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MARCOS’S VIEW ON EDUCATION

“I wish most solemnly”, President Marcos would be remembered for having said, “that I

can only attain my lifetime dream; upliftment of the Filipino to a new level of dignity and

greatness, discovering the ancient dreams of his Asian identity and living in an

atmosphere of freedom with a government that is selfless, dedicated and a society

devoted only to one objective”…the fulfillment of the vision of a man.”1

Undeniably, Ferdinand Edralin Marcos was a man of vision. He knew where he stood. He knew

what he wanted to achieve. He had carefully laid out plans to carry out his dreams. He was

willing to do everything to pull it off. He has vision for himself. He has vision for Filipinos. He

has vision for education. He has vision for the nation.

But how did Marcos really view education? What was the importance of education for him?

What were his dreams and plans for Philippine education system? How did he expect an

educated Filipino to be? Were his plans noble and beneficial to all or just part of his selfish

ambition? Did he only use education as an avenue to advance his personal agenda?

Selected speeches of Ferdinand Marcos from interviews, conferences, invitations, etc. were

gathered to check on his perception towards the meaning, importance, purposes of education and

Philippine educational system. In 1975, Dr. Pedro A. Gagelonia, a professor in Philippine

College of Commerce, compiled and edited some of the speeches of Marcos as an expression of

his gratitude for the opportunity afforded to project with His Excellency and His First Lady. We

cannot expect this compilation to be free of biases knowing that Gagelonia was commissioned to

showcase Marcos as an unparalleled and most medalled intellectual and leader, conceal Marcos’s

intentions with his plans and dreams in educating the Filipinos and negate the controversies

Marcos and his administration were facing.

1Gagelonia, Pedro A. The Marcos Mind: A Vision for Greatness. Selected Quotations from FM Speeches. Navotas

Press, Navotas. 1975. vi



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What’s education?

“…I think it is sufficiently understood everywhere that education holds the key that well-

being whose attainment is the object of every society. In the Philippines, this fundamental

fact has a special relevance at the present time. This is because more than a process of

development is underway, and we can assure its success only through the sound

education of our people. The requisites of this process of development which we are

trying to accelerate are a high degree of public order and high level of competence for

economic progress.”2

The following are the speeches of Ferdinand Marcos about education in the Gagelonia’s

book.

1. Your future is shaped by today’s education. (Philippine College of Commerce, June 3, 1967 )

2. The future of a nation is shaped by the mind. (Philippine College of Commerce, June 3, 1967 )

3. What people can achieve is determined by the level of their skill and knowledge. ( University

of Mindanao, May 7 1967 )

4. There is no need to education and there is no end to knowledge. ( International School, May

11, 1973)

5. Education quickens the impulse for change; it sets the course that change must take; and

finally, it also teaches hope when the fulfillment of man’s need for change is imperiled.

(University of Mindanao, May 7, 1967 )

6. I still maintain that intellectualism, scholarship, education maybe the answer to all perplexing

problems that agitate the world. ( Michigan State University, September 19, 1966 )

7. Education is internationalization; it militates against the narrowness of perspective that leads

to parochialism. In fact, it has been called the enemy of nationalism. In the modern world,

where men face the dilemma of nationalism and internationalism., certainly education

perhaps points out the solution. ( Michigan State University, September 19, 1966 )

2Marcos, Ferdinand E. On Education. Presidential Policy Statement Series 1968.p.1



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What Philippine educational system needs to be?

1. Our educational system must be relevant and responsive to the changing times. Every

Filipino must be given the opportunity to acquire basic skills, qualities, and attitudes that

would enable him to contribute to the improvement of our society. (State of the Nation,

January 5, 1971)

2. The school, like home, should impart discipline that will eventually benefit not only the

growing mind but the emerging personality as well. (Philippine College of Commerce, June

3, 1967 )

3. A rationalized educational system should be able to match the man with the profession, the

mind with the discipline, in order to minimize the tragedies of wasted and misapplied talent.

(Philippine College of Commerce, June 3, 1967 )

4. Education should reinforce individual and collective power for meaningful action in our

depressed and less developed areas. It should teach a man to think for himself, to be self-

reliant, and thus make himself a more useful member of the society. In other words, it should

increase man’s confidence in himself, in the ability of his hands and mind to fashion new

conditions of living which would realize for himself and society at a large better life in

dignity and freedom. Instead of awaiting the advent of prosperity, education should hasten

progress and change. (University of Mindanao, May 7, 1967 )

5. Education enlightens and enriches the life of men and society. (University of San Carlos,

April 23, 1967 )

6. The cultivation of the mind and the sublimation of the passions are the permanent tasks of

continuing education. (University of Visayas, April 23, 1967 )



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Personal and Social Importance of Education

1. If there is anything on which all Filipinos agree, it is on the personal and social importance of

education. Every parent in a Filipino barrio will sacrifice his comfort even his stability, to

send his sons and daughters to school. (Philippine College of Commerce, June 3, 1967 )

2. A commencement exercise is a form of initiation rite, a ceremony whereby society grants the

young man or woman to participate in the larger life of the community. With this ceremony,

we increased not only the capability but also the maturity of the nation. For education

matures the person, it gives him the theoretic foundation of his existence, lays out the

possibility of his individual life, and defines his relationship to the community and the nation.

