Davin's Organics

14/03/2026

13/03/2026

𝗞 𝘁𝗼 𝟭𝟮: 𝗔 𝗕𝗿𝗶𝗱𝗴𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗢𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗨𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻

Reforms in education are often built like bridges that connect people from where they are now to where they dream to be. In our country, the Philippines, 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗞 𝘁𝗼 𝟭𝟮 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗺 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗲𝗻𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝘀 𝘀𝘂𝗰𝗵—𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗸𝘀 𝗙𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗼𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗴𝗹𝗼𝗯𝗮𝗹 𝗼𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀, 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗱 𝗲𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗼𝘆𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗰 𝗱𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗽𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁. Even so, more than a decade after its implementation, 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝘂𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗽𝗼𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗯𝗿𝗶𝗱𝗴𝗲 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗼𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗿 𝘀𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗹𝘆 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗴𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗷𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗲𝘆.

While the K to 12 program faced numerous obstacles during its rollout, it still exists as an essential step toward fortifying our basic education system. 𝗜𝘁𝘀 𝗽𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗮𝗹, 𝗵𝗼𝘄𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿, 𝗶𝘀 𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗯𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺 𝗶𝘁𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝗯𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗶𝗿𝗰𝘂𝗺𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲𝘀 𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝘄𝗵𝗶𝗰𝗵 𝗶𝘁 𝗵𝗮𝘀 𝗯𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗱.

Back in 2013, when most of the world had already implemented 12- or 13-year Basic Education Curricula, the Philippines remained among the last nations still implementing a 10-year program. This educational gap was viewed as a factor that supposedly placed Filipinos at a global disadvantage in educational and employment landscapes. In response, 𝗦𝗲𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗕𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗡𝗼. 𝟯𝟮𝟴𝟲, 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝟭𝟱𝘁𝗵 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗴𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗥𝗲𝗽𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗰, 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗴𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗲𝗻𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗲𝘅𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝟭𝟬-𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗯𝗮𝘀𝗶𝗰 𝗲𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘀𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗮𝗱𝗱𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝘄𝗼 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘀𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗼𝗿 𝗵𝗶𝗴𝗵 𝘀𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗹. This move not only reshaped the structure of basic education in the country, but also transformed how learners prepared for the future.

The reform was formalized on the 15th of May 2013, when it was finally signed into law by then-President Benigno Aquino III. 𝗥𝗲𝗽𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗰 𝗔𝗰𝘁 𝟭𝟬𝟱𝟯𝟯, 𝗮𝗹𝘀𝗼 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝗮𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗘𝗻𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗱 𝗘𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗔𝗰𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝟮𝟬𝟭𝟯, 𝘀𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗺𝗼𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗶𝘇𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗽𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗲𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘀𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺—𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝘁 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗿𝗱𝘀. Since its proposal on the 24th of September 2012, the bill, primarily authored by former Senator Ralph G. Recto, has been met with a mixture of reactions from the citizens of our country. While some viewed it as an additional financial burden, others thought it was a step toward revolutionizing our standard of education.

𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐞𝐬
𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗱 𝗲𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗼𝘆𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆. 𝗚𝗹𝗼𝗯𝗮𝗹 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗲𝘁𝗶𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀. 𝗛𝗼𝗹𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗰 𝗱𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗽𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁.
The K to 12 curriculum was introduced with a lot of promise, and some of which are as seen above. Aligning with global standards, employability was expected to increase. 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗰𝘀 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗽𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗜𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗶𝘁𝘂𝘁𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗗𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗽𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗦𝘁𝘂𝗱𝗶𝗲𝘀 (𝗣𝗜𝗗𝗦) 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘀𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗼𝗿 𝗵𝗶𝗴𝗵 𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗱𝘂𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗽𝗮𝗶𝗱, 𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗴𝗲, 𝟭𝟵% 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝗝𝘂𝗻𝗶𝗼𝗿 𝗛𝗶𝗴𝗵 𝗚𝗿𝗮𝗱𝘂𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀. The same agency also found that 𝗞 𝘁𝗼 𝟭𝟮 𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗱𝘂𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝟭𝟲.𝟮% 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲𝗹𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗺𝗲𝗱𝗶𝘂𝗺-𝘀𝗸𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗷𝗼𝗯𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝗹𝗼𝘄-𝘀𝗸𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗷𝗼𝗯𝘀 compared to graduates of the former curriculum. In support, 𝗮 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟰 𝗝𝗼𝗯𝘀 𝗢𝘂𝘁𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗦𝘁𝘂𝗱𝘆 𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝟴𝟴% 𝗼𝗳 𝗠𝗶𝗰𝗿𝗼, 𝗦𝗺𝗮𝗹𝗹, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗠𝗲𝗱𝗶𝘂𝗺 𝗘𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗽𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗲𝘀 (𝗠𝗦𝗠𝗘𝘀) 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝟳𝟴% 𝗼𝗳 𝗟𝗮𝗿𝗴𝗲 𝗘𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗽𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝗵𝗶𝗿𝗲 𝘀𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗼𝗿 𝗵𝗶𝗴𝗵 𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗱𝘂𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀. However, even with these statistics, the sad reality is that employers may not see the new curriculum producing a workforce that reflects industrial needs, thus preferring graduates from college over senior high. 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀, 𝗵𝗼𝘄𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿, 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗸 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗮 𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗶𝗻 𝗽𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗮𝗹, 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗮 𝗺𝗶𝘀𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗰𝗵 𝗯𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗸𝗶𝗹𝗹𝘀 𝘁𝗮𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗶𝘇𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝗻𝗱𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗼𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗿𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗿𝗲𝘀—𝗮 𝗳𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝘆 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻.

