Module 3

Nstp module 3 National concerns Lesson Lesson Lesson Lesson Lesson

1: 2: 3: 4: 5:

poverty health environment education governance

Introduction You have learned in your previous module about the threats to human dignity such as social order, extreme poverty, dehumanizing effect of urbanization and exploitation fo workers. The threats to human dignity can be seen all around in us, and this is much closer than we thought. We are bombarded with the issues of the society; but sad to say this is part of the realities of life. But are these threats impossible to eradicate? Are the issues of the society the real problem? Or the problem really is: how do we see these issues? This module will discuss about the issues and concerns of society. At the end of this module you are expected: 1. to understand the nature of the different issues and concerns of the society 2. 2. to identify solutions to eradicate the pressing problems in the country 3. to develop a positive response to the different issues and concerns Lesson 1: POVERTY Did you know that almost 1 out 2 Filipinos consider themselves as poor? Specifically this means that 46 of Filipino families or 40.4 million Filipinos of the projected 86 million populations of 2007 see themselves as poor [Social Weather Stations last January 2008]. Poverty means the inability to secure the minimum consumption requirements for life, health and efficiency on account of insufficient income or property. These requirements include minimum human needs in respect of food, clothing, housing, education and health.

Poverty is present all over the world. This is a complex problem because there are many factors that are involved in it and they may differ in perspectives. A. Globalization Globalization is the growing integration of economies and societies around the world. It has been one of the most disputed topics in international economics over the past few years. It had opened economies domestically and internationally. Globalization has both positive and negative effects. Globalization had led to global competition that might cause some beneficial effects such as increase in production and efficiency, and this may also lead to the decrease in the product prices. Other beneficial effects of globalization show its potential value in improving the position of all parties; this may cause increased outputs and increased wage levels and living standards. The result of this is a potential for greater human well being throughout the world. But there are also negative effects of the global competition and these are the fears of the existence of global bias. B. Recession The negative effects of globalization are unemployment and economic recession. Recession is defined as a significant decline in activity spread across the economy, lasting longer than a few months and it can also be define as two consecutive quarters of negative economic growth. How does recession really happen? The growth of economy is based on the balance between the production and consumption of goods and services. However, because the world is not perfect, at some point, the economy has to slow down. This slow down could be caused by something as simple as an oversupply, where producers manufacture too many goods. When this happens, the demand for those goods will drop. This

causes earnings or incomes to drop and the equity markets to fall. The mere mention of these words bring fear to most people, we think that it brings about economic difficulties, loss of jobs, increase in the price of basic commodities and others. C. Unemployment Do you know that the unemployment rate in the Philippines was estimated at 7.3 percent in 2008? Unemploy Ran % Date ment rate k in chan of the ge info worl d 0 10.20% 95 200 3 2 0 11.40% 83 11.76 200 4 % 3 0 11.70% 107 2.63 200 5 % 4 est. 0 8.70% 89 200 6 25.64 5 % est. 0 7.90% 93 200 7 9.20 6 % est. 0 7.30% 93 200 8 7.59 7 % est. This is according to the data from the national statistics office. Unemployment occurs when individuals who are willing to work can not find jobs. Many argue about the real cause of unemployment, some say that it occurs because of the imbalance of the demand and supply of working hours. It may also be caused by the technological advancement that human force/man power is replaced by machines. Being jobless would subsequently mean no financial compensation. An unemployed person might not meet his obligations which will be the cause of different problems such as inability to pay debts and financial obligations resulting to stress, illness, lost self-esteem and

even depression. Therefore a person who is unemployed may feel poor because of his inability to secure a job. Developing one’s self by acquiring new skills increases the marketability of person; another is being open to career changes or shifting from one profession to another. The fact that some people are unemployed does not necessarily mean that there are no jobs available. D. Informal setting Another problem that arises from poverty is informal settling. It is the act of occupying and abandoned or unoccupied space or building, usually residential; squatters do not own, rent or otherwise have permission to use a piece of property. Squatters are normal sights now in the metropolis. Are there possible solutions to eradicate the squatting problem in the Philippines? The government offers low-cost housing for people from the squatter’s areas, and other NGO’s make projects that aim to give housing for people. LESSON 2 HEALTH INTRODUCTION in the previous lesson, we have discussed poverty as a perennial problem in our country, and its causes. it seems that our country will not run out of problems and this dampens the spirits of millions of Filipinos. As you read further through this module, you will encounter different societal problems that are probably not new to you. in this lesson, we will tackle the problems and issues regarding health. If you are ready, you may proceed to the discussion. Did you know that every year, half a million around the world die from complications of pregnancy and childbirths? Probably, you would say that this an exaggeration but according to the world health organization severe bleeding, infections, unsafe abortions,

