Diplomacy, soft power and education

Look through ASEAN development statistics and you will find that in the last 40 years, the Philippines has plummeted in most development indices as opposed to its neighbors. This includes such measures as quality of life, education, healthcare, economic competitiveness, among others. Although still not overtly apparent in his words and deeds, I would like to believe that Marcos Junior is aware of how low we have sunk and that the serious intention to recoup is there.

Earlier this month, I suggested that BBM begin with the revival of Metro Manila. Our capital city was once the cleanest, greenest, safest and most livable city in Asia. It was also the center of global events. This was back in the 70’s. In that era, the Philippines was held in high esteem globally and this translated to national pride and a high morale for our people.

Today, our besieged capital is ranked by Numbeo as the city that offers the poorest quality of life, even worse than many African capitals. It is characterized by the highest density (42,000 people per square kilometer), urban blight, debilitating traffic, criminality, filth and grime. The management structure of Metro Manila is to blame for this. I am referring the devolution of powers to 17 mayors and the MMDA. This must be looked into restructured. The Metro Manila Commission, circa 1975, served us better.

The revival of Metro Manila deserves priority for the following reasons: It is the face of the country and a reflection of our progress. Nineteen percent of the population live and work in NCR, so an urban revival will impact the largest chunk of the population. Metro Manila is the center of commerce and finance, thus must be conducive to doing business. A well-managed city attracts and retains talent. Investors are repelled by cities that offer poor quality for life. The country loses tourism revenues as Manila is often bypassed.

Now let’s talk about diplomacy. The Philippines once had the greatest diplomatic gravitas in the region. But due to the myopic, insular leadership of past presidents, the country has lost its sway in global affairs. As of last year, the Philippines carried the least diplomatic influence among ASEAN 6, according to CEO World. This is evident in the strength of the Philippine passport, which sits at a lowly 64th place out of 192 nations, with visa-free entry to only 35 countries.

Soft power relates to diplomacy. Soft power refers to a country’s ability to influence global opinion through its attractiveness and persuasion. The Philippines ranks 61st out of 120 nations, the 5th lowest among ASEAN 6.

Diplomatic influence and soft power are crucial as we confront China in its territorial grab. It is the ace we hold, considering our military is outnumbered, outgunned and out-skilled.

As we have seen in the case of Ukraine, we cannot rely solely on countries in whom we have bilateral and/or multilateral defense treaties. The rest of the world must support our cause too, since their diplomatic and military support will be much needed.

Increasing diplomatic influence and soft power is a multi-dimensional undertaking. It involves trumpeting the strength of the economy, our technological advances, innovations and homegrown brands. It also necessitates the expansion of political engagements, cultural exports and diplomatic outreach. All these must be orchestrated by an agency attached to the Office of the President. No such agency exists today.

That said, the time has come to include the development of diplomatic influence and soft power in the national agenda.

Another aspect that requires the President’s intercession is the state of Philippine education. In 2018, Filipino learners were ranked among the 10 least proficient in reading, math and science among 87 nationalities. In the 2022 evaluation cycle, Filipino children showed no improvement and remained in the bottom 10. In fact, our young learners were determined to be five years behind their counterparts in advanced economies.

Apart from the systemic problems of the DepEd, poor nutrition and healthcare affect the development of our youth. As it stands, 26.5 percent of our youth are victims of stunted growth, hence unable to realize their full mental and physical potential as an adult. Our healthcare system is the third worst in ASEAN, only better than Laos and Myanmar.

All these translates to a less intelligent population. The average IQ of the Filipino is 95.39, the 3rd lowest in ASEAN.

The fact that a DepEd undersecretary viewed the latest PISA result as “positive,” considering we remained in the bottom 10 while OECD students declined in their standing, exemplifies how low the standards of the DepEd are. We must want more for ourselves. This undersecretary says we will only see improvements by 2029, onwards. In other words, another half-generation lost.

A learning revolution must be made a national priority and it must be championed by the President himself. To use the DepEd as a political tool, as it is today, is the greatest disservice he can do.

With industry bereft of good talent, government is bound to squander the demographic advantage we should theoretically enjoy. We will grow old without growing rich.

This is why I recommend the following stop-gap measures: That one million gifted students be granted scholarships for advance STEM learning through funds from the Office of the President. That the DepEd and CHED work with industry groups to improve senior high school immersion and higher education internships. That the SUCs invest in collaboration programs with foreign universities to lift the standards.

The President must want more for the country – and we, the citizens, must want more for ourselves. This is the only way we can reverse our downward spiral and restore our place among our high performing neighbors.

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Email: [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @aj_masigan