From a global standpoint, countries like Japan and South Korea, among others, have long been using a similar system. It can be seen in international assessments that these countries have been consistently performing well and producing well-rounded individuals. 𝗦𝘂𝗰𝗵 𝗲𝘅𝗮𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝘀𝘂𝗴𝗴𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮 𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝗮𝘀𝗶𝗰 𝗲𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘀𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺 𝗶𝘀 𝗮 𝗯𝗿𝗶𝗱𝗴𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘀 𝘁𝗼𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗿𝗼𝗯𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗮𝗰𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗺𝗶𝗰 𝗳𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗰𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲.

Since I have mentioned life skills, I will be honest by saying that I was at first skeptical about the need to pursue senior high school. Well, that was until I was already knee-deep in it that I realized how much it had changed me. Yes, lectures offered some notable novel lessons while also repeating old ones, but what I would highlight the most are the lessons beyond the textbooks. 𝗙𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘀𝗵𝘆, 𝗯𝘂𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗱 𝗸𝗶𝗱, 𝗜 𝘀𝗮𝘄 𝗺𝘆𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝗮 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗺𝗼𝗹𝗱𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗱𝘂𝗮𝗹. 𝗪𝗶𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗞 𝘁𝗼 𝟭𝟮, 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗜 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗺𝗮𝘆 𝗯𝗲 𝘁𝗼𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗱𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽𝗲𝗱 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗲 𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲.

My account is but one of many the same, but just like with everything else, not everyone will have the same experiences. After producing over 7 batches of senior high school graduates, I am certain that a surplus of different experiences and opinions about the program already exists, and each one is indisputably valid.

𝐀 𝐆𝐥𝐨𝐛𝐚𝐥 𝐓𝐡𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐤𝐞𝐬
𝗔𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗺𝗶𝗰, 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗿𝗶𝘅 𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘀𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘇𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝗾𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝘀𝗼𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻. Modular learning became the new normal, but along with this shift is the temporary paralysis of a primary goal of the K to 12 program. Instead of face-to-face skill demonstrations, learners were left with no choice but to fortify their theoretical knowledge for nobody knew how long. Some, including myself, took that time to learn new skills, but I could not say that this is the reality for everyone else.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗿𝗶𝗰𝘂𝗹𝘂𝗺 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗮 𝗴𝗹𝗼𝗯𝗮𝗹 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁, 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝗶𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗶𝘁𝘀 𝗳𝗹𝗮𝘄𝘀. 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗶𝗹𝘆 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗲𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗰𝘆. Due to an urgent notice, the new normal implementation of modular learning initially did not have a perfect roll-out—one which was optimized the year after. Still, many questioned the quality of education learners received, especially when issues of parents answering for their children and the use of Artificial Intelligence surfaced all over social media. 𝗪𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘃𝗶𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗻𝗼 𝘄𝗮𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗳𝘆 𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗱𝘂𝗮𝗹 𝘀𝘁𝘂𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀’ 𝗵𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘁𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗮𝗰𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗺𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗹𝗲𝘀, 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗱𝗶𝗰𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗲𝘀 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗮𝘀 𝘁𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝗳𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗻𝗲𝘄 𝗻𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝗹 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴.

𝐒𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐜 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐬
For almost a decade, the addition of senior high school has extended not just the financial burden, but most importantly, the learning opportunities that reshape how students of today prepare for their futures. However, as the focus shifted to student preparation, it seems as if the system may have come short of preparing itself for the students as opportunities are not enough to cater for us all.

