Poverty « Unstable Economy « Improper Fund Allocation « Tax Corruption « Habitual Corruption « Poor Education
Fact: There’s poverty because we have an unstable economy. We have an unstable economy because of certain factors such as possible improper allocation of funds and of course, corruption. If our taxes were meant for specific funds and absolutely 100% of these taxes are properly allocated for each, then we have a chance of improving our economy. Also, whether who among the geniuses shall be appointed as president is capable of understanding how he/she’s going to do it. Therefore, it’s not a matter of choosing who among them are the smartest.
Targeting aid for those who are searching for jobs including opportunities for Overseas Filipino Workers as well as assistance for small businessmen is an intelligent approach. This way, it somehow help boost their tax paying capabilities. If they become responsible with their taxes, considering their massive number, there’s no doubt that we’d have more funds to be especially used for government projects. But what we are missing is the fact that before these taxes can be fully distributed to different funds, there are chances that they can reduce in quantity, and this is all because of corruption. Therefore, no matter how much we citizens strive for progress, the moment our taxes are caught by corruption, progress stops right there. That’s why even politicians would claim that helping job seekers and OFWs would solve poverty, it won’t happen for as long as corruption still exists.
Fact: Corruption slows down economic progress. In order for our government to solve this issue, they thought of passing the Anti Graft and Corrupt Practices Act. This may have somehow acted against corruption, but it doesn’t really mean corruption no longer exists. Corruption will always exist and it will be passed on to the next generation of leaders, and to the next leaders, until it becomes hierarchical. Passing a law such as Anti-Corruption won’t stop the corruption chain.
Corruption is everywhere. Whether it’s big time or not, one form of corruption does not make any difference with the other, and it will be kept in practice until it becomes a habit. I am one of those who are ultimately aware that corruption exists even in school. In fact, a simple form of cheating in class quizzes is already an example of corruption. The worst, most of those students who cheat in school aren’t even aware that they are into corruption. It creates a very huge impact to their psychological being. At this point, they may no longer be able to understand the difference between a good act and an evil act. They may even consider cheating as a good act. This simple concept is not far different from a corrupt politician’s point of view. They are incapable of identifying which among their actions are corruption
The biggest problem our government must face is the quality of our education. Students won’t be forced to cheat if they’ve just been properly taught. Of course, a student will always find ways just for him/her to pass the subjects even it means cheating. The "passing grade" system itself is flawed. Who the heck thought of this kind of system anyway? The great philosophers once said that there are millions of ways to solve a certain problem. Hence, it’s just like saying, there are millions of ways to pass a subject. Another important thing, schools miss the fact that they also have the responsibility to introduce to the students the "evilness" of evil acts. All throughout the years of being a student, I have never been formally introduced on how corruption works. I just learned about it by thinking it through logically. Educators must teach students how corruption is done and everything related to it, and they must put it into their minds its effects. Schools must not deprive students from reality. Anyway, we will all still reach to a point that we’ll live in reality. I believe, with our current education system, for more than 14 years in the academy, I have never been taught how it is to live in the real world. We may not be able to completely eradicate corruption for the next 20 years, but we still have a chance, for the sake of the next generation. Sooner or later, the youth today will become leaders in the future, and let’s all hope when that day comes, they’d already be free from corruption.
Dr. Jose Rizal once said, "The youth is the hope of our nation", and this has been in circulation for more than a century now. How many youths have already taken over our government? When will that specific youth be born? How come we are all still struggling for progress? We are not just searching for intelligent leaders, but those who are also capable of stopping corruption in its simplest form. We are not just searching for leaders who has the wealth and power to help those in need, but those who can assure us that what we citizens are striving for won’t be put into waste.