(University of the East, May 14, 1967 )

3. We value education as an accomplishment, as a process of realizing the best in every man.

(Private Schools Teachers’ Association of the Philippines, November 26, 1966 )

4. Education should bring out the best in every man. ( Private Schools Teachers’ Association of

the Philippines, November 26, 1966 )

5. The aim of education is to make a man fully the equal of another. (Private Schools

Teachers’ Association of the Philippines, November 26, 1966 )

Who is an educated Filipino?

1. The educated man and woman raise certain expectations about themselves. To the community

of humble folk, they are a source of knowledge and understanding of the world around them;

they are a frequent source of leadership. Naturally, much is expected of them. (Central

Philippine University, April 21, 1967 )

2. The educated man and woman are: by definition, persons who have learned to make demands

on themselves. (Central Philippine University, April 21, 1967 )



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3. The educated Filipino finds his fulfillment in articulating the aspirations of the masses, in

giving shape and form of our national destiny.

4. Much is expected to the educated Filipino simply because he has much to give to his country.

(Central Philippine University, April 21, 1967 )

5. The educated Filipino, by virtue of his intellectual and moral excellence, accepts the crises of

his country and people as his own… We have need of his knowledge in the midst of

ignorance, his healing hands in the midst of disease, his labor in the midst of poverty. In the

face of injustice, we need his ringing protest; confronted with corruption, we need his

integrity. (Central Philippine University, April 21, 1967 )

Analysis:

It is clear how Ferdinand E. Marcos overemphasized the significance of education. For him, the

key solution to peace and order and growth and development is still education. As expected,

various views on the causes and solutions of the problems of criminality, lawlessness,

delinquencies, poverty and the like have been offered. But to his mind, the whole question of

public order and national development cannot be disassociated from education – or more

accurately the effective of education.

In a theoretical standpoint, education has been a functional structure for Marcos to indoctrinate

the Filipinos of his seemingly dignified vision for the country. Marcos believed that in the

context of the Philippines, the educational system is regarded as an agent that can maximally

contribute to the realization of certain national development goals, such as economic

development and social progress, maximum participation in the attainment and equal-enjoyment

of socio-economic growth, strengthening of national consciousness, and the promotion of



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cultural values. Most of all, Marcos utilized education is a powerful tool to attain his grand

personal agenda.

THE PHILIPPINE EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM DURING MARCOS ADMINISTRATION

(1965-1986)

It was during Marcos education that national educational system underwent dramatic changes.

Under New Society, restructuring, reforms, new educational projects and plans were launched

and implemented.

Nearly two decades are long and therefore necessitates periodization – 1) Philippine education in

the late sixties, a period of comprehensive educational planning to combat massive school

population, inadequacies of financing, low quality of education and inefficiency of management

– indicative of what should be done about in the seventies; 2) Philippine Education in the

seventies which is characterized by national reordering and redirection; 3) Philippine Education

in the early eighties wherein priority areas like national situation, increasing costs of

commodities and services, the need for increasing equity and national reunification were

accentuated especially in policy making.

Philippine Education in Late 1960s

In 1966, Carlos P. Romulo, published an article about Philippine Educational System3.

According to him, the Philippines lags behind with its Asian neighbors because of the problems

it faces. The Philippines has semi-advanced or advanced in terms of quantitative educational

standards – high in quantity but low in quality. The school buildings are limited and substandard.

The students are ill-prepared to cope with further study or for the vast number to face life. The

3Romulo, Carlos P. Our Educational System. Fookien Times Yearbook. 1966. pp. 210-215



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teachers are not well trained, overloaded with heavy loads, inadequate with instructional

materials and are low paid. There is also a problem in the use of language as a medium of

instruction. The administration has no vigor and vision that should characterize a great calling.

They just attend to their work in a day to day basis. There is also inadequate number of clerical,

supervisory and special services personnel in the division office. The educational programs and

plans are not carefully studied and well laid out. The system is characterized by mediocre

character of products and faulty state of public education. To resolve this, he said that we should

redefine our objectives, give ourselves a new direction and not be satisfied with the present

condition of Philippine education.

What does Marcos say about this? The article was intentional to answer the questions against

Marcos

In 1968, Onofre D. Corpuz, the Acting Secretary of Education, released an article entitled

“Education Report:1968”4, said that the 1968 school population, including enrollment in the

lower schools as well as students in colleges and universities, both public and private, is an

estimated 8.8 million. This does not include the total teaching force of about 275,000 nor the

non-academic office workers and other employees in the schools. In fact, the figure indicates that

approximately one of every four Filipino is enrolled in this school year. A fair idea of school

population of the Philippines shown by the fact that the number of our pupils and students is

larger than the total populations of any of the following European countries: Sweden, Bulgaria,

Austria, Finland, Denmark and Switzerland. There are two main reasons for our large school

population. The basic one is the fact that the Philippines in population terms, is one of the large

countries in the world. The other leading reason is the strong desire of our people for schooling

4Corpuz, Onofre D. Education Report: 1968. Fookien Times Yearbook. 1968. pp. 266-268



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or education. Historically, education has been the most effective force for upward mobility

among the masses of population, and the prospect of socio-economic improvement through

schooling leads almost every Filipino family to send the children to school. The massive size of

the Philippine educational system is all at once the source of its most significant contributions to

our national development, as well as the cause of its most serious problems.

He further explained that the problems related to Philippine education are more widely known.

The first, owing to the large size of the educational system, is that of accommodation and

financing. We have been adding 12, 000 new classes in the elementary grades each year, with a

corresponding annual requirement of 12, 000 new classrooms. Each prefabricated “Marcos type”

school building, with three rooms, cost P8,500 exclusive of delivery costs. There are also

shortages in books, machinery, laboratory and technical equipment for vocational and general

high schools, teaching or instructional materials and supplies. I have estimated the principal

terms of shortages to require added appropriations of P100 million a year for the Bureau of

Public Schools and Bureau of Vocational Education, for five years for standards to be realized.

