INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines — The Coordinating Council of Private Educational Associations of the Philippines (Cocopea) warned legislators on Tuesday to tread lightly in introducing amendments to the 1987 Constitution, saying it may have long standing and complicated repercussions to Filipinos.
Cocopea chairperson Albert Delvo, during the Senate’s hearing on Resolution of Both Houses No. 6, said they have yet to come up with a definite stand on economic Charter change (Cha-cha).
“[But] initial conversations from our rank and file are to this direction – that we respectfully urge the lawmakers to proceed with caution regarding introducing amendments to the pertinent provisions [of the Constitution] because this will have long standing complicated repercussions implications to the Filipino generations to come,” said Delvo.
As to why they are asking legislators to be careful, Delvo said allowing foreign citizens – for an instance – to control, own, and administer Philippine education institutions “may be prejudicial to our Filipino culture, values, moral, and spiritual matters.”
Despite this, Delvo stressed that they are open to working constructively with legislators to “find ways and means and really level up” the quality of education in the country and safeguard the interests of the Filipino people.
‘Not at urgent concern’
Later in the hearing, Delvo admitted that introducing reform or amendments to sections concerned in the Constitution “may be done much later.”
“That’s not the urgent concern right now, because why? One, we have not made the departments of the government like Commission on Higher Education, Technical Education and Skills Development Authority, and Department of Science and Technology, to work together actively and exuberantly in a harmonized, coordinated manner,” he pointed out.
Apart from this, Delvo noted that the country has “not been really serious into enabling graduates to be producers, makers, manufacturers and shippers.”
“And another one would be, we rather improve policy and implementation and the government seems to be very highly and over regulating in regards to private education institutions,” he added.