Reaching out to the youth

Three graduates from Cebu schools made it to the top 10 in the November 2018 Civil Engineering licensure examination. I’m proud to say one of them is my nephew, Joseph Ivan Manticajon Gapud of the University of San Carlos, who clinched 9th place with a score of 94.3.

His fellow Carolinian, Kevin Miscala Melendres, placed 6th with a score of 94.65. The third topnotcher from a Cebu school is 10th placer Jared Bihag Jumalon of the University of Cebu.

The Professional Regulation Commission announced the results yesterday, stating that 6,262 out of the 13,887 examinees passed the licensure examination administered by the Board of Civil Engineering this month.

As a busy uncle who is sometimes not around during family occasions, I have not really followed much the progress of my nephews and nieces growing up. As what usually happens, uncles and aunts would be surprised how their nephews and nieces have suddenly grown up. Certainly it’s a sign of growing old when we witness our nephews and nieces, who were just little kids not so long ago, already setting their own ship to sail, so to speak.

We are often unconscious of the fact that there is a generation after us who have not experienced what we have experienced and, conversely, whose experience and social milieu we have not lived. To this younger generation we should reach out to – to listen more and judge less.

The country’s demographic profile as of 2017 shows that 37 percent of the population belong to the 25-54 years age bracket; followed by 0-14 years (33 percent), 15-24 years (19 percent), 55-64 years (6 percent), and 65 years and over (5 percent). That means that the Philippines has a relatively young population.

Economic observers see this as a benefit for the country as it promises sustained economic growth, granting the youth are provided not only with better education and training but also with a social environment that is both secure and conducive to their growth as responsible, creative and critical-minded adults.

In this regard, the importance of education cannot be overstated. It is education that adds value to the production chain, turning either raw or used materials into works of innovation and creativity. But education should also be holistic in order to truly serve humanity and give society stability. By holistic education we mean that which “places significance on relationships and primary human values within the learning environment.”

Good leaders and politicians know the importance of reaching out to the youth. That is why it is not surprising that many of them cater to the youth in many of their programs and activities, not just in the area of education. In Cebu City, for example, some key programs of the city government are aimed to serve the youth. Among them are the one-stop shop for city hall documents, a call center employment program, the proposed call center city, and recently, a free shuttle service for BPO workers on evening and early morning shifts.

Some people see this as politicking, a way to gather support from a bloc of voters. Nonetheless, it’s effective politicking, a way of showing how government can directly make a meaningful difference in the well-being of citizens.

To some extent, President Duterte’s war on drugs can also be seen as a measure meant to serve the youth. The methods by which it intends to achieve its goals, however, are questionable. Still, there is no doubt that the youth must be saved from the scourge of illegal drugs.

Another example of reaching out to the youth is the program recently introduced by the University of the Philippines called the UP Hopelines. UP launched the program after it saw the rise in the number of students at an elevated risk for psychological problems. I could attest to that as I have encountered many students who profess that they are suffering from clinical depression. It was something I could not understand at first because depression among the youth was very uncommon during our time.

Apparently, the problem is already real and pressing today, prompting school administrators to establish contact lines for psychological counseling in all of UP’s campuses nationwide. UP in Diliman has also established PyschServ that offers counseling and therapy sessions for students suffering from psychiatric conditions and “complex problems of living.”