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The preferential option for the poor in Catholic education in the Philippines: a report on progress and problems

2009; Routledge; Volume: 1; Issue: 2 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1080/19422530903137962

1942-2547

Angelina L.V. Gutiérrez,

Religious Education and Schools

Abstract This research article explores the progress and problems of Catholic education in the Philippines in its service to the poor. Using the qualitative methodology of structured interviews and an open-ended questionnaire, the research data were gathered by 138 college students from 34 Catholic schools-colleges-universities in Metro Manila and nearby provinces, through a guided field research module designed and taught by the author. Findings of the study demonstrate that the 'option for the poor' pedagogy is indispensable in the education and formation of students in Catholic institutes. Without claiming to be exhaustive, the results and reflections of this inquiry encourage us to appreciate and support Catholic education's projects for the disadvantaged. While the difficulties posed by the Catholic educational journey may be dispiriting at times, the noble service it offers to the poor give reasons for life and hope to the new generations. Keywords: Catholic education missionoption for the pooreducation for justice and peacecharism of teaching religious congregations Notes 1. From Fr. Gustavo Gutiérrez's address at the conference entitled 'Transformed by Hope: Building a Catholic Social Theology for the Americas', sponsored by the Catholic Theological Union and DePaul University in Chicago, IL, 30 October 2008. This conference marks the 40th anniversary of the famous meeting of the Latin American bishops in Medellín, Colombia, in 1968, which gave rise to the Catholic Church's 'preferential option for the poor'. It also marks 35 years since the first translation of Gutiérrez's famous book, A theology of liberation, into English. G. Gutiérrez, now 80 years old, is a Dominican priest from Peru, and is known as the 'father' of liberation theology. 2. The 34 Catholic schools-colleges-universities that were interviewed are: St. Scholastica's College-Manila; St. Scholastica's Academy-Pampanga; San Beda College-Manila; San Beda College-Alabang; St. Jude Academy; Colegio de San Agustin-Makati; Colegio de San Agustin-Binan; San Sebastian College-Manila; Colegio de Sta. Rosa; University of Regina Carmeli-Bulacan; La Consolacion College-Manila; St. Joseph's Academy-Las Pinas; San Felipe Neri Parochial School-Manila; Malate Catholic School-Manila; St. Anthony School-Manila; Paco Catholic School-Manila; St. Andrew's School-Paranaque; Don Bosco Technical Institute-Makati; Caritas Don Bosco; Immaculate Hear of Mary College-Paranaque; St. Paul's University-Manila; St. Paul's College-Bulacan; St. Paul's Academy-Paranaque; University of Sto. Tomas-Manila; Dominican College; St. Mary's Academy-Pasay; Notre Dame of Greater Manila; De La Salle University-Manila; De La Salle-Lipa; Manresa School; Don Carlo Cavina School; Mary Cause of our Joy Catholic School; Santa Isabel College-Manila; and Ateneo De Manila University. 3. According to a 2005 study of the Philippine Institute for Development Studies on the topic 'Human Resource Development and Poverty in the Philippines', the poor populations face high rate of unemployment and low income. In urban areas, it is common for poor households to stay in slum and squatter settlements, which have no legal basis for ownership. The current Philippine poverty rate, in both rural and urban areas is much higher as compared to that of neighbouring countries such as Indonesia, Vietnam and Thailand. From the 1997 rate of 36.9%, the Philippine poverty rate increased to 39.5% in 2000. 4. In 2005, participatory action research became an important undertaking of the Community Involvement Center of San Beda College–Manila. The purpose of this initiative was to identify the community development efforts of the college in the area. A year later, the Livelihood Center was inaugurated, which focused on programme thrusts such as educational assistance, livelihood and entrepreneurship, and social services related to environmental concerns, health, housing, and pastoral activities, leadership training and distribution of relief goods to typhoon victims. 