Filipina Soul

The Philippine Public School System is free: at least for the first 10 grades (six years of elementary and four years of high school). College is a different story though: If the parents are not financially capable of sending their children to the university, then one just have to look for other means: either you work your way through college (working student) or look for some sort of available scholarship (financial aid) that you’d qualify into. Either that or convince a long lost uncle (in my case a fourth-degree grandfather) in the U.S. to send some green notes to pay for college tuition and living expenses. (All of the above sent me through university.)

My parents only had six years of formal education. They were both from a place and era where after finishing grade school, one heads to the big city of Manila (the country’s capital) to try one’s luck on odd jobs available. However, both of them strongly believe that education is the only way to improve one’s status in the society. Like most people lacking in material wealth, my parents believe that education is the only inheritance that others cannot steal. I personally think that every Filipino believes so too.

Manila-based business consultant Peter Wallace said education was key to reducing poverty in a nation of 84 million where at least half the population lives on just two dollars a day.

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