hypertension, and obstructed labor are the main causes of these deaths. In additions, more than 90 of the reported deaths occur in Asia and subSaharan Africa. Ironically, most of these causes can be prevented at a small cost. But why do you think these incidents happen if they can be prevented? And what is the state of maternal health in the Philippines? In 2003, the department of health reported that 45.1 of the maternal deaths were brought about by the aforementioned causes. Pregnancy and childbirth does not only concern the mother, but the baby as well. This includes the 42.4 of Filipino babies, who suffer from poor maternal health and nutrition, inadequate care during pregnancy and delivery, lack of essential care for the newborn baby, infections, birth injury, * asphyxia, and problems relating to premature births.  a condition in which an extreme decrease in the amount of oxygen in the body accompanied by an increase of carbon dioxide leads to loss of consciousness or death. A. Reproduction Health Before we discuss the reproductive health and population development act of 2008, let us first get acquainted with the concept of reproductive health. reproductive health refers to the state of physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity, in all matters relating to the reproductive system and to its functions and processes. This implies that people are able to have a satisfying and safe sex life that they have the capability to reproduce and the freedom to decide if, when and how often to do so, provided that these are not against the law. Now that we know what reproductive health is, let’s find out more about the proposed reproductive health bill. You may be aware on the growing debate regarding the proposed reproductive health and population development act of 2008. this bill aims to grant public funding to family

planning methods using artificial contraceptives and sex education for students. It also gives access to reproductive health information to avoid unwanted and untimely pregnancies ant to limit the country’s population. On the other hand, the Catholic church strongly opposed the bill and deemed that artificial contraceptives as anti-life and immoral. According to the teachings of the church, married couples should practice only natural family planning methods, which require sexual abstinence when the woman is ovulating. In addition, the church stressed that instead of allocating funds to family planning methods, the government should provide funding to medical services to improve the reproductive health of Filipinos. Maybe you are asking yourself, “how will this the proposed bill affect me or other young Filipinos?” well, one of the provisions of this bill is to intensify sex education in the school curriculum. The program will start in the grade five level up to fourth year high school. Before the reproductive health bill was filed, a study was done by the University of the Philippines Population Institute in 2002. the study revealed that around 3.5 percent of all the elementary students are already sexually active and that premarital sex among adolescents increased to 27 percent in 2002 when they comprised 15.1 million or 20 percent of the population from 20 percent in 1994. These days, it is not surprising that there is a growing number of Filipino youth who becomes sexually active at an early age. Total elementary involved in 2002 96.62 percent Sexually active 3.38 percent One of the factors that caused the aforementioned circumstances is media and technology. Media and technology plays a major part in the sex education of young Filipinos.

“you see, even six- or seven-year-old kids can now read and they could buy tabloids[where they could get information about sex]. You can even get information about sex through text [messaging] on the cell phone.” - Catalina Macaurog - Commission representing women Consequently, sex education is to be promulgated in the school curriculum to ensure that children will be oriented properly through the guidance of the teacher. As a Filipino youth, what do you think of this issue? Do you believe that this bill will solve these problems? If you were given the opportunity, how would you resolve the current health related problems? B. Drug Abuse Abuse of dangerous drugs is often the cause of so many crimes in our country. * drugs per se are not dangerous if they are taken in moderation and with the approval and guidance of a certified health practitioner A person who abuses drugs may not realize that he or she has a problem. Family member’s often bring the abuse to the attention of a health care provider. Unfortunately, some people who abuse drugs only realize they have a problem after they have been arrested for a drug-related problem. Drugs- refers to legal drugs which are natural or synthetic substance which when taken into a living body affects its functioning or structure, and is used in the diagnosis, mitigation, treatment, or prevention or a disease or relief of discomfort. These are many reasons for drug abuse, including calming or exciting effects, escape from reality, search for awareness and mysticism, masking pain, blunting anxiety, fighting depression, escaping mental or physical

deficits, lightening other burdens, improving performances, etc. Other reasons of drug abuse: They take it because of psychological disorders Other people think that drugs can solve problems There is a widespread and easy access to various kinds of drugs. Some do it because of peer pressure The notion that drugs give enjoyment to users in the context that it is used as an alcohol substitute. LESSON 3 ENVIRONMENT Introduction In 2008, Philippines natural treasures namely tubbataha reef and Puerto princesa subterranean river natural park both in palawan the chocolate hills in bohol, and the mayon volcano in bicol are hoping to belong to the prestigious list of the new 7 wonders of the world but sadly not many Filipinos are not able to appreciate the beauty of our country. Our national hero, Dr. Jose Rizal once depicted Philippines as the pearl of the orient. But what happened after generations that made us think otherwise? How is our country today? Environmental degradation is one the unsolved issue not only here in the Philippines, but all over the world. Nowadays, access to safe food, clean water and fresh air is not as easy as it used to be. In this lesson, you are given the opportunity to take a look at some of the prevailing problems of the environment. As you start with this module, I challenge you to take a little try to ponder for possible solutions. A. Pollution Wala ka bang napapansin sa iyong mga kapaligiran ?kay dumi na ng hangin, pati na ang mga ilog natin. Ang mga duming ating ikinalat sa hangin sa langit huwag na nating paabutin upang kung tayo’y

