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DLSL Journal of Multidisciplinary Research 2014
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Research
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Research Articles
1
How Catholic Is Your School: Perceptions On The
Catholic Identity Of De La Salle Lipa Integrated
School ● Yolanda D. Africa, Ph.D., Amelito M. Castillo
and Eldrick Pena
53
Affirming Youth Spirituality:A Positive Development
Approach Through Photovoice ● Vivian B. Titular,
Ph.D.
101 Economically Important Plants Of Mt. Malepunyo,
Lipa City, Philippines ● Bernardo C. Lunar
126 Revisiting “Dominus Iesus” Unity Of Truth Toward
Ecumenical Dialogue ● Michael M. Ramos
151 Unpacking Task Components Of Deped’s Learning
Package In English For Grade VII ●
Jose C. Macatangay
FEATURE ARTICLE
184 Competency Requirements For Entry Level Positions
Of Selected Deluxe Hotels In Metro Manila: A Guide
For Effective Education Program, Training And
Skills Enhancement ● Roy G. Aguba
DLSL Journal of Multidisciplinary Research
Volume I Issue 1
January 2014
De La Salle Lipa
Publications, Philippines
ISSN
HOW CATHOLIC IS YOUR SCHOOL:
PERCEPTIONS ON THE CATHOLIC IDENTITY OF
DE LA SALLE LIPA INTEGRATED SCHOOL
Yolanda D. Africa, Ph.D.
yolly_africa@yahoo.com
Amelito M. Castillo
amelito.castillo@dlsl.edu.ph
Eldrick S. Pena
eldrick23@yahoo.com
ABSTRACT
The study was conducted to find out how faithfully De La Salle Lipa
Integrated School is living up to its mission and role of being a Catholic school.
The study was anchored on the description of a Catholic School found in the
Documents of Vatican II, Declaration on Christian Education and Gravissimus
Educationis proclaimed by his Holiness Pope Paul IV and the Lasallian Guiding
Principles. Qualitative and quantitative analyses of data were used through
research triangulation modified questionnaire, focused group discussion,
interviews and observations. The survey questionnaire was developed by Sr. Irene
Cecille Torres, RA and was presented at the National Convention of Catholic
Educators Association of the Philippines last September 15, 2005 in Davao City. It
has undergone several revisions to meet the instrumentation requirement that
refined the evaluation process. A total of 462 respondents composed of
administrators, faculty and staff, students and parents answered the questionnaire.
Weighted mean was used to analyze the data. The results showed that De La Salle
DLSL JMR
Volume 1, Issue 1, January 2014
How Catholic is Your School: Perceptions on the
Catholic Identity of De La Salle Lipa Integrated
School ● Africa, Castillo and Peña
1
De La Salle Lipa Journal of Multidisciplinary Research
Lipa Integrated School manifests to a great extent the criteria used to indicate the
Catholic identity of a school based on the perceptions of the respondents of the
study.
Keywords: Catholic, Catholic identity, perceptions
1.0 INTRODUCTION
The Church recognizes the extreme importance of education in the life of
man and how it greatly influences the social progress of this age. This is
emphasized in the document Gravissimum Educationis (GS) proclaimed by His
Holiness Pope Paul IV.
The social realities and circumstances of our time have made it easier and at
once more urgent to educate young people and, what is more, to continue the
education of adults…‖ (GS:2). Over the years, the clamor for access to quality
education especially the promotion of the basic rights of the children to education
has significantly increased and is proclaimed and recognized in public documents.
To be able to proclaim the mystery of salvation to all men and to restore all
things in Christ, a mandate which the Holy Mother Church received from Christ
himself, its divine founder - the Church - concerns herself with the totality of
man‘s affairs, including his secular well-being insofar as it has a bearing on his
heavenly vocation. Therefore, the Church acknowledges her role in the progress
and development of education. (cf GS:3-5).
All Christians who, by virtue of their baptism become new creatures as
children of God, have a right to Christian education. The goal of Christian
education is not just focused on the maturing of the human person but is rooted in
its principal end:
What the baptized, while they are gradually introduced to the knowledge of
the mystery of salvation, become ever more aware of the gift of Faith they have
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Great beginnings start here
received, and that they learn in addition how to worship God the Father in spirit
and truth (cf John 4:23), especially in liturgical action, and be conformed in their
personal lives according to the new man created in justice and holiness of truth.
