Bertoldo, Gerwen D.

Contemporary World
Reaction paper

Education

What we should focus on education is preparing students for success on exams,

college, future employment, etc. Because people said education is the higher standard to get a
higher job and this is the evidence that you finished school. There is a type of education or
schools you paid money to have a good school and facilities to get skilled. And it’s better to have
knowledge and good job rather than you don’t have a job and knowledge. Education is important
and it gives us a knowledge and a good job. An educated or has some knowledge have the skills
to get some higher job or company. And others people who not completed their degree in schools
may have no chance to get higher job or some company but, people who have no degree in
school they may not completed it buy they have the plans to get some job and earn some good
money. Most people here in the Philippines went to school and never learned how to money
works, so they spend their lives working for money and to the multinational companies. In the
video of the BBC HardTalk On the Road in the Philippines that people should be graduate of
college. And also be able to speak English language for you to get a good job. Examples is call
center. Speaking the English language is good in globalization, but it is harmful to our economy,
because we follow the culture and norms of other countries which is the language. This language
barriers brings both positive and negative impact on the economy of the Philippines.

In conclusion, education means a lot, besides it is costly, and it requires a lot of

efforts, time, and money, it will be soon worth it. Because all knowledge, skills you’ve acquired
in school is the one you can use for the demand of the economy. The school helps us to become
good students, parents, entrepreneurs, doctors, siblings and honest citizens. Everyone deserves to
be educated. Education is the first early investment for child development. Similar, for
governments and nations, to make their country developed, their first budget allocation must be
on the education infrastructure in schools and colleges. Education grows as values. If you have
the skills but don’t have the values, then educated person become useless. For example, many
people are educated, skilled in many trades, but then they use their skills and education to cheat,
disturb with creative fouls for society.

Economy

Is like a business or trading goods or source that you wanted and also we have many
trading in Philippines to other country like business food product wherein you can sold or buy it.
Food is an essential part of our lives, which is why the way it is grown, processed and
transported is worth understanding and improving. Broadly, the food industry comprises a
complex network of activities pertaining to the supply, consumption, and catering of food
products and services across the world. Finished food products and partially prepared Instant
food packets are also a part of the food industry. The food industry employs a massive number of
skilled and unskilled workers. In 2006 alone, the food industry accounted for over 1.5 million
jobs in the US and 4 million jobs in Europe. However, the food industry excludes subsistence
farmers who use their produce for self-consumption. I saw in the video that the Philippines is one
of the fastest-growing economies with the growth rate close to China. But in Manila, there’s
plenty of evidence of new wealth, but this is not a self-sustaining economy. On the other hand,
the most critical source of income comes from overseas. On the other hand, the Philippine
population growth versus economic growth. In which are not correlated to each other, the
economy is growing. But the rising population is creating poverty, but poverty occurs for many
reasons. Poverty directly impacts economic growth due to constraints in credit and the
underdevelopment of the financial market and inequality in income and assets. Another cause of
poverty in the Philippines is the rise of unmanaged population growth. Because the poor tend to
have more prominent families, they are unable to access health services or sex education, which
leads to more children and the continuation of that cycle. Though the government is taking
actions about the rise of the population, still it’s not enough. Consequently, it proves that this is
one of the reasons why our economy can’t have any considerable progress.
 It seems that there is a lot of factors that made our economic growth slower. So, we
should fix it first before making any other actions. Because it’s like a virus or infection, whereas
time goes by, it becomes more harmful. As a result, after fixing these problems, then it’s the
perfect time for doing other things for the development because there will be no obstruction. And
also, the economic growth will become continuous.

Religion

When you believe or have faith in you religion and you share your beliefs to others
and communicate to your group into faith. And our feelings or beliefs that our life in earth has
some meaning or has some mission to confess your beliefs to our god and spread love. It seems
Filipinos tired in the life of poverty, and some they do not want to experience the hardships of
life. As a result of this, even we are a religious country most families are not following the
church’s teachings. Moreover, we people have a different perspective in life when it comes to
religion, and we should respect it. This issue between government and religion paved the way for
opening the eye of every family here in the Philippines. The purpose of the government is not to
contradict the idea of the church, but to control. Because everything excess is harmful, so, in my
opinion, people in the Philippines should not see both government and church as a rival. Thus,
they help each other to make the nation better. Imagine if without church and government. Our
life will surely be confusing and complicated. Examples are having a lot of killings, riots due to
no rules or laws and much more.

The power of everyone is making a choice. The choice is compelling, wherein it may
lead to negative or positive results and consequences. The idea of government about family
planning and contraception is good because they want to control the population in the
Philippines. But then it is not right on the other side, because it is artificial in which, it makes the
potential life of a human, impossible. So, let’s go back to the law implemented by the
government. Article 248, where defines “murder as killing someone other than a family
member.” From the word, “killing” do use of contraceptives also an act of killing? Yes. Because
again, contraception prevents potential human beings from being conceived. But doesn’t mean
that the government is wrong. Because in my opinion, there is no perfect religion, and also, no
perfect government and nation.

