The country’s national hero, Dr. Jose P. Rizal, once stated that the youth is the hope of the fatherland but there has been constant doubts if the said statement is true or not based on the observations on the behaviour of today’s youth. Many people now doubt whether or not such revelation of our national hero then is still applicable to the present times considering the numerous intervening factors that are actually involved coupled with the rapid advancement of information and communication technology.
Last April 1-5, 2019, hundreds of thousands of young Filipinos either completed or graduated from a ladder of the country’s K to 12 basic education program which is now on the second year of producing senior high school graduates. Some of them were able to complete kindergarten and will be moving up to Grade I. A good number of the graduates completed their primary and elementary levels and will be entering Grade 7 while the third batch of junior high school students will be moving up to senior high school aside from the fact that many of them graduated from senior high school and will now be given the chance whether to pursue college education, enter into a good job or pursue a desired business.
The so-called millennial have their own brand of looking at the way their lives should proceed from here on. The traditional way of living in this world is slowly waning because of the powerful works of the social media that tends to have a greater influence over the youth compared to what we were used to several decades ago. The fast changing world has definitely took its toll on us that if we allow this to happen, we might end up ruining the bright future that is supposed to be waiting for us.
Under the K to 12 basic education program which is currently being implemented purposely to make the country’s ready for global competitiveness, graduates of senior high school have the option to pursue a higher level of education, put up a business or even look for a job suitable for what they were trained for while in the high school level. The government was forced to embrace the 12-year basic education program because our graduates are being marginalized in the global village when looking for better paying jobs in other countries that are implementing the 12-year basic education program. Ironically, the education department does not yet have the data on how the first batch of senior high school graduates were able to pursue their chosen career for them to have a brighter future. What is important is for us to be satisfied on the career that we have, the education that we were able to acquire and the compensation that we are being provided.
Our parents and guardians have time and again advised us that education is still the best inheritance that they can give us because it cannot be easily taken away from us once we are able to acquire our desired degree. It can also help uplift the living condition of our families if we are able to use our education for productive activities.
We were able to pass through the transition of the past and current generations of being a youth and we believe there is still a need for us to strike a balance between the traditional and modern way of doing things. While he have to adopt to the present advancement of information and communication technology, we have to hold on to the values that we were able to acquire during our younger years through the teachings of not only our parents but also elders in our communities.
We challenge the millennials to look back where their parents came from and reflect from there. They should learn to take a step backward and put to practice some of the good practices that we were able to pass through during the transition period for them to experience what was life before the social media era. It is not because we are rapidly advancing in terms of communication technology that we no longer have to look back in the past because it is the foundation of the past that will provide the stability of the future.
We certainly believe that education remains a concrete asset for us to chart our future that is why today’s youth should not be tempted to aspire for material things that they could gain from possible employment opportunities but they must still consider pursuing a higher level of education because it is what matters if we are really inclined to believe on better opportunities waiting for us.
The opportunities for us are always available but it is how we grab the opportunities that will help us chart a brighter future not only for us but also for the members of our families and our circle of friends. Let us serve as models for our younger brothers and sisters to emulate so that we will be able to progress taking into consideration progress for all.