pumanaw man, sariwang hangin sa langit natin matitikman One way or another, we all experience pollution. How many students complain about their white uniforms turning into dirty white before they even reach their classes? How many incidents of red tide poisoning have been reported in the news? How many people are suffering from respiratory disease caused by unclean air? These are just some of the issues we have deal with everyday and unless we do not do something about it, soon it will be all be too late. World bank warned in their recent study that there is possible water scarcity in our country by 2025 around 1.4 billion people will not have access to safe water. In addition, seven million die yearly due to water-borne diseases. 2.2 million of which are under five years of age. With these figures, one may wonder where the water has gone when in fact 70 of the planet is composed of water. But, unfortunately, of this volume, only 2.5 is fresh water; the rest is salt water. Three quarters of this freshwater is trapped in the form of ice and snow, and the measly one-fourth is what we use in our industries, agriculture, households, etc. With little water resources, the situation was aggravated by modernization, population growth and urbanization. These factors contribute not only to growing problem of water pollution but land and air. As a result, people die prematurely due to exposure to pollution. Domestic wastes comprise greatly the mass of the pollutants everyday. From food leftovers to used household items are polluting the world.. Land pollution is caused by improper waste disposal and weak recycling practices and these wastes got o landfills. But landfills are not the solution to the growing problem of waste disposal. Every year, millions acres of land is lost because of landfills. In addition, landfills pollute the air, alongside with

the emissions of the fuel burned by vehicles and factories. Different advocacies were launched to prevent our environment from deteriorating quickly, but as long as the government will not be vigilant in implementing environmental laws and the people will not take conscious efforts to take care of our environment, soon our beautiful natural wonders will be remembered through post cards only. You can do something today to prevent this. You can conserve electricity or go on a carpool with your friends, so that something will be left for the future generations. B. Deforestation Forest cover as percentage of land area. The destruction of Philippine forests has been described as the most rapid and most massive in the world. This represents the forest are of our country in given period of time. The green part represents our forest areas and how rapidly it has deteriorated over the years. It is saddening that in a couple of years; only 6 of the Philippines land area will be covered by forests. No wonder we are experiencing mudslides, abnormal weather patterns and extinction wild life. According to a study of deforestation in the Philippines at 1.4 percent from 1990 to 2000, the highest among asian countries making deforestation in Philippines the worst in Asia. Why does this practice thrive in our society? One of the reasons is corruption. It is reported that corruption is behind the massive deforestation in our country. Isn’t that our government should be the one leading the people towards environmental preservation instead the people towards environmental preservation instead of favoring few greedy and powerful men in exchange for money or other favors? As future leaders, we must take step towards improving and protecting our environment. As a part of the nstp program, you are provided with opportunity to help out in battling against forest degradation through the

tree planting activity. Can you think of other ways on how we can preserve our environment? C. Illegal trade of wild life the international wildlife trade supplies both the domestic and international markets. Wildlife is traded, both legally and illegally, for a number of reasons, the main ones being for food, consumption, traditional medicines, pets, trophies and decorative purposes, and zoos and Collections. Here in the Philippines smuggled exotic animals make way through ro-ro from our neighboring Asian countries such as Malaysia and Indonesia to Mindanao. These shipments either end up in public markets like in cartimat in pasay city or arranque in manila or are shipped again to Thailand. One solution is to not patronize these merchandises or any byproduct of these animals, you are not saving these animals, but also maintaining the balance of our ecosystem. Frightening facts Illegal trade in wildlife is second only to the illegal drugs trade in value, recently overtaking arms. The ivory trade in the 20th century caused the African elephant population to fall by 10 million between 1900 and 1989. Up to 9 out of 10 birds caught from the wild for the pet trade die before they reach their destination. Every year, an area of rainforest the size of the British Isles is destroyed, this is largely to fuel the demand for the trade in tropical wood. An estimated 50,000 other plant and animal species, many of which have not even been discovered by mankind, are lost. Animals in trade are subjected to stresses so great that they can result in death during all stages of capture and transport, even weeks after arrival. LESSON 4 EDUCATION Introduction