Government
The world economy is still suffering from the strains of the longest crisis of modern
times, and nowhere is this more evident than in the high unemployment numbers Over 100
million people are out of work in the G20 countries, with joblessness at historically high levels in
several of them Long-term and youth unemployment, and low female participation, pose
particular challenges. Even in countries where recovery has begun to take hold, the reduction in
joblessness has been frustratingly slow, and all too often achieved via low-skill, low-paying jobs.
Resilient, inclusive and smart societies need more. As Mr. Stephen Sackur mentioned in the
video that the government is trying to break the link between reproduction and declamation. By
distributing ligation, condoms, contraceptives, pills, etc. and helping families to know and
practice family planning. So, just there, I saw that our government was taking action.

Furthermore, According to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the

population growth rate has successfully decreased from 1.9% in 2010 to 1.7% in 2015, as has the
maternal mortality ratio.3 From 102.4 million people in 2015, our country’s population is
projected to rise to 104 million this year.4 The Philippines still has one of the highest fertility
rates among its neighbors, and well above the world average (Jennifer Sta. Ana, 2016). So
meaning, it shows that the RH Law implemented by the government is slightly useful, but still, it
proves that it is effective in controlling the population. On the other hand, we cannot say that
managing the number of citizens is the answer to tackling poverty because many factors can
cause deprivation. First and foremost, corruption, we cannot deny that our government is perfect.
Some of its branches are having or are experiencing fraud. “A typical example was when the
PACC jointly with the NBI entrapped and arrested. Based on a tip-off, three BIR personnel in
Makati City for attempting to extort six hundred thousand pesos (P600,000.00) from a
businessman in a joint entrapment operation conducted in Greenhill’s, San Juan in June 2018”
(Dante Jimenez 2018), said. A “tara system” alleged exists at the BIR where bribe money
exchange hands, between the delinquent taxpayer and unscrupulous BIR personnel. The “lagay”
or 100 percent of the bribe money is divided allegedly in cuts of 50-60% for the top rank
officials like the Regional Director or even higher. While the other 40-50% is separated among
the Examiner and cohorts as Mr. Dante Jimenez, added. So, it proves that sometimes the country
becomes more and more miserable because of corrupt governments, and for many other reasons.

We should think very carefully in voting in every election because the government is
the driver who drives the nation. While we Filipinos are the one who is a passenger that tells the
driver where to go, like telling them what is needed to change, fix or remove to the nation. So, if
we made a mistake in electing government officials, therefore we and we will suffer.

Family
When it comes to family in the Philippines, I see that many of them are lack of

knowledge about family planning. Family planning is defined as “educational, comprehensive

medical or social activities which enable individuals, including minors, to determine the number

and spacing of their children freely and to select how this may be achieved” (Wikipedia, n.d.).

One of the examples is the story of Mrs. Sheryl Gonzales. Who stated that 16 years old when she

already has a baby, and every year she had another baby. According to the video, she had already

six children.

Furthermore, the life of Mrs. Gonzales is not much as affluent. So imagine, if she has

six children, then how she will budget the income of family for food, education, and other

physiological needs of her family. And also, how will she give full attention and especially love
for her children if there is much need to be taken care of. Besides, the income of the Gonzales

family came from selling leftover food, especially chicken known as “pagpag” from fast-food

chains.

Moreover, according to Mrs. Sheryl Gonzales, she did not want to have so many

children. But the problem is she was not able to have family planning, because she could not get

to a health center. So, she got pregnant again and again, respectively. And also, for her, the ideal

number of children is only three. So, it seems that the root of the problem is due to a lack of

education. In which, unemployment rate increases, then it results in poverty that now leads to a

negative impact on the whole economy. As Mrs. Janette Loreto-Garin mentioned in the video,

“those in the middle and upper class have some children that they desire, while those in the lower

socioeconomic class has more children. Family size is directly proportional to the family

socioeconomic status. Those who cannot afford to bear, and rearing children have more children,

but those who can afford to rear up their children has just an adequate number of children.” So

meaning, family planning, and education play a vital role where it dramatically affects the

decision making of every parent in the family. It shows that if every person here in the

Philippines considering the application of the family planning. Therefore, no one child will be

experiencing child abuse, stress, isolation, lack of attention, and love, especially being conscious

about living in slums and poverty.

In conclusion, the family constitutes the nation. Wherein, the family comes from

past, present, and even to the future generation is the one that runs the country. Family is

essential, so it needs to be planned carefully and correctly so that no child or family will go in the
wrong direction in life. We cannot deny that we are a religious nation, in which it is not

erroneous to have a family with several children. However, the bad thing is that they do not pay

much focus, attention, love, and guidance to other children.

Furthermore, it should always be balanced. In which the government should not only

the one who makes the solution to poverty, unemployment, child abuse, and more but also the

family because the government needs the help of each family. As they say, “mercy is with God,

the work is with Man.” So that, from the wrong direction to right direction.