𝗜𝗻𝗳𝗿𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗰𝗲 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗴𝗲𝘀. 𝗧𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗹𝗼𝗮𝗱. 𝗨𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝗲𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗼𝘆𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗼𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀.
On top of the longstanding issue of additional financial burden to parents are the issues you see above. In a July 2024 issue by the Philippine News Agency, it was estimated by the PIDS that between 2016 and 2017, there was a need for 23,812 classrooms and 38,708 teachers in order to ensure a smooth-sailing system. Today, based on a February 2026 report by EDCOM II, our country stands at a shortage of roughly 165,443 classrooms to accommodate all of the learners. 𝗜𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗺𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝟱𝟭,𝟮𝟮𝟮 𝗰𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗿𝗼𝗼𝗺𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗲𝘅𝗰𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝘄𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝟮𝟱-𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻 𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲, 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝘂𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗱𝗲𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗶𝘁𝘀 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗺𝗶𝘀𝗲𝘀?

Along with the lack of buildings is the shortage of educators—the backbone of the entire system. A 2025 report from the Department of Education cited that despite the Department of Budget and Management’s approval of 16,000 as part of the 20,000 new teaching positions back in 2025, it was only able to cut the shortage of 56,000 to 30,000 if summed together with the 2024 addition of 22,000 educators. 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗯𝘂𝘁𝗲𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝘃𝗼𝗹𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺, 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝗮𝗹𝘀𝗼 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗹𝗼𝗮𝗱 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗲𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝘂𝗯𝗽𝗮𝗿 𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗹𝗶𝗺𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗰𝗲𝘀.

𝗡𝗼𝘄, 𝗶𝗺𝗮𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀: 𝗔𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗮𝗻 𝘂𝗻𝗿𝗲𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝘀𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺, 𝗷𝗼𝗯 𝗼𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗮𝘃𝗮𝗶𝗹𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗶𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗹𝘆, 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝗞 𝘁𝗼 𝟭𝟮 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗲𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗶𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗿𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗰𝗲. 𝗗𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗲𝗱𝗹𝘆 𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗶𝘁𝘂𝗱𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗲𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗼𝘆𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝘁𝗼𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗵𝗶𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗞 𝘁𝗼 𝟭𝟮 𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗱𝘂𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀, 𝗰𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗴𝗲 𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗱𝘂𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀, 𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗲𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗮𝘆, 𝘄𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗯𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗲𝘁𝗶𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗷𝗼𝗯 𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁.

Jobs today often require computer skills—an area that was not given that much emphasis in the curriculum. When I was in senior high school, our subject, Empowerment Technologies, did talk about the essential theoretical foundations of computer technology. 𝗛𝗼𝘄𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿, 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗮 𝗽𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗰 𝗵𝗶𝗴𝗵 𝘀𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗹 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗰𝗲𝘀 𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗹𝗶𝗺𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗱, 𝘄𝗲 𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗴𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗻 𝗮 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝗹 𝗼𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻 𝗼𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝘁𝗼𝘂𝗰𝗵 𝗮 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝘂𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘀𝗲𝘁𝘂𝗽.

Some may argue that this is just one of those disparities between the rich and the poor, but research reveals that 𝗙𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗼𝘀 𝗼𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺𝘀𝗲𝗹𝘃𝗲𝘀 𝗱𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝘀𝗸𝗶𝗹𝗹𝘀 𝗼𝘂𝘁𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗿𝗼𝗼𝗺 𝘀𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴. A 2023 Global Education Monitoring report by UNESCO found that 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗽𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗮 𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗶𝘁𝘂𝗱𝗲 𝘁𝗼𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝘂𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗻𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝘆 𝗶𝗻 𝘀𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗹𝘀. The problem? Well, a 2019 South East Asia Primary Learning Metrics, covering the countries of Cambodia, the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Malaysia, Myanmar, Vietnam, and the Philippines, discovered that 𝟳𝟱% 𝗼𝗳 𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗺𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝘀𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗹𝘀 𝗵𝗮𝗱 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝘂𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀, 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝗼𝗻𝗹𝘆 𝟮𝟮% 𝗼𝗳 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗲𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝘂𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀.This signifies that the remaining 𝟳𝟴% 𝗼𝗳 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗹𝗲𝗳𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝘂𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝗺𝗲𝗮𝗻𝘀 𝗼𝘂𝘁𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝘀𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗹.

