Believe on your own

There is a tendency for us to criticize the work of others. Often, suggestions are given which should be most welcome. But why is it that some people make criticisms without any constructive suggestions? And why is it that some people criticize the work of their countrymen and make it look like their countrymen could not achieve what people from other countries had?

I have read the column of Dr Isagani Cruz, a former Undersecretary of the Department of Education during the time of the late Secretary Raul Roco. His criticisms on the Cyber Education Program of DepEd by far are objective (it is a 3-part series) but he did not offer any suggestions on those subjects.

What touched me is that in his second installment, he discussed how other countries faired in implementing a distance education program similar to Cyber Ed. Most of the countries included were reported to have certain degrees of shortcomings in the way they implemented their programs. After discussing each country, he asks questions like "if they failed in this how can DepEd succeed in it" or "if they can't do this, how can DepEd be able to do it."

Dr Cruz is still to publish part three and I am hoping there is a redeeming portion there because what I think he presents in this second installment is that our education department, where he once spent sometime as one of the senior officials, can not achieve or surpass what other countries can do.

I have always believed that the Filipino can go beyond what others can do. It was a Filipino who designed flourescent lamp that was patented by GE because of the failure of the government to have it recognized. The last time I have heard, it was a Filipino who designed the moon rover used in the lunar landings in the early seventies. The Filipino can always surpass what others can do or where they fail. And I still believe the Filipino can go beyond the limits other nationalities think we cannot reach.

When will we start to believe that we can be better than what we are now? That we can be better than what they are now? When will we ever begin to support someone who have surpassed our capacity to allow that person to bring us higher?

Until we stop living like the stereotyped Filipino with crab-mentality that people think we are, we will not be able to get beyond our barriers.