TAPESTRY OF THE FILIPINO SOCIETY
EDITOR/COLUMNIST
By Caloy Bueno 🔰👓📚📰📂💻
It can't be denied that the younger generation parents today have a tougher time disciplining their kids. (And probably even they themselves are having a tough time with their own discipline!) In the Internet age, there are a lot of cross-cultural influences, and add to that the general loosening of values and social norms in our society ~ and thus we get a recipe for a gradual (but pronounced) decline in our society's traditional Filipino way of life.
The traditional Filipino way of life had always meant (at least for the older generations) that home was where our moral compass always pointed to as "true north" ~ and the "rock" sanctuary of our personal character and ethical behavior. But modern times have buffeted all homes with the irresistible winds of change ~ and the most affected are the younger generations because of their normal lack of stability, motivated by their felt compulsion or natural inclination to "find" their "own true selves."
The older generations, alas, also had shortcomings in that regard (i.e., particularly in providing adequate guidance, inspiration and support ~ and including discipline) ~ which is why our general social outlook had changed much according to the unceasing tides of new influences and fresh paradigms for looking at life.
The younger sets predictably always take the lead in trying on such new lifestyles or perspectives on how to live their lives ~ getting greater motivation or inducements from (usually) more materialistic considerations (facilitated or even dictated by modern technological advancements and trends). Insofar as the old ways are concerned, however, they feel that such ways "fit" better or apply more to the older generations than to them, providing them the justification for adopting the new influences and ways more easily and capably.
Such changes aren't bad per se ~ however, what we as a society failed to provide effectively and efficiently is the proper adjustment of our old ways to be more responsive (and thus still remain relevant to the younger generations, particularly in their struggles to adjust or adapt to the new changes). The younger generations' need for a solid foundation (in terms of the cultural and social, moral and ethical, as well as in terms of knowledge and capabilities or skills) then was "out-sourced" ~ to wherever they could find answers and solutions to their real-life needs and wants.
A big part of that is our educational system ~ even much of the private educational sector also missed out on properly giving the young the needed perspectives on adapting to 21st century living, that would retain our unique Filipino character while being able to "mesh" with the new realities that the younger generations find themselves adapting to and/or struggling with. Why? Because our educational system as a whole had become more concerned with "surviving" as institutions ~ in order to be able to continue their institutional thrusts on training, educating and guiding the young ~ and somehow, such survival concerns entailed compromises in the quality and directions of their influence on the youth.
That points to our country's economic conditions as the main factors causing the educational sector to be concerned about their ultimate survival. The same conditions also affect the general populace in their economic decisions that consequently impact on behavioral responses to the challenges of the times, including the education of their young, the costs of maintaining new lifestyles, to sustain our Filipino way of life ~ that in general has become like a fluttering tapestry flag made of different materials incompatibly or haphazardly put together.
And because the "winds of change" can be quite strong, the said "tapestry flag" of our society soon becomes more tattered-looking than being able to maintain its "tapestry" design. The whole effect then makes it look like it was a battle flag carried into battle more times than it could really handle (or should be subjected to) ~ thus ending up looking rag-tag and all the worse for wear and tear. And if we also consider that we Filipinos have never been known to be forward-looking (or practicing the necessary foresight), we are really getting more and more bogged down in issues and problems that only continue to build up faster and faster than we can catch up to resolve them.
Of course, all of that will come to a head (at which point the shit will hit the fan) later ~ on our later generations. Maybe they will even curse us then, for leaving them with a shitload of problems. But since by then we'd be long gone ~ it won't be our problem anymore ~ right? And that's why we never learn, we never really care, perhaps ~ and never really be able to improve and progress properly . . .
#PagMayTime
July 8, 2021