We should remember that not only must we spend what the educational system requires now, but

we will probably have to spend more in the future. The only relevant consideration is that we

must try to bring about internal economies, improve quality and orient the educational system to

national development programs.

We must turn to the improvement of the quality of education. This means improvement of the

quality of education. This means improvement in the quality of teaching and learning. Quality as

an issue in Philippine education is often misunderstood, even by well meaning observers. It is

usually regarded in itself, and equaled in “high standards”. When quality is regarded in this

manner, it would seem that all that would be necessary to achieve it is the prescription of high



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standards and a fairly rigorous procedure for eliminating students, teachers and institutions that

do not comply with those standards.

The education is very much complicated. Education in the Philippines is mass or popular

education, which is contrary to those traditions of social class structure that have been the basis

of the so-called high-standard educational systems like Western Europe. In some western

European countries, for example, only 15 to 20 percent of elementary school pupils are allowed

to go to a high school that will prepare them for college or university. But what would we do in

the Philippines with 80 to 85 percent who would be denied admission to general high school? In

Europe, these children must stop their formal schooling at age fourteen. Here in the Philippines,

almost 70 percent of our elementary graduates go to high school, and there would be no restrict

the number to the levels allowed in Europe.

The proper view of quality in the Philippine situation is to look at it in connection with the

numbers of quantity, because of egalitarian traditions. This is in effect, the approach which is

presently adopted by the Board of National Education. This board is presently reviewing the

curricula of the schools, in line with a conviction that proliferation of subjects be avoided and

class instruction be limited to basic subjects. In addition, the curricula for teacher education are

undergoing study, in order that the competencies of prospective teachers can be improved.

One of the most controversial issues in Philippine education is related to be inefficiency of

learning and is also under intensive consideration. This is the “language problem” which boils

down to the use of language. A study committee of the Board has recommended Pilipino for the

primary grades.



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Since 1966, the Department of Education has deliberately geared the schools to closely support

national programs. Perhaps the most outstanding example here was the participation of

elementary and secondary schools, pupils and teachers in the rice program. This year the schools

are taking the leading role in tree-planting and reforestation program.

Looking ahead, there are two developments in 1968 that will have important future effects on

education. First, after many delays, the Philippines and United States governments signed an

agreement for a permanent trust fund to assist private education in the country. The fund is

initially, P24 million, from the balance of Philippine war damage claims. The earnings of the

fund are to be available for grants on almost any project beneficial to education through the

private sectors. The management of the fund will be in a private education committee, which will

receive and process applications for assistance. The other new development of significance to

Philippine education is the passage in the Congress of the bill creating a fund for education. The

special fund, originally a recommendation of President Marcos, taps the real estate tax and part

of tobacco subsidy fund. The most novel feature of the bill however is the creation of provincial,

city and municipal school boards to budget the government shares in the real estate tax

collections for educational purposes in their jurisdiction. The chairman of each board is the

division superintendent or district school supervisor.

Philippine Education in 1970s

The social demand for education and the changing aspirations of the people places upon the

existing educational system is a task which requires restructuring and reform (Manuel, 1971).

The educational goals and objectives, the educational system, the teaching force and teacher

education, textbook production, adult, community and special education, cultural activities,



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educational research and educational problems were discussed by Juan L. Manuel, Secretary of

Education by this times, in his article entitled “Philippine Education in the 1970s: A Chance for

Reordering and Redirection” in Fookien Times Yearbook, 1971.

Educational Goals and Objectives:

Educational Goals and policies of in the Philippines are based on: 1) The Philippine

Constitution, 2) laws passed by the Philippine Congress, 3) decisions of the Board of

National Education.

The Philippine Constitution, promulgated in 1935, expresses the National goal of Philippine

Education as follows: “All schools shall aim to develop moral character, personal discipline,

civic conscience and vocational efficiency, and to teach the duties of citizenship.” The same

Constitution has mandated the Philippine Government to establish and maintain a complete

and adequate system of public education with provision of at least free public primary

instruction and citizenship training for adult citizens. (Section 5, Article XIV, Constitution of

the Philippines)

In 1956, the Board of National Education was established by Republic Act No. 1124 which

vested upon this new body the responsibility of formulating long-term goals and objectives

for Philippine Education. Accordingly, the Board formulated the following basic objectives:

- Inculcation of moral and spiritual values;

- Development of an enlightened, patriotic, useful and upright citizenry;

- Acquisition of habits of industry and thrift so as to enable the individuals to contribute to

the economic development;



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- Maintenance of family solidarity; improvement of community life, perpetuation of

desirable national heritage and promotion of the cause of world peace; and

- Promotion of the sciences, arts and letters for the enrichment of family life and the

recognition of dignity ( Department Order No. 1, s. 1957, The Revised Educational

Program)

Early in the 1970, the President created an Inter-Departmental Committee for formulate a

Four-Year Plan for National Development. One of the area Task Forces was in Education.

(The Task Force fir Education was composed of Dr. Aurelio O. Elevazo, Task Force Leader,

Dr. Felix P. Santos and Mr. Horacio Morales, Jr., members)

The education chapter of the Four-Year Plan Development Plan (1971-1974) of the National

Government prepared by the Task Force for Education contained educational objectives

formulated for the plan period in operational terms as follows:

- Development of human resources with particular reference to manpower needs amd

effective social participation.