5. In 1991, the Second Plenary Council of the Philippines encouraged the building of Basic Ecclesial Communities (BEC) as a new way of being Church both in the urban and rural areas for the purpose of living fully one's Christian vocation. As faith communities, BECs mushroomed in different parts of the country since the 1960s, seeking to make the Universal Church truly local, through the concrete life – settings of grassroots communities. BECs are to be signs of the Kingdom of God in the Church's task of social transformation. The local churches, in particular, at the levels of the diocese, parish and BECs, must embrace the plight of the poor and the disadvantaged in their midst, and through their prophetic ministry and social action apostolate, travel with them on the road to justice, peace and integral development (First Basic Ecclesial Community National Congress 2005, spearheaded by the BEC Office of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Phillipines). 6. An example of a scholarship programme for the poor is the Lingap Talino Scholarship Program of the Notre Dame of Greater Manila, a Marian community, inspired by the oblate charism. The programme extends full financial support to poor but deserving incoming first year students who desire to enrol in the high school department. Scholarship grantees are selected on the basis of: a) financial need; b) academic performance; and c) sense of service and commitment. Campaigns for this scholarship programme are conducted yearly at nearby public schools. 7. Education for advocacy is a programme that strengthens the promotion of truth, justice and peace through instruction and community service. Students learn to be conscienticised about the plight of the urban poor, the oppressed, out-of-school youth, abused women and children, the jobless, indigenous groups, rural folks and victims of the unjust structures of the society. 8. The six parochial/diocesan schools that were interviewed are: St. Joseph's Academy-Las Pinas; San Felipe Neri Parochial School-Manila; Malate Catholic School-Manila; St. Anthony School-Manila; Paco Catholic School-Manila; and St. Andrew's School-Paranaque. 9. Websites of Catholic educational institutes include blogspots where photos of community outreach projects are documented. For example, St Andrew's School–Paranaque documents the accomplishments of its Alternative Learning System (ALS) and Skills Training Program, which are made possible by the support and assistance of generous benefactors. A total of 176 students for ALS and 78 students for Skills and Training registered in 2007. The average school and training expenses for each student total P400 per month (approximately US$9). Sponsors are solicited also through its blogspots. 10. The last six schools that were interviewed are: Immaculate Heart of Mary College-Paranaque; Manresa School; Don Carlo Cavina School; Mary Cause of our Joy Catholic School; Santa Isabel College-Manila; and Ateneo De Manila University. 11. The shared mission between consecrated persons and laypersons in Catholic education cannot be separated from the world of politics, economy, culture and society as a whole. In the Philippines, Catholic educational institutes actively promote human development and social justice through their support of people's movements that protect the rights of indigenous groups, abused women and children, and exploited labourers. They take part in organised mass advocacy of people's movements such as people power revolutions, peace demonstrations and protest marches to confront corrupt power holders of the government. 12. From Pope John Paul II message for the Celebration of the World Day of Peace, 1 January 2001. Dialogue between Cultures for a Civilization of Love and Peace, no. 20, 245. 13. The 138 student-respondents from St. Scholastica's College-Manila were from five classes of various majors: Bachelor of Science in Commerce (BSC); Bachelor of Science in Information Technology (BSIT); Bachelor of Science in Hotel and Restaurant Management (BSHRM); Bachelor of Science in Biology (BSBio); Bachelor of Science in Education (BSEd); and Bachelor of Arts in Literature (ABLit). 14. From the article 'Rising Fees, Plunging Incomes Push Students From Catholic Schools' (see www.ucanews.com/2008/09/30/rising-fees-plunging-incomes-push-students-from-catholic-schools/), it describes the dilemma of thousands of Philippine students who have shifted in recent years from Catholic to public schools because their families could not manage the cost. 15. Catholic Educators Association of the Philippines (CEAP) report during their 2008 convention on the theme 'Growing into Soul: Inner Space, Sacred Place in Catholic Education'. 16. According to the Philippine Bureau of Census and Statistics (2002), NGOs and POs are very active in local development activities and work closely with local authorities in attaining mutual community interests. POs are bona fide associations of citizens with demonstrated capacity to promote the public interest, and with identifiable leadership, membership and structure.