Do you know that under the 2008 national budget for education, in particular, around P200 billion was allocated for education, including the allocation for state colleges and universities and the DepEd school building program? The government believes that education is a core value of Philippine society and family life then belief that education is the foundation of economic prosperity and individual liberty, social justice and self-worth. “no other issue is as important to Filipinos as the opportunity education affords the generation to be liberated from poverty and live a life of hope, optimism and prosperity” -President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo Can our government sustain the needs of education in our country? Highest education attainment According to DepEd, only 58 for every 100 students who went to grade 1 reached high school and only 14 students are able to finish college. In the year 2004, in the study of United Nations Educational, scientific and cultural organization UNESCO commission in the Philippines, only 22 enter 1st year college and finish college. Mode of travel to school The children s mode of travel to school show that more than half of the students aged 6 to 24 years went to school by walking. Tricycle and jeepney were also commonly used as means of transportation. Two out of five students either took a tricycle or a jeepney. Reasons for not attending school Of the 34 million populations aged 6-24, 34 percent or 11.6 million were not attending school. Of this number, 30 percent were not attending school mainly because they were working or looking for work, 22 percent lacked interest in going to school and 20 percent could not afford high cost of education.

A. Literacy information in the Philippines Basic of simple literacy Of the estimated 62 million Filipinos 10 years old and over, around 93 percent were basically literate. Basic or simple literacy is the ability of a person to read and write with understanding a simple message in any language or dialect. The basic literacy rate in 2003 is similar to the 1994 rate of 94 percent. The basic literacy rate among females {94.3 percent} is higher compared to their male counterpart [92.6 percent]. B. picturing the state of education upon looking at the present situation in our country, there are challenges that face the entire nation. Shortages in chairs, electric fans, classrooms and teachers, among others, seem to be common media fodder come the first Monday of june when classes open. Such problems have become common since nothing much has been done to solve them through the years. Literacy is one of the critical components of human development; it becomes the foundation upon which all learning throughout life is based. It provides the means for greater participation in all spheres of society. Low levels of literacy can limit individuals ability to take part in decision-making and thus making it difficult for them to exercise their fundamental citizenship rights. Moreover, because the outcomes of one generation affect the opportunities of the next, care must be taken to ensure that children have sufficient and equitable access to literacyenhancing experiences, regardless of their socio-economic background, in order to prevent sowing the seeds of social exclusion at an early age. Through the University’s national service training program, the literacy training service is designed to train students to become teachers of literacy and numeracy skills to school

children, out of school youth and other segments of the society in need of service our little way of helping the needs of the community for quality education. LESSON 5 GOVERNANCE Introduction Politics has its originated from the Greek work polis which refers to city state. Polites referred to citizens involved in the affairs of the sate and overtime, anything that concerns that state was would be derivative from polis. Nowadays, politics generally refers to the process by which groups of people make decisions; it also the art or science of government or governing, especially the governing of a political entity, such as a nation, and the administration and control of its internal and external affairs, while governance is the continuous exercise of authority over a political unit: administration, control, direction, government, and rule. But how can we differentiate governance and politics? Politics involves processes by which a group of people with initially different opinions or interests arrive at common decisions usually regarded as compulsory on the group, and enforced as common policy. Governance, on the other hand, suggests the administrative and process-oriented elements of governing rather than its aggressive ones. Contemporary governance practice and theory sometimes questions this distinction, premising that both “governance” and “politics” involve aspects of power. A. Voters’ education program: to responsible voting Why should YOU vote? Voting or suffrage is a privilege and right given to every Filipino citizen. More than anything else however, it is a RESPONSIBILITY that every Filipino is expected to fulfill in earnest. Upon having met the prescriptions of the law, every citizen is entitled to vote and cannot be deterred from fulfilling this function. Hence,

voting is one of the filipino’s most inalienable rights. “it shall be the obligation of every citizen qualified to vote to register and acts his vote.” Article I; sec. 4 omnibus election code By casting your vote, a Filipino makes himself a part of the nation’s conscience whereby your decisions affect the history of the whole nation, the well-being of the community and the fate of each Filipino family. Therefore, by deciding the fate and interest of the whole nation, the Filipino is charged with the responsibility to promote and uphold what is beneficial to the common good. When a Filipino citizen chooses to forfeit his privilege, right and responsibility to vote, he makes himself an apathetic bystander amongst his people and all they fight for in the name of true freedom, justice and love for the country. Whom should YOU vote for? A Filipino will most certainly be met with a barrage of considerations in choosing his candidates. There are however, some basic considerations that should be taken more critically than others. When coming up with a “line-up” of candidates, one has to determine certain facts before doing so. These facts will essentially reveal the candidates’ CHARACTER, INTEGRITY and COMPETENCE. Every individual and organization has its capacity to be part of a concerted effort to address pressing social problems, issues and concern ijn our country today. An individual has the responsibility of taking care of his environment in order to assure the coming generation of a healthy and safe place to live. Meanwhile these concerns cannot be address by only a few: rather it should be a concerted effort of the government and the people to ensure the kind

of change we would want towards making our society a better place to live in. education is one of the most powerful instruments for reducing poverty in our country and lays a foundation for sustained economic growth. LGNOTES<3 Ai Shiteru