- Restructuring of the pre-college preparatory period with a view to bringing about

responsiveness to national and individual needs.

- Coordination of higher education with respect to curriculum, financing and distribution of

facilities for regional and national development.

-

Enhancement of the quality of educational facilities along with the improvement of the

quality of students admitted at the third level of special concern upon the strengthening of

teacher education



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- Management of scholarship so as to maximize the reach and usefulness of available funds

and to provide incentives for entrance into the critical occupations.

- Improvement of educational planning and management.

The Educational System: Formal and Non-formal

The formal education system has two sets of schools: the government and non-government

schools. The government schools, often referred to as public schools, are of three kinds,

namely, 1) those under the Bureau of Public Schools, 2) those under the Bureau of

Vocational Education and, 3) the chartered colleges and universities. The non-government

schools, also called private schools, are either sectarian or non-sectarian and are supervised

by the Bureau of Public Schools. They are registered as stock, non-stock or foundation

corporations.

The three bureaus, the Bureau of Public Schools, the Bureau of Vocational Education and the

Bureau of Private Schools, are the main agencies of the Department of Education responsible

for the implementation of educational policies, rules and regulations. The Department has

four cultural agencies, namely, the Institute of National Language, the National Museum, the

National Historical Commission and the National Library.

There are schools and educational activities administered by agencies other than the

Department of Education. The following are the prominent ones:

- The National Defense College and the Philippine Military Academy of the Department of

National Defense

- Agricultural extension programs, home economics extension programs, rural clubs and

cooperatives extension under the Agricultural Productivity Commission.



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- Training and information program for community development workers under the

Presidential Arm for Community Development

- Training Programs in fishing and fish culture under the Philippine Fisheries Commission

of the Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources

- Manpower development programs under the National Manpower and Youth Council

- Philippine Science High School under the National Science Development Board

- Training Programs in social welfare under the Department of Social Welfare

- Pamantasan ng Maynila under the City of Manila

Extension of Educational Opportunities

The right to education is recognized and respected. This is the compelling reason for the

expansive scope of Philippine Education, especially at the first level. This is also a reason for

the fast-increasing school population at all levels. The average rate of increase at the first

alone is over half-a-million annually. The increase in enrolment particularly since 1962 may

be attributed partly to the establishment of over a thousand barrio high schools and a small

but increasing number of community colleges in various parts of the country as a result of

which educational aspirations of more people correspondingly increased.

To provide for the increasing school population and the Government embarked on a massive

school-building program. There are now approximately 32, 635 educational institutions,

public and private, throughout the Philippines. (Statistical Bulletin, Bureau of Public

Schools, Statistical Bulletin, Bureau of Private Schools; Unesco Questionnaire on Statistics

of Education, 1968-1969 (STE /Q/691) accomplished by the Bureau of Vocational

Education; and statistical reports of the state of colleges and universities.)



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A school building program for the public elementary schools was started in 1966 for the

purpose of augmenting existing schools at the time. Part of the national effort to equalize

educational opportunities is the establishment of state scholarships for poor but deserving

students who possess aptitudes for study in the sciences, the arts, the letters.

The Teaching Force and Teacher Education

For an aggregate enrollment of 7,713,799 in 1970-1971, there were 246,262 teachers in all

schools at the first level of education. The overall teacher-student ratio is 1:31. Qualitatively,

there has been a consistent effort to continually upgrade the competencies of teachers in the

field. Teachers are encouraged to undertake researches particularly of the action research

type for the purpose of improving instruction. The teacher education program has been

revised so as to enable teachers to make classroom instruction relevant to the situations and

problems in the community and in the country at large. The revision is the result of the work

of Teacher Education Committee of the Board of National Education and was implemented

starting in 1970.

Textbook Production

One of the continuing concerns in Philippine Education has to do with the production of

curricular materials such as textbooks. The textbook requirements of a fast-increasing school

population, however, constitute a hopelessly huge number – approximately 60,000,000 (This

includes backlogs from previous years). Moreover, there is a need for other materials such

as reference books, teachers guides, curriculum guides and collated materials the production

of which multiplies the requirement for adequate quantity (not to mention quality) of

instructional facilities. If the government decides to change the language of instruction at the



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first level from English to Pilipino, the national language requirements of textbooks

production and the provision for related instructions materials will increase further.

Adult and Community Education

The education of adults and out-of-school youth continues to be promoted through the work-

oriented approach. This involves the development of functional literacy so as to equip

individuals with the basic skills of reading and writing, a basic knowledge of arithmetic and

computation, health, sanitation and citizenship; and a program of continuing education which

provides courses in vocational, cultural, recreational and social education.

Special Education

While strengthening the educational program to meet the needs of normal children, the

Department of Education gives ample attention to the needs of exceptional children such as

the mentally gifted, mentally retarded, and the physically handicapped such as blind, the

deaf, and those with speech defects. In 1969-70, the Special Education Section of the Bureau

of Public Schools printed in Braille a total of 1,003 volumes of books in 31 titles of

elementary and secondary textbooks for the blind.

