22nd Jaime V Ongpin Memorial Lecture spotlights challenges, difficulties in Philippine Basic Education

On 13 November 2023, the 22nd Jaime V Ongpin Annual Memorial Lecture returned for a talk and discussion on the challenges and difficulties in Philippine education. The lecture, which gathered teachers, researchers, academics, and education commissioners, was held at the Rockwell campus of the university and concurrently broadcast live.

Dr Philip Arnold P Tuaño, Dean of the Ateneo School of Government welcomed the afternoon’s guests. “The lecture series hopes to bring together business and government leaders—and Filipinos from all walks of life—in a continuing conversation on the present situation and the future direction of the country,” he said. 

Delivered by the Alliance of Concerned Teachers’ National Chairperson, G Vladimer Quetua, this year’s lecture was titled “Paghihingalo ng Edukasyon: Mga Sintomas, Sakit, at Reseta” and provided an overview of the current state of education in the country, as well as its causes, and what can be done to remedy and improve the quality of education, educators, and learners in the country.

Covered in his talk were the number of total enrollees in public schools for SY 2023–2024, how many actual school buildings exist (and what their conditions are), how many teaching personnel are available—and their circumstances. Many, G Quetua said, are undersupported, overworked, and underpaid. 

He also talked about more specific problems that the education sector faces today, including the lack of government support and the pervasiveness of neoliberalism in education. G Quetua presented seven recommendations from the sector: 

1. a salary raise for teachers and staff;
2. added—and improved—benefits for teaching personnel;
3. remedy the inadequacies and inefficiencies plaguing education in order to resolve the learning crisis;
4. abolish confidential and intelligence funds and redirect these instead to the needs of the education sector as well as other social services;
5. double the budget of education to be commensurate to 6% of the country’s GDP;
6. recognize and respect the right to unionize;
7. and promote progressive and free education.

“Nawa’y magtulong-tulong tayo na ang edukasyon ay para sa bayan dahil naghihingalo po ito,” G Quetua ended. 

He was then joined by a panel of reactors, including Bb Perlita Rana, National President of the All UP Academic Employees Union; Dr David Michael San Juan, Convener of the People’s Education Commission; Dr Gary Devilles, President of the Ateneo de Manila Faculty Association; and Dr Vincent Paqueo, Visiting Fellow from the Philippine Institute of Development Studies.

The reactors also gave a rundown of the state of education in their respective institutions, as well as their own recommendations for improving accessibility to and the quality of learning and education in the country, from the languages used in classrooms to the availability of learning materials.

Mrs Maria Isabel G Ongpin delivered the closing remarks. “Teachers are the backbone of any society,” she said. “However, it seems [that] in this society they are taken for granted. They’re expected to be multitaskers, sometimes beyond physical capacity, and worse—not sufficiently compensated in both a dignified and honored place in society.”

“There has to be attention to their needs to be up to par and we cannot go on [being oblivious] to how much they do, because they do a lot. It is time to reverse that. If we want to be a healthier society, teachers must be in good health—physically, financially, and psychologically. We have heard our lecturer and our panel elaborate on what the state of our teachers is and what should be done. Let’s do it for them and for us—for our society and for our country,” she ended. 

A program of the Jaime V Ongpin Center for Business and Government (JVO Fund) and the Ateneo School of Government, this lecture has, according to Dr Tuaño, been a “testament to the University’s commitment to fostering dialogue and understanding on matters of national significance.” 

Over the years, the lecture has been delivered by business leaders, senior government officials, leading academics and other civil society leaders, to tackle critically important themes in the nexus of democracy and development, climate change, corruption, education, globalization, health inequity, poverty, and national leadership. 

The JVO Fund was established to help raise awareness of the Filipino people about pressing national development issues, in order to empower them to actively engage in nation-building.