Raising children in a failed system: The need for a comprehensive solution

The successive news reports of violence, bullying, killings, obscenity, and depravity in recent days are deeply saddening. Our schools, which should be among the safest spaces in our lives, now reveal a horrifying truth: there is no longer any safe, peaceful, or quiet space in our bankrupt society! Sad but true: the virulent virus of the decadent system has already penetrated our academic community.

The problem is not just video games, lack of funding for school security, or the failed and negligent parenting of irresponsible mothers and fathers. Yes, those factors are heavy and real, but if we examine carefully, the problem is systemic! The problem is the entire system!

What we are witnessing today are manifestations and symptoms of a nation in agony. Long ago, Lolo Pepe (José Rizal) declared that this nation has cancer.

I strongly agree with the statement of the Bukluran ng Manggagawang Pilipino: As a workers’ organization, we know that the root of youth involvement in crime is widespread and systematic poverty—caused by the lack of decent jobs and low wages of their parents, high prices of goods, lack of education, and other social services. Children placed in danger are victims of an exploitative system and a government that has betrayed and abandoned their rights and future.

We insist that children involved in crime are victims of their social status, not criminals. Nothing is worse than the sin of leaving them to find their own path of growth in a world full of exploitation, deception, and lack of opportunity.

We stand firm that the true solution is comprehensive development for all children, regardless of gender, race, or social status. Education and support services must be funded adequately. Moreover, the government must dismantle policies that hand over social services to the private sector, while ensuring decent jobs, higher wages, and subsidies for those at the margins.

The call to lower the minimum age of criminal responsibility is merely a diversion from the real problems of society. While millions of families suffer, a handful of elitist families swim in luxury and abundance born of corruption, exploitation, and deceit. They are the true criminals.

Therefore, our call and demand are: jail the criminals and let us help salvage the victims of the abhorrent and abnormal system—collectively as a people.

On a specific point, I do blame those foolish and reckless children, those worthless parents, and those corrupt and abusive “teachers” and others! But, as I said, our perspective must be broader. These are only manifestations, symptoms, or consequences of a decaying system. To reiterate: the whole system is the problem!

Barangay Pinas is plagued by laziness, escapism, and addiction to shallow pleasures. Our vice leaders are heartless, violent, and deranged. Our senators and congressmen are trapos—thieves and shameless to the max! Our institutions are weak and hollow. Our educational system is a failed continuing experiment.

Our so-called “justice” system is rotten and obscene. Some of our citizens lack responsible citizenship and civic mindedness, obsessed only with aid and handouts. Our foreign policy is trash and servile. Ergo, the system itself is the problem! That is why we are nothing but a bankrupt, pitiful, failed nation, only on the level of a barrio.

I hope we as people will be awakened, rise, and help ourselves to help one another! We must decide, stand firm, and face it with courage! Will we allow this rotten, bankrupt, and trash system to continue, or will we take steps to change it?

Supremo Andres Bonifacio, the Katipunan, and all the sons and daughters of the nation once answered this call. Now it is our time to stand, respond, and decide for the welfare of this land. No one will help us but us. The system is fixed, hence, we must transform it, for it is only by transforming the whole social system that we also transform ourselves.

Jose Mario D. de Vega,

Philippine Normal University

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