After the graduation ceremonies I hung out with Deng, my cousin the high school teacher, in the Faculty office. One by one the students came in to turn in caps and gowns. It was a sight that many of us have been part of in the U.S. There were the expressions we’ve all had: relief, incredulity, sadness, joy. Also, on many of the faces, was a distinct feeling of uncertainty of the future.
It was the knowledge that these kids are facing head-on bleak prospects of employment and continuing education. Honestly, if I were in their shoes I’d be scared out of my mind.
It’s a failure of the Philippine government, pure and simple. Many of the grads will stay at home come Monday. They will help their parents around the house or at the family business. They will find employment bagging groceries or serving burgers. They will wait until their elder siblings finish collge so their parents can afford to pay for tuition — paying for two children’s college tuition simultaneously is impossible for many families.
It’s unfair becase the kids held up their end of the bargain — they did the work to successfully graduate from school. The government, in it’s corruption, graft, and fiscal disappearances has created a situation where millions of names are added to the unemployment list on graduation day alone. Annually, on this weekend there are two news stories: 1) the graduation, of course and 2) the status of the economy and unemployment, especially.
It would be one thing if this country had no resources. It would be entirely different if this country were hit by a devastating natural disaster that left it impoverished. The cause of this problem is documented almost daily in the newspapers’ stories of governmental theft, fiscal ineptitude, and blatant disregard for their sworn duty. It absolutely sickens me not only to read the stories but to see how the poverty affects people such as my own family members who have no choice but to find a way to live out their lives in this country.
