On the Economic and Institutional Problem of University of Santo Tomas-Legazpi

On the Economic and Institutional Problem of University of Santo Tomas-Legazpi

Joshua Caesar O. Elegado

3^rd Year Philosophy

Philsophy Department

University of Santo Tomas-Legazpi

As a student of the University as well as studying in the field of Philosophy some problems are mitigating and is faced not just by the student body, but also in the field of teaching and facilitating professions as well. Such problems that are to be mentioned in this paper are enumerated by Emerita Quito and thus to be provided a hopeful recommendation with the help of the sixteen forms of philosophy by Ferillo Demeterio.

There is an Economic and Institutional problem in the university, to begin with. This problem is explored in only one way; That is; There is a lack of support coming from the university to the Philosophical Body, in terms of funding, incentives, and symbolic prestige. With such, the result may be devastating for both professionals and students. First; due to the lacking of support, this will lead for students to be demotivated, second; with lack of support, Philosophy professors are more likely be quitting on their field of Philosophy and be make a way for a new field to explore, third; with all of such factors, the attraction to the field of Philosophy is less likely to surface, that is, in terms of recruitment for the Philosophy course will be less to none.

On the first premise, on the student part, wherein students will be demotivated due because of lack of support, this is because students as a part of a program, must feel the environment of having to do so many events that are purposeful and is a success. In our part, our events were only crowded by air in the room, and it feels like, there is a lack of interest for such a program to be more engaging and promising, to begin with. Let me insert the cultural problem, that is, there is a narrative which depicts the philosophy program, it says that, “Philosophy is not a practical course”. This entails the reason that the institution is less likely to prioritize the said program to the extent that we are ignored. With such, Philosophy students in the first year are more likely to shift to another program due to the demotivated construct of culture that results in institutional problems, to begin with. It seems that it is not just an economic and institutional problem, that is, the backgrounds and the narratives of which depicts the said program are only based upon to actually leave the students demotivated at the very end of the day. The solution will be mentioned at the very end of the paper.

Secondly, on the professional level, that those who are teaching in the field of Philosophy, wherein the teaching experience is very much stretched and less like to get the incentives that they deserve in order to keep them from teaching well and in a way to surface their competence in their field of expertise of Philosophy program. One reason why many professors are leaving our university is due to the lack of incentives, if not, they change their field of teaching for something more recognizable by the many.

Thirdly, on the premise that, because of the economic and institutional problem that is ingrained by some cultural problem, it is less likely to create an attraction. The situation is very much noticeable, that is, yearly enrollees only range from 3-9, over such can seem to be great. Of course, this is not just a factor of the economic and institutional problem, but others as well as; cultural and traditional. In cultural and traditional, that is, the narrative of the Philosophy program is very much impractical, people tend to lean away from such and find some practical programs, to begin with. This is a concern not only in a certain institution in Legazpi but rather, is a national concern, that is, we need to remove the stigma of a certain program being impractical and only for those who are to be a priest in the future. We need to reform the thinking of every Filipinos that Philosophy is not that of a bad course or program that only deals with becoming for the priesthood, we need to endorse critical thinking in this age of contemporary period.

On hopeful solutions, we need to articulate a reform of culture, that is in a way for the economic and institutional problem to respond at the very end of the day. From the cultural problem, arises that economic and institutional problem, and we can remedy such in some criteria; first, the endorsement of critical thinking as a necessity in the contemporary era, and second; on the appropriation of the Folk spirit.

On the first proposition, that is, we need to endorse critical thinking, in a way that Filipino is to learn logical analysis in applying to their Filipinos. This is to endorse the importance of social movement with the purpose to be critical in their status and participate in civil rights as a citizen of their country, to begin with. This will remedy the demotivation of the professionals and the students, that is, to find their purpose in society in means of logical analysis manifested in practical and theoretical researches. Secondly, the appropriation of the folk spirit, that is, amid foreign influences, we can not be moved nor swayed, but rather we are to embrace our culture and make it an original stand view of the world as we see fit. The purpose is finding and sustaining and maintaining the being of Filipinos at the very end of the day.