Auxiliary Services

There are various auxiliary services provided primarily for the welfare of the children or to

enrich the educational program. Among there are guidance and counseling, health program,

school feeding, and applied nutrition. There is also a national network of educational

broadcasts which provides radio lessons for approximately 47,800 listening classes with

21,407 radio sets. A program of instructional television has been organized in the Greater



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Manila Area with programming and telecasting at the Center for Educational Television,

Ateneo de Manila University. (Annual Report of the Director of Public Schools, 1968-69

(Manila: Bureau of Public Schools, 1969), pp.22-23)

Educational films and other audio-visual facilities have been made available at the Bureau of

Public Schools, the Philippine Universities Audio-Visual Center, and the AV Centers in

various schools colleges and universities. Opportunity classes have been organized in many

public elementary and secondary schools for out-of-school youth interested in vocational

training. Evening classes for high school students have, also been organized in some cities to

give a chance for working students to pursue their schooling.

Cultural Activities

Aside from the regular educational activities carried on in the formal school system, there are

other programs with cultural and educational value undertaken by other offices under the

Department. Fir example, city and municipal libraries, barrio libraries, and reading stations

have been established under the National Library. There are 425 libraries at the present in

various parts of the country. The National Library’s program of book acquisition has also

been intensified.

The National Historical Commission has started to undertake the production of documentary

films aside from its continuing sponsorship of lectures and symposia on various topics. The

Commission has also embarked on a comprehensive research on the economic history of the

Philippines.

The National Museum, despite its problem of space and concomitant difficulties, has

continued to promote awareness of the national heritage through exhibitions, acquisition of



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cultural properties, cultural lectures, publications on Philippine culture, and the preservation

of scientific and cultural projects. Several scientific studies are being conducted by the

Archaeological Division of the Museum.

With the respect to the development and enrichment of Pilipino, the Institute of National

Language has intensified its activities in linguistic research, translation work, publication and

distribution of Pilipino materials, examination of the linguistics aspects of textbooks, courses

of study, instructional materials and manuals written in Pilipino, and promotion of the use of

Pilipino in the mass media.

Educational Research

There are the present two major studies on Philippine education, namely, (1) the National

Survey of Education under the Presidential Commission to Survey Philippine Education, and

(2) the Higher Education Study under the joint auspices of the Board of National Education

and the Higher Education Research Counsel of the Senate Committee on Education. The

former was completed in December 1970; the latter is expected to be completed in

September 1971. Both studies are assessment to determine the relevance of the educational

system to national development. The results will be used as basis for developing a long-term

development plan doe education and specific measures foe educational reform.

Educational Goals for the 70’s

The President of the Philippines created in early 1970 the Presidential Commission to Survey

Philippine Education for the purpose of determining how the best to restructure the

educational system so as to increase its effectiveness to the changing demands of social and

economic progress. The Commission has completed its study, and its report which has been



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submitted to the President, contains a statement of development, goals and educational aims

as follows:

1. National development foals, to further the aims of the Philippine Constitution for the

development of the country as well as the nation, and within the context of a free and

democratic society, the national development goals of the Philippines should be:

- To achieve and maintain an accelerating rate of economic development and social

growth;

- To assure the maximum participant of all the people in their attainment; and

- To strengthen national consciousness and promote cultural values in changing world.

2. National educational aims, as a major contributor towards the attainment of stated

development goals, the educational institutions should:

- Provide a broad general education that will assist each individual, in the peculiar

ecology of his own society, to: (1) attain his potential as a human being; (2) enhance

the range and quality of his participation in the basic functions of society; and (3)

acquire the essential educational foundations for his development into a productive

and versatile citizen;

- Train the nation’s manpower in the middle-level skills required for national

development;

- Develop the high-level professions that will provide leadership for the nation,

advance knowledge through research, and apply new knowledge for improving the

quality of human life; and

- Respond effectively to changing conditions of the nation through a system of

educational planning and evaluation, (Education for Development: New Patterns.



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New Directions (Manila: Presidential Commission to Survey Philippine Education,

1971. pp. 61-53.)

In 1977, another article was published in Fookien Times Philippines Yearbook entitled

“Education Challenges for National Progress” by Juan L. Manuel, the Secretary of the

Department of Education at that time which narrated the educational achievements and goals,

new educational innovations, orientations, curriculum enrichment for social relevance, methods

of teachings, programs for manpower development and many others in the late seventies.

Educational Goals and Achievements

Presidential Decree 6-A was issued for education to give its fullest share in achieving

national development targets The decree provides a framework of the reforms needed to

make education contributive to the achievement of a faster pace of economic and social

progress. The educational objectives defined in PD 6-A include (a) provision for a broad

general education, (b) middle-level manpower development, (c) development of professional

manpower for national leadership, and (d) educational planning and evaluation responsive to

changing national needs and conditions, thus, PD 6-A has erected a monumental landmark in

the educational landscape of the country and given rise to a series of educational reforms of

diverse areas, directions, dimensions and processes. These innovations which are depicted

below reflect on the flexibility, versatility and spontaneity of the entire system of the call for

relevance to the development needs and problems of the nation.

A. Educational Innovations for Development

A noteworthy feature of the dynamism and responsiveness of the educational system is

the large number of innovation educational projects now going on in the country. A total



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of 435 of such projects undertaken at various educational levels of concerns as:

curriculum research and development (263), new structures and methods in teacher

education (97), educational management (28), Educational Technology (14) and Science

Education (13). These innovative projects many of which are institutionally based and

supported have won for the country the highest rank among the Unesco member states in

the Asian region in terms of the number, as revealed by a Unesco/ ACEID-supported

survey.

B. New Educational Structures and Orientations

Projects Impact and IS-OSA. Rising educational costs provision for free, universal

education persistently baffle educational planners in the face of limited resources; hence,

alternative structures had to be evolved to help the nation’s economy. In its experimental

stage now are Projects IMPACT (Instructional Management by Parents, Community and

Teachers) and IS-OSA (In-School Off-School Approach). Both instructional models

envisage the maximum utilization of existing facilities and resources through larger

enrolments of as many as 200 in the former and 80 in the latter.

