Pilotize DepEd K+12

Senator Antonio Trillanes has a point. The government should not implement a half-baked program such as the DepEd K+12 unless it is prepared to do it right.

In short, he should ask the Senate to put a stop to its implementation which is already creating a lot of friction all over the country. Why? Because the government has not assured the funding for its implementation. Instead, it gave part of the responsibility of the government units to handle.

How prepared is the education department to handle the new assignment?

The government admits that there is a need to train at least 22,000 new teachers to handle the additional classes that will be set up. Second, and the worst problem, there is need for thousands of classrooms to be constructed. So, the next best thing is to crowd the classes with an overflow of students.

And the pupils or students, as they call them, are not only cramped but study under rigorous conditions that are not conducive to learning.

A simple approach could be adopted. Why not pilotize the concept in areas where they can be implemented. In short, only in areas where the funding can go and is assured for the classrooms and the additional teachers needed.

I wonder why this proposal had never been addressed or thought of. There’s no sense implementing a program which the government cannot fully implement. The result will only be widespread disillusionment and frustrations. And, of course, half-baked graduates.

Unfortunately, it seems that government bureaucrats are not about to throw up their hands and agree that they should not bite what they can’t swallow.

Trillanes can still prevent a disaster.

***

There has been a lot of speculation on the reason for the split and controversial decision that gave Manny Pacquiao his first loss in a long time to Timothy Bradley in a split decision.

Most have noticed a lack in his punches of the Filipino boxer. His lack of focus also. Of course, the majority simply stress that he was cheated of victory and speculated that, perhaps, there was conspiracy to allow for a second bout to gain more money for the Las Vegas boxing center.

Frankly, I had anticipated a lack of concentration by Pacquiao and the loss of his killer instinct. I attribute it to his conversion. Delayed, but still a conversion.

Few could very well understand the impact of conversion on a person’s psyche. Especially one who earns his living by pummeling the other to insensibility.

Pacquiao had recently raised skepticism among those who cannot conceive of how swashbuckling fighter who had run the game of vices as part of his lifestyle.

Although he seems to be a bewildered converted Catholic, there is still the latter group of Christians.

Manny seems to be bewildered whether he is converted Catholic or belongs to the Born Again Christian group.

But there is no denying that Manny has become a bible-quoting Christian. One who displays classic example of a converted Christian. Especially one who had been rescued from the brink of a personal disaster.

When one is touched by God, he turns around 360 degrees. Perhaps not immediately apparent to most, but there is the transformation of a person. He becomes a new man.

Now imagine the impact on the psyche of a person like Manny. He had spent time to try and outwit other fighters and sought tactics on how to batter them to size.

Of course, when on the ring, he is torn between using his well-known punch to down the other. Every time you unleash a killer punch, there is always the tendency to hold it back. In short, that may account for the loss of his killer instinct. Because there was the desire not to completely down the other.

So you lose the bout. Despite your own awareness that you had won it by the number of punches you had landed on the other. But it is inconsequential. What does the Lord want to tell you with that split decision?

You must accept it. It’s not the end of the world. There must be a message intended for you take it. What is that it remains in the realm of the unknown.

Only those who had experienced and seen conversion can appreciate and understand its meaning and implications. Yes, we never know what the Lord wanted of Pacquiao.*

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