Policy research is essential in national development, in the same manner that education has always been regarded as a vital force in the country’s fight against economic destitution. The premium that we bestow on education is foolproof guarantee that Filipinos will move heaven and earth just to give the best education to their children, thus, ensuring a bright, better future for them.
Not many people may have been made aware that September of every year has been declared as Development Policy Research Month through Proclamation No. 247 by Malacañang dated Sept. 2, 2002. Its ninth year of celebration this year highlights the important contribution of education towards national development as manifested in the timeliness and appropriateness of its theme, Back to ABC: Education for Development.
In support of the aims and objectives of the annual celebration, the city government of Dumaguete held Oct. 13 at the City Council Session Hall what it called as an “avant-garde competition of mind and creativity” in order to come up with a valuable and efficacious policy or program that could supplement what the present education sector lacks or enhance what already exists or what is already in place. Aptly titled, “Educational Colloquium: Search for the Most Innovative Education Policy/Program,” the event produced five entries coming from graduating college students representing AMA Computer College, Foundation University’s College of Arts and Sciences, Foundation University’s College of Business and Accountancy, Foundation University’s College of Education, and Silliman University’s College of Mass Communication.
Emerging first place with a cash prize of P4,000 was Silliman University’s College of Mass Communication with its Teaching Exposure Sessions for High School Students, for them to build self-confidence and character, thus, allowing them to be more competitive and to develop self-esteem when they go to college. The proponents, Mahogany Rae Bacon and Iresse Patricia Bulos, presented a program that would allow students in the higher level, particularly the senior and junior levels, to teach a class in the elementary level, specifically in Grades V and VI.
“There is a strong parallel between how a person feels about himself and how a person acts. A student’s confidence is an integral part of learning. The level of confidence students hold for themselves and their abilities directly affects their academic performance. A confident pupil displays a belief in his or her own abilities, with such a belief developed over time; but, it hinges on the ability to also experience self-trust,” Bacon and Bulos emphasized.
Second place with a cash prize of P3,000 was Foundation University’s College of Education with Deteriorating Skill Development and Training among Filipino Learners and Indigenous Citizens. The proponents lamented the tendency for the curriculum to become over-crowded, which they hope will be addressed through the implementation of the K+ 12. They proposed alternative livelihood projects as well as community education.
Third place with a cash prize of P2,000 was FU’s College of Business & Accountancy with Deteriorating Quality of Education, where the creation of a unified curricular program was proposed, including the establishment of a students’ cooperative among educational institutions in Dumaguete, motivating parents to initially support it.
Consolation prizes of P750 each went to E-Based Education System of AMA Computer College and FU’s College of Arts & Sciences with TQM-Oriented Academic Courses: A Proposed Educational Approach.
Vice-Mayor Alan Gel Cordova, in his message to the students and their advisers, said that it is impossible to crunch a system in one generation, noting that the problems in the Philippine educational system date back to 1925. He found all the presentations to be intellectually stimulating and encouraged the students to read books and more books “because a mind needs a book.”
For his part, City Administrator William Ablong, who coordinated with the Philippine Institute for Development Studies, said that the city government could have chosen the easy way of celebrating the event, like the hanging of streamers, parading around the city, or through a slogan and poster-making contest. “But, we opted for the hard way by having an educational colloquium, where the student proponents are given the opportunity to present and defend their proposals before a panel of judges, not to mention that the event coincided with the students’ final exams,” explained Ablong, unregrettably happy over the excellent sources of ideas coming from bright, young minds.
The criteria for judging were: content and efficacy, or how the idea can help the education sector and the policy-making bodies, 35 percent; mechanics and organization, or how fluid are the ideas being presented, 15 percent; creativity and uniqueness, 20 percent; and, coherence and presentation of idea, or how logical and feasible is the concept, 30 percent.
The members of the panel of judges were Dr. Ramir Uytico, OIC Schools Division superintendent of Dumaguete, chairperson; Dr. Romario Ybañez, research director of St. Paul University Dumaguete; and Bennevic Concepcion, 2008 Outstanding Special Education Teacher. (Cecile M. Genove)
