Change is inevitable, and all of us are always bound to thrive and improve ourselves for the

better— #Peoplechange. Absolutely, because of constant change, life becomes a field of survival.
The fittest and most adaptable live, and the unfit are destined to perish. Living life cycles itself from
surviving-changing-thriving and a man's living is influenced by three prevalent factors: First, the
culture that paints and carves us into the people we are today. It defines our identity, which
distinguishes us from the rest. Second, we, the society; thus, our primary goal is to build and
preserve its brilliance. Finally, politics that ensures every Filipino's safety, rights, and welfare. Also,
it demands that leaders should be held accountable to transform society in detail so that every
citizen would appreciate its rhythm and texture. The three abovementioned factors are required to
remind each of us to be conscious, overcome adversity, connect, develop, and be human. In a
nutshell, if we cannot conform to culture, if we have abandoned our social obligations, and if we
continue to be politically blind, we will not thrive and not survive.

The goal to develop a student's awareness of cultural, social and political dynamics, and
sensitivity to cultural diversity to become an effective participator in contemporary society boils
down to implementing understanding Culture, Society, and Politics (CULSOCPOL/UCSP) as a
core subject regardless of one's strand. The senior high school students may have different strands
that focus on honing specific skills. However, we share the same variable for being 'citizens' of the
nation. And as citizens, we are tasked to be socially and culturally competent. I firmly believe that
each of us is conditioned to offer greater responsibility and purpose in the ever-changing society,
acknowledge and preserve culture, and become influential citizens of the nation through political
involvement and social participation. On the other hand, as a student of the Science, Technology,
Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) strand, we are taught to flourish and thrive in the field of
Science and Technology; we are obligated to innovate
and better man's well-being. Therefore,
learning CULSOCPOL would undoubtedly assist us in regaining consciousness of our surroundings
and recognizing life's day-to-day social problems that impede society's growth and advancement.
That fact alone would help us provide better solutions in our community using the concepts we've
learned from STEM. In a long run; a few years from now, I see myself as a public health servant.
Few of the significance of studying CULSOCPOL is to mark for every student the value of civilian
responsibility and the consciousness and connection we need to establish to other people in our
community. In a word, someday, becoming a socially and culturally competent professional in the
medical field would help me deal with groups and communities. As a result, I could provide them
with the superb health service they deserve. It would also drive me to search for new ideas and
innovative solutions to health issues in helping society be headed in a growth-oriented way.

We, the youth, are born to be nation-builders and are the greatest power of the country. We
are the building blocks in our nation's economic and social development, today and the future it
holds. That is why understanding how our culture, society, and politics (CULSOCPOL) work would
empower the youth to competently and adequately contribute towards the sustainable development
of the nation. They would also be taught how to think rationally, logically, and open-mindedly
necessary for building the nation. It would empower them to know the value of social inclusiveness
that would push them to submit themselves and participate in society. It would make a change when
youth channel their energy and intelligence for the sake of advocating for good causes. It should be
noted that CULSOCPOL itself does not only teach students to make a change, but it transforms
them to be the epitome and embodiment of change—to be a catalyst for society. I think through this
subject, the youth become enlightened enough to be aware of cultural diversity, cultivated to social
and political dynamics, recognize social inclusivity, and understand cultural relativism. And
suppose the youth were to put this in heart and action. That being the case, the future has much
potential, and we will be just a stronger nation adaptive to any adversity.
 COLORISM
SOCIAL
SOCIAL PHENOMENA
PHENOMENA

The prejudice over skin tone color

Colorism is a form of discrimination based on skin color. It is a discriminatory treatment of

people of the same race based only on their complexions. It disadvantages individuals with darker
complexions while favoring those with lighter skin tones. Colorism is prevalent throughout Latin
America, East and Southeast Asia, the Caribbean, and Africa. In the Philippines, the concept of
‘white beauty’ dates back from our Spanish colonizers. Dark-skinned Filipinos were identified
with the lower class, whereas mixed-race Filipinos with lighter complexion were identified with
the higher class. In a word, it was our colonists who instilled in us the concept that our culture and
skin color were inferior to theirs. Up to this time, colorism is still pervasive in the Philippine
society.

CTS
CAU

ES
FE

EF
S

Spanish colonization and enslavement It influences how people treat and view

1 1
fostered colorism culture by establishing the
concept that white skin is superior to all
other skin tones.
specific groups and their expectations of
them (i.e., dark-skinned people), passing on a
colorist ideology to future generations.
Some minority groups may struggle to sustain a

2 2
Social learning and conformity to social
norms that continues generational influence of
colorist ideology.
Colorism is perpetuated in every culture by
positive self-image, developing self-hatred and
resorting to various abrasive whitening
procedures in order to satisfy unrealistic beauty
standards.
Dehumanization of dark-skinned individuals,

3 3
mass media, whether it's through film industries
who are pushed to the bottom of the social
like Hollywood, which portrays those with light
ladder and being deprived of the standard
complexion and Eurocentric features as the
living as majority groups receive in a society.
most beautiful.