Let us not forget, however, that Filipino children often play online games in internet cafes and pisonet hubs. Developing computer technical skills would then just need formal instruction to transfigure gaming prowess into job competence. But then again, not everyone will have access to computers.

𝗔𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗡𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟱, 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗿𝘆 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗿𝗱𝘀 𝗮𝗻 𝘂𝗻𝗲𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗼𝘆𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝟰.𝟰%, 𝘄𝗵𝗶𝗰𝗵 𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝟮.𝟮𝟲 𝗺𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗷𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗙𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗼𝘀. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗮𝗶𝗱 𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝟭.𝟮% 𝗵𝗶𝗴𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗡𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟰 𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝟯.𝟮%. 𝗦𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗼𝘆𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗮 𝘀𝗮𝘄 𝗮 𝗱𝗿𝗼𝗽 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝟭𝟬.𝟴% 𝗶𝗻 𝗡𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟰 𝘁𝗼 𝟭𝟬.𝟰% 𝗶𝗻 𝗡𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟱.

These numbers picture the difficulties of reality. However, these do not prove that the K to 12 program alone is flawed. 𝗟𝗼𝗼𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗶𝗴𝗴𝗲𝗿 𝗽𝗶𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲, 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝗻 𝘄𝗵𝗶𝗰𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗿𝗶𝗱𝗴𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝘁 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗮𝗹𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘆 𝘂𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗲, 𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗹𝘆 𝗶𝗻𝗳𝗹𝘂𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝗲𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗹𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗺 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗲𝘃𝗲 𝗶𝘁𝘀 𝗽𝘂𝗿𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗲.

To be quite frank, the K to 12 curriculum is not to be blamed for this, nor is the job-skill mismatch at fault here. 𝗔𝗹𝗹 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘀𝗲 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗲𝘀 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗲𝗶𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗯𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗿𝗲𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝗿 𝗽𝗼𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗹𝘆 𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗯𝘂𝗱𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗿 𝗯𝘂𝗱𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗼𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘄𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝗳𝘂𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗲𝘅𝗵𝗮𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗶𝗳 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗿𝘆’𝘀 𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗴𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗱𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝗰𝗼𝗿𝗿𝘂𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐥 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐞
Give or take, 20% of our annual national budget goes toward nourishing notable individuals’ lavish lifestyles. 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗰𝘆 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹, 𝗶𝗻 𝗦𝗲𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟯, 𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗸𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗯𝗲𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗱 𝗣𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗽𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝘀 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗿𝗿𝘂𝗽𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝟭𝟭𝟰 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝟭𝟴𝟬 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱𝘄𝗶𝗱𝗲. We Filipinos always try to outrank other nations—even to the point of having keyboard wars with various nationalities online—but this ranking is honestly nothing to be proud of.

K to 12 has its strengths and weaknesses. While lived experiences support its strengths, and statistics help us recognize that challenges exist, these should not be mistaken as proof that the reform itself has failed. 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗼𝗻𝗹𝘆 𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝗰𝘂𝗹𝗽𝗿𝗶𝘁 𝗯𝗲𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘀𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗮𝗯𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗿𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗽𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿, 𝗮𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗽𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗰 𝗼𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗽𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗴𝗮𝗶𝗻. 𝗙𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝘀 𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗰𝗼𝗿𝗿𝘂𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝘂𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗼𝘂𝘁𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗴𝘁𝗵𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗲𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘀𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺, 𝗶𝘁 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗶𝘁𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀, 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗶𝘁 𝗶𝗻𝗳𝗹𝗶𝗰𝘁𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗱𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗽𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁.

𝐒𝐤𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐲. 𝐈𝐦𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐝 𝐞𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐨𝐲𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲. 𝐆𝐥𝐨𝐛𝐚𝐥 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬. 𝐇𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐜 𝐝𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐩𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭. 𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐛𝐮𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐧. 𝐈𝐧𝐟𝐫𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐜𝐞 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐬. 𝐓𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐥𝐨𝐚𝐝. 𝐔𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐞𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐨𝐲𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐨𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬. 𝐂𝐨𝐫𝐫𝐮𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧.

All are realities that coexist within the program, but let not the obstacles become full-on roadblocks, especially when, under the best possible circumstances, they can be evaded. The K to 12 curriculum was designed as a bridge that can withstand even the most dreadful challenges. 𝗪𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗿 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗰𝗲 𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗼𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗿 𝗳𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗴𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗰𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗶𝘁𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗲𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗯𝗿𝗶𝗱𝗴𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝘂𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗿𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗲𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗱𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗺𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝘂𝘀 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝘁𝗼𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝘄𝗲 𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗺𝗲𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵.











Words by Jericho Francesco Jandongan
Art by Ma. Carmela Joan Espartero