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THE Department of Education on Monday disclosed that a program to
strengthen the moral fiber of students will be kicked off.
Education Assistant Secretary for Special
projects Jonathan Malaya said the program will be implemented
through project WATCH, which stands for We are Time Conscious and
Honest.
Malaya noted that there is a deterioration of
some values, which can be attributed to the fast pace of the modern
times and that some customs and traditions have been “outlived,”
which has lead to erosion of some moral values.
He also admitted that there is much to be
desired on value education despite the implementation of Edukasyong
Pagpapahalaga or values education in the public elementary and
secondary schools, which intends to build ethical character among
the students.
He said project WATCH was basically designed to
address the need to return to the “old-fashioned ethical values of
honesty and punctuality at this time.”
“Relationships of trust and respect are
requirements for mutual understanding, peace and productivity
between persons, groups and nations,” he explained.
Malaya urged teachers to fully explain to their
students that dishonesty or cheating is wrong and has the following
consequences: it will ultimately lower one’s self-respect, because
one can never be proud of anything gained from cheating; cheating
violates the teacher’s trust; cheating is unfair to all the people
who are not cheating; and if one cheats in school now, he will find
it easier to cheat later in life perhaps even on his closest
personal relationships.
“An honest person acts in accordance with what
is true regardless of personal consequences. To act with integrity
and honesty is to act with moral courage,” Malaya said.
Project WATCH will be implemented in
coordination with JCI Senate Philippines and the Philippine
Association of Colleges and Universities, among others.
-- James Konstantin Galvez
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