CPS. The Continuous Progression Scheme is a promotion plan that endeavors to reduce

educational wastage from failures and useless repetition through emphasis on

individualized instructional procedures that emphasize individual child development

rather than the achievement of set minimum standard requirements.

Work Education. The work-oriented curriculum was implemented to enable the school

system to contribute more effectively to the demands of economic development.

Revisions of the elementary curriculum ware made so that the contents, objective, scope,

sequence and units of study in various Work Education subjects are tied up with practical



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learning experiences. In the secondary level; the curriculum has been revised to develop

trainability through occupational orientation, good work habits, and ways of harmonious

working with people in the occupation. The curriculum has been structured and enriched

to provide practicum experiences to all students in various practical arts courses that are

viable in relation to the employable skills needed in the locality.

Distance Study System. Started only February 1977 this system provides a learning

situation at a distance using the radio, the TV and a correspondence package consisting of

a primer, a manual and learning modules. In its initial stage, nutrition is the focal concern

but lessons on the other subject areas will soon be introduced as soon as the instructional

materials are produced. Study centers will also be set up in all school divisions to carry

out more effectively the system’s programs and to take care of face-to-face instruction.

Consultation meeting with students who will take a final examination at the end of the

course will be held at this center.

Consortia. To maximize utilization of existing faculty, libraries, laboratories and other

instructional facilities in colleges and universities, the establishment of corsortia has been

encouraged. Already, a number of this inter-instructional arrangement are in operation

like the PNC-La Salle-Ateneo linguistics consortium, the Mendiola consortium od CEU-

San Beda0La Consolacion-Holy Spirit.

C. Curriculum Enrichment for Socio-Economic Relevance

Educational imperatives. The program thrusts and targets of other government agencies

find support in the DEC efforts to help solve the various socio-economic ills of the

nation. Integrated in different but pertinent subjects at all levels through appropriate

revisions and infusions are such imperatives as taxation education, population education,



23

green revolution, drug education, sports development, nutrition education, Philippine

Constitution, Cooperatives and consumer education, tourism., typhoon and disaster

education, and cultural renewal. The major trend in curriculum structuring is geared to

these development imperatives that are promotive not only of the economic target but

also the socio-cultural well-being of the people. Furthermore, curriculum development is

implemented not only through instructional content but more so in relevant practical

activities in which faculty and studentry are actively involve in projects like reforestation

and tree planting, applied nutrition and school feeding, food production, “Operation

Timbang”, international travel exchange, athletic competitions, YCAP activities,

community beautification and sanitation, cultural programs and many others.

DEC-RAD Program. The DEC’s Reconstruction and Development Program for Muslim

Mindanao has recently been intensified with the completion of needed instructional

materials oriented to rehabilitation and development and prepared in four major Muslim

area dialects – Maranao, Tausog, Maguindanao and Sinama – by Muslim teachers and

writers.

Textbook Development. Through the EDPITAF, with the help of the national, regional

and institutional curriculum development centers, the DEC has embarked massive

textbook development and production project to attain a target pupil-textbook ratio of 2:1

for each book title. One unique feature in the content of these new books is the

integration of curricular imperatives for development.

D. Institutional Outreach Programs for Rural Transformation



24

Education ton be of direct benefit to its clientele, must be felt and observed in the life of

the rural populace which constitute 75 percent of the national community. In order to

help the rural dwellers from the lingering pangs of poverty, disease and despair, school

divisions and educational institutions have launched community outreach programs

which cover such concerns as health improvement, agricultural productivity, cultural

renewal, social uplift, self-government capability, religious-moral rejuvenation, civic

action awakening, and youth involvement through a strategy of self-energization, self-

help and self-reliance.

Samples of these institutionalized projects which are actively participated in by faculty

and students are the Siliman University-Wide Extension Programs in which all

departments have their own community extension service projects; the Manila Central

University’s “Lingap sa Nayon”, the U.P.’s “Comprehensive Community Health

Program” at Bay Laguna, the “Bayanihan School Program of Palawan National College”,

and the “Cotabato Rural Uplift Movement (CORUM) of Southern Christian College.

E. New Structures and Methods of Teacher Training

A development-oriented education requires reorientation in teacher education.

- MATEA (Masters of Arts in Teaching Elementary Agriculture). With Iloilo

National College of Agriculture as its main accrediting institution, and the

agricultural schools in various regions as its teaching centers, it is designed as a crash

program to give teachers basic agricultural skills so that they can effectively carry out

the Green Revolution Program in the school and community.

- Teacher Education Program for Rural Development. This is educational program

has similar management and operation model with the MATEA. The Cagayan Valley



25

Institute of Technology is its base but its concern is within the vocational and

technical areas and the teaching centers are vocational-technical and arts-trade

schools.

- Barrio Service Program. The University of Nueva Caceres provides prospective

teachers several weeks and pre-service in the rural areas, thus, establishing a closer

link between classroom instruction and the actualities of rural life to which the

would-be teachers are attuned and in which they will prospectively find themselves

upon employment.

-

Practicum-based and Extension-reinforced Teacher Education Curriculum. This

program, now in its experimental stage at the Central Luzon Teachers College,

combines practicum work with academic instruction beginning with the first year,

unlike the traditional course-programming in which off-campus work is done only in

the senior year.

