 MAP Board of Governors. The author is the first “MAP Management of the Year” awardee and the Founder of the MAP and The SGV Group. Feedback at map@globelines.com.ph. For previous articles, please visit map.org.ph )
– See more at: http://www.bworldonline.com/content.php?section=Opinion&title=Reducing-illiteracy-and-poverty&id=66367#sthash.2ap39IIj.dpuf