I WAS recently honored to talk to DepEd teachers for their achievement in scouting. Medals were given during this Court of Honor. Here, the honor was all mine. I was definitely honored to be in such company. And to share a few words of inspiration to them.
I had to divert my talk away from my prepared speech. I suddenly was asked by Chairman Ton to instead relay to them my achievements and experience from scouting. From these I just had to share my very own experience from growing up as a child and what I have become because of scouting.
I am who I am because of scouting. One of five Bautista Council Scout Chairmen. The first was Lolo Tatay, next was my Daddy Rey, eventually Uncle Gil then I. Today it is Engr. Ton who sits as our father. Both I and Ton are Eagle Scouts. I must be the only Eagle Scout Regional Chairman.
I have to relate to DepEd the issues of today. It does show that our kids today lack life skills. Even manners alone, just that would have sufficed for me but is definitely lacking in today's kids. I related how a teacher would be in school at 6 in the morning until 6 in the evening, paid for an 8 hour a day job. When at home, teacher would prepare dinner for family. That's just fine, another normal day.
I noticed that kids today would not even know how to cook rice, even with a rice cooker to say the least. Even just to set the table before dinner to help mom or dad. It worries me a lot. After dinner most kids will not even return their dishes or just leave it again for mom or dad to wash and clean up after.
The next day I drive down to Manila for another meeting, again for scouting. It was a privilege to have Usec. Lorna Dino from the Dep Ed present. She shared to us exactly what I was hoping for to hear from the department. Life skills was what she was preparing to be brought back as a curriculum subject, in short scouting.
Dep Ed was also hoping to get back the kids away from the confines of the four walls of a classroom and back to four days a week in class. I agree. We were hardly in class, we had a plot to cultivate outside, learning to cook, sew or even make a broom was what we did, in elementary! Until high school I would only see the classroom three days a week. We were always outside.
Now that talk is of military training, there too is also some talk for scouting. A choice for every Juan. I chose scouting. Now my kids too.
Life was scouting for me and my siblings. We attended every scouting activity that was available and scheduled. I also learned that the department will soon be including scouting for determining who will take honors and not just math or science. That was exactly how it was during that time. Joy my wife was excellent in all subjects, however it was another classmate of mine also from SPED Center who was also good in extra curricular activities, thus it was her who took top honors.
But Joy is extremely good at home. While she doesn't cook, I do, she makes sure all others is. Clothes and dishes are hers. Our kids I am proud to say are in the right path. We made it a point for them to get introduced to scouting. Their Lolo and Lola are too. Uncle JB and Tita Tin and Jen are too.
It was a very animated affair that we had in our meeting with Dep Ed. I was just so glad to have had to hear the right response from them. I had many questions to ask but most of my colleagues present also had the same queries. Remember I am in the company of mayors, governors, congressmen and many more in government and all understand how important it is for our kids to be in scouting.
But first we have to train the DepEd teachers. In the private schools it is not a problem. However funding and scheduling is a problem for those in the public schools. What is nice to highlight is that even the DILG has brought out orders to allow public school teachers to attend the Basic Training Course. From this it would soon be easy for the teachers to teach the kids.
For my part I am very happy that the University of Baguio has been very supportive and has agreed to all the innovations from Dep Ed and so too with CHED. There will be adult scouting for Senior High and also as an alternative to NSTP, scouting will be back in schools.
What is even better is that Chief Scout Rody has already instructed Sec. Briones to correct it to what it was then. My daughters are now very active in scouting, very recently was a trip to South Korea for it. It has taught them well, even just for manners. The values imparted by the scout oath and law is already enough for any Juan to be one, with the society that is.
The elections are coming again and in simply looking for a candidate, whatever candidate and position, the best factor for gauging for one is just to use as checklist the scout oath and law and see if they fit.
A scout is trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, thrifty, brave, clean and reverend. And maybe so do our candidates too.