- University of the Air. This is special graduate program of the University of Mindanao

is a form of distance teaching through, multi-media utilization – radio and a teaching

package by correspondence, designed for teachers interested in pursuing graduates

studies but are prevented from so doing by distance to the university from their place

of employment.

- Staff Development. Selected and ranking school administrators and teachers are

extended yearly scholarship programs and training grants as part of the on-going staff

development program of the DEC with the assistance of state colleges and

universities, principally the UP, PNC, PCAT, and MSU.



26

- Study-Now-Pay-Later Plan. Under this educational, assistance scheme 5, 100 poor

but deserving students who belong to the upper 25 percent of their graduating classes

and who meet other requirements have been granted educational plans.

- State Scholarships. Since the start of the state scholarship program in SY 1969-1970,

a total of 1,721 national and local scholars have been benefitted, which include 208

scholars during the present SY 1977-1978.

- National Integration Study Grant Program. The study grant program for ethnic

communities was formerly administered by the Commission of National Integration.

-

Teijin Scholarships. Sponsored by Teijin Limited of Osaka, Japan, this program

offers scholarships at the graduate and undergraduate levels in the fields of

Chemistry, Mechanical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Chemical Engineering,

and Textile Chemistry.

- DEC-SIL Scholarship for Teachers of Ethnic Communities. This masteral course in

Functional Literacy offered at the Baguio Vacation Normal School and sponsored by

the DEC and the Summer Institute of Linguistics (SIL). Upon the completion of the

course, the scholar-grantees will live and serve in ethnic villages to help eradicate

illiteracy and ignorance among adults and out-of-school youth of this disadvantaged

segment of the national population.

- Creating Trained Gained Outside the Formal School System. The DEC has

implemented a plan for crediting knowledge and skills acquired outside formal

schooling as a measure to democratize education and maintain lifelong education.

Under this scheme, a school leaver who gains training in certain skills through self-

study, employment or any informal way can be credited should he return to formal



27

school system. He shall however be required, to take an accrediting examination for

the higher grade to which he could be possibly promoted. In effect this plan gives due

recognition to the value of informal or non-formal education of a pupil who leaves

school for economic and other valid reasons.

F. Programs for Manpower Development

- NCEE Program. An educational strategy to rechannel student flow to college and

help reduce the big imbalance between educational output and manpower demands,

as well as provide a viable stock of professional and middle-level manpower for the

nation’s developing industries, PD 146 was issued.

G. Involvement in International Programs

- In pursuance of the country’s commitments to the UNESCO, UNDP, UNICEF,

ASEAN, and Seameo, the DEC has actively participated in international cooperative

programs in education, particularly in: hosting regional and subregional training

seminars, workshops and consultation meetings; conducting research and

development on innovative educational programs; undertaking experimental and pilot

studies on alternative structures; information dissemination and monitoring of

education in the Asian region, and hosting visiting educators from other Asian

countries who come to observe educational innovations now going.

Philippine Education in Early 1980s

The educational policy concepts which are considered significant in the 1980s, deal mainly with

the national situation, increasing costs of commodities and services, the need for increasing

equity, and national reunification. A delineation of these topics is found in the article of Onofre

Corpuz in Fookien Times Philippines Yearbook (1981-1982) narrated below.



28

First. At the level of national education system, the issue of educational priorities for the decade

requires that we have an idea of national situation. The schooling experience of these Grade I

children, in addition to their other socialization experiences, will open up their minds; their

perspective will grow and expand, and they will develop new needs and aspirations and

ambitions. Society must meet or accommodate these needs.

Second. Costs will continue an upward or increasing trend over the decade. Energy, and almost

every other commodity or service, will go up in cost. Now all commodities and all services are

the result of output of production.

Third. A third feature of our national situation in the 1980s is the push for increasing equity.

Development will always tend to be uneven because of differences among the regions in what

we call factor “factor and endowments”. These are the elements critical to production and

commerce, or economic development in general. The basic factor endowments are things like

finances, a literate and skilled labor force, transport and communications systems (including

those for overseas use), technology and of course, natural resources. It is obvious that the

National Capital Region has a great advantage over other regions in these factor endowments,

except natural resources, but Metro Manila enjoys transport services which bring over materials

from the other regions. National policy aims to spread out development so that the other areas or

regions can attain a level of growth and development adequate for decent and comfortable life,

reducing the gap between the most and least developed regions or communities.

Fourth. The 1980s will be the decade of reunification or more positive nation-building. We will

bind the wounds of rebellion and separation. The historical, economic, social and political causes

of the separation and rebellion of the beginning of the 1970s will have to be addressed by



29

concrete development and nation-building measures or programs. In addition, we will have to

stress nationalism and the unity and must generate, in order that the resources which we expend

in military peace keeping and in the restoration of order can be used for growth and development

programs under the conditions of peace and social stability.

Fifth. I have to mention one of the features in the Education Act now in the Batasan, about

which so much misinformation is circulating. The bill does not diminish the academic freedom

of state institutions. On the contrary, it spells out the institutional academic freedom for all

institutions, and in this way, operationalize academic freedom to private tertiary institutions. As a

natural consequence, the supervisory and regulatory of Ministry of Education and Culture on

academic matters will be significantly reduced. I am pushing this feature so that we can utilize

our time in the MEC on more significant educational policy matters.

