University of Southeastern Philippines

Tagum-Mabini Campus

College of Teacher Education and Technology

EDFD 213- FOUNDATION OF EDUCATION

Lesson 2

Name: Stella Mariz P. Venus

Course/Year: MEEM 1

Title: How do Filipinos view Education?

A nation being conquered by many foreign countries for at least four centuries took a toll
on the educational system of the Philippines. Although it took its toll on our country, the varied
influences from those conquerors shaped us Filipinos to greatly value education. As cited in the
European Journal of Contemporary Education, 2012, Vol. 2, No. 2, “In this country, education
has high priority, and it is of national importance that education is maintained since it is the
primary avenue for upward social and economic mobility.” A country’s vision of inclusive growth
and development entails investment in human capital, particularly through the provision of
quality basic education, competitive technical-vocational skills training and relevant and
responsive higher education as stated in the Philippine Development Plan 2011-2016, This just
solidified how the Philippines values education.

According to Morris (2018), Education was and is still a key element in the strategies
employed by the developmental state as it was harnessed to provide the skills the economy
required and to create the social cohesion, sense of national identity and patriotism which the
single-minded quest for economic advancement required. We as Filipinos had been brought up
to value education religiously because of the fact that there are many instances in our history in
which education played a huge role in creating a better situation for us Filipinos during those
periods that the Philippines is under the rule of foreign conquerors. One clear and concise
example would be the contribution of our national hero, Dr. Jose Rizal. It was evident that
education played a major role in his endeavors to let the Filipinos understand and grasp the
status they are in.

Furthermore, the Philippines has always put education on top of its priorities in every
directive it does. Cummings (1995), states that education has been very much at the center of
national economic planning of the East Asian states as well as the Philippines. Filipinos view
education as the path to economic success. Most Filipinos also believe that education is
equated to potentials reached and achieved. The dominant attitude of Filipinos towards the
purpose of education is reflective of the American model of educational development, as
described by Cummings (2003), which stresses a successful individual as the ideal type and
consequently is seen as an individual right guaranteed by a succession of American-inspired
constitutions. This individualism is also manifested in how Filipino scholars position education in
the context of economic development. It is still portrayed as the individual Filipino’s tool for
poverty alleviation by increasing their opportunities for employment (de Dios et al, 1995;
Balisacan and Hill, 2003).

Consequently, the Philippine Education System is always anchored to the context of

inseparability between education and economic development.