Analysis:

Evidently, huge and substantial efforts were undertaken by Ferdinand Marcos to meet the needs,

problems and aspirations of Philippine education. Marcos was able to leave an indelible mark in

this sector having earned a title of Marcosian style of education. However, questions still popped

in my mind. How effective was Marcosian style of education? Did they really address the needs,

problems and aspirations of the Philippines in the field of education or were these just a part of

his grand design of egocentric ambition?

It is said that educational system in the Philippines is geared towards development and character

formation. The educational policies, plans, contents, methods and the like are aligned to

nationwide socio-economic goals. Seemingly, there was a misalignment. First, the evaluating

body of the Philippine educational system like PCSPE and SOUTELLE are from the west. I do



30

not say that they are not credible but most probably, they are consumed by their western

educational orientation and might have it used as lens in assessing ours. That’s exactly the

problem, Philippine educational system is highly westernized, therefore, how can we achieve the

spirit of solidarity and unity as Filipinos and develop sense of national identity, the love for

country and our own cultural heritage if the institution that teaches us how to be real Filipinos is

of different orientation. There was another misalignment. There was a mismatch of educational

output and manpower needs. There was an oversupply of unemployed and unemployable

educated manpower during Marcos term especially in the 70s. The National and Economic

Development Authority reported in its Four-Year Development Plan, FY 1974-1977, that about

45 percent of the school population has had no secondary schooling and that the school system

does not produce enough middle level manpower.5 Why is this so? Given the comprehensive

educational programs both formal and non-formal with great emphasis on science and

technology and vocational courses, graduates still remained to be unwaged. Second, according to

Albarracin (1976), the educational system has not succeeded in developing among the youth the

love for work, particularly manual work. The craze for academic education continues to haunt

perceptive educators. The passion for diplomas and degrees still guides parents in choosing

careers for their children. Fourth, the system failed to develop and internalize more values

favorable to social and economic development despite the implementation of Department Order

No. 6. s.1973 of Department Education and Culture that stressed the development of moral

values particularly discipline, honesty, social responsibility, thrift, hard work and obedience.

Finally, all these educational restructuring, reordering, innovations need a deep and wide

reflection and evaluation. Before these changes were introduced, did Marcos ask if the country is

5Perfecto, S. Waldo. Future Directions in Philippine Education. Fookien Times Philippines Yearbook. 1977. p.302-

304



31

ready for these? How mature is the country for these changes? How effective and beneficial will

they be for the Filipinos? If not, all these changes were shallow superficial. They only sought to

advance Marcos’s selfish ambition for himself and cronies.

STATISTICAL REPORTS BY MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND CULTURE (1965-

1983)

It could be seen in the figures below that the Department of Education had the lion’s share in the

national budget, almost 30 percent, during Marcos administration. This is to meet the demands of

increasing number of enrollment in both public and private education across levels.

Figure 1



32

Figure 2

Literacy in the Philippines



33

Below is the projection of MECS of the literacy of population in the Philippines 10 Years and

above.

Year Literacy Rate1939 -50.00

1960 72.05

1970 83.40

1975 89.27

1983 92.00

Figure 3

As we can see in Figure 3, the literacy rate in the Philippines is increasing. This is due to several

factors – increasing number of students who are unable to read and write, conducive school

buildings and classrooms, efficient teaching and non-teaching personnel, textbook production

and effective teaching and learning process.

INTERVIEWS

I have interviewed selected teachers from Fortune Elementary School in Marikina City. I have

interviewed their principal and a number of their teaching personnel. The principal started

teaching way back 1977 and his field of expertise is Social Studies. In his youth days, he became

a member of Kabataang Makabayan. He joined because he loved to take risks and explore life

and he has heard of Marcos cruelty against the young. When he started teaching, one of Marcos’s

educational programs was Continuous Progressive Scheme which he didn’t like. According to

him, it didn’t increase the quality of learners. I was able to talk also to some of their teachers.

Majority was students during Marcos administration. They shared good and bad memories about

Marcos. What they like about Marcos was that he’s a certified intellectual with his photographic

memory and people especially the youth then were more disciplined and courteous compared

today because of strict implementation of rules. In school, they were looking forward to the



bread and milk being distributed to them during break time. Some said that it tasted good but for

others it wasn’t. They can still picture out how the classroom looked like and they said

classrooms didn’t have divisions, their teachers were having difficult time teaching them. Some

also said that the Green Revolution of Imelda Marcos was not that successful especially in

Antipolo area. What they hate most about Marcos was when he implemented Martial Law and

because of this, human rights violation and militarization became widespread.

Analysis:

One of the things so noticeable during the interview was that, most of the subjects, consciously

and unconsciously, associate martial law and dictatorship to Marcos. It was fresh in their minds,

it changed their mood, and couldn’t help to give their personal opinion on it. These people were

aware of Marcos’ brilliance, political will and educational programs and innovations, however,

sentimental of the abuses during Marcos administration. Instead of expressing gratitude of his

Marcos’s remarkable legacies in general, the interviewees were deeply saddened and dismayed

of Marcos’s leadership immaterial of their condition during his administration.

References:

A Glimpse on the Educational System of the Philippines. Planning and Programming Division, MECS.

Manila. February , 1983

Fookien Times Philippines Yearbook. Education Section.Year 1965-1986

Gagelonia, Pedro A. The Marcos Mind: A Vision for Greatness. Selected Quotations from FM

Speeches.Navotas Press, Navotas. 1975. vi Ministry of Education, Culture and Sports 1965-1985

On Education Pakinggan ang Pangulo Radio Television Chat of Ferdinand E. Marcos, President of the

Philippines (Presidential Policy Statement Series 1968

final paper_marcos on educ

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