(Eph 4:22-24); also that they develop into perfect manhood, to the mature measure
of the fullness of Christ 9cf Eph 4:13) and strive for the growth of the Mystical
Body. Moreover, aware of their calling, they learn not only how to bear witness to
the hope that is in them (cf Peter 3:15) but also how to help in the Christian
formation of the world that takes place when natural powers viewed in the full
consideration of man redeemed by Christ contribute to the good of the whole
society.’ (GS 8-9)
Cognizant of its role in fostering education, the Church eagerly employs all
suitable aids to education especially those pertaining to her very own. Among the
many educational instruments, the school has a special importance. The school
should not only develop the students‘ intellectual faculty but should also be
concerned about promoting right judgment and in handing down the legacy of
previous generation. It should also foster a sense of values that would prepare
students to professional life. The school should also establish an atmosphere
wherein work and progress are shared together by families, teachers, and
associations of various types that foster cultural, civic and religious life. (cf GS 20)
The influence of the Church in the field of education is shown in a special
manner by the Catholic school. Just like any other school, the Catholic school
pursues cultural goals and the human formation of youth. But what is a Catholic
school? How is it different from other schools?
This view of education is reflected in the document ―The Catholic School:
…The purpose of Education‖. It presents that education is the development of man
from within, freeing him from that conditioning which would prevent him from
becoming a fully integrated human being. The school must begin from the
principle that its educational program is intentionally directed to the growth of the
whole person.
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The Catholic school, therefore, gives a unique meaning to education by
integrating a specific religious tradition within the education it provides.
―It creates a special atmosphere in the school community
animated by the Gospel spirit of freedom and charity, to help the
youth grow according to the new creatures they were made through
baptism as they develop their own personalities, and finally to order
the whole of human culture to the news of salvation so that the
knowledge the students gradually acquire of the world, life and man
is illumined by faith.‖ (GS 25)
Catholic educators recognize the important place of faith in God in the lives
of Christians and are concerned to awaken, nourish and develop the life of faith
and faith of the young. For them, the development of the whole person finds its
center and fulfillment in Jesus and in an incarnational understanding of human life.
The specific mission of the Catholic school is a critical, systematic
transmission of culture in the light of faith and… the integration of culture with
faith and of faith with living. (The Sacred Congregation for Catholic Education,
The Catholic School, Rome, 1977, Article 49).
Church documents emphasize that certain characteristics must be present if a
school is to be considered Catholic. The following six criteria are stipulated in the
present concept of the Catholic school identity: 1. Sharing in the Mission of the
Church; 2. Being filled with the Spirit of Jesus Christ; 3. Concern for Integral
Formation; 4. Emphasis on the Role of Educators; 5. Collaboration with the
Community; 6. Practice and Living the Faith (Torres 2005).
De La Salle Lipa, a Catholic school founded by the De La Salle Brothers,
share in this evangelizing mission of Catholic schools. Its mission statement
vividly encapsulates its strong Catholic identity;
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―To be a sign of faith as an excellent educational institution sharing the
Lasallian mission of teaching minds, touching hearts, and transforming
lives.‖
The study sought the perceptions of the administrations, faculty and staff,
students and parents on the survey questionnaire which Sr. Irene Cecille Torres
(2005) used in her study, ―How Catholic Is Your School?‖. Sis. Torres‘ research
conducted in Assumption, Antipolo under her leadership and presented in the
Catholic Educators Association of the Philippines (CEAP) paved the way for other
Catholic Schools to evaluate their faithfulness in accomplishing the mission
entrusted to them by the Church.
It is in the same spirit that this present study was undertaken, to find out how
faithfully De La Salle Lipa Integrated School is living up to its mission and role of
being an evangelizing agent of the Universal Church.
Specifically, the study sought answers to the following questions which were
based on the criteria set by the study of Sr. Irene Cecille Torres (2005).
Criterion 1. To what extent is De La Salle Lipa Integrated School filled with
the spirit of Jesus Christ?
Criterion 2. To what extent is De La Salle Lipa Integrated School able to
integrally form its components?
Criterion 3. To what extent do the teachers manage to assume their roles as
Catholic educators?
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1.1 Significance of the Study
Assessing the Catholic identity of De La Salle Lipa Integrated School will lead
to a greater appreciation of its role and mission as a Catholic Lasallian school. The
study is crucial for the following reasons:
 It promotes collaboration and dialogue with the different sectors, ministries
and apostolate of the Church.
 It will lead to a recognition of the gifts and tasks of being formed in a
Catholic school.
 It seeks for the formulation of programs, based on findings, that will help
create a stronger Catholic environment for the school.
 It identifies areas for growth that will help the school produce graduates who
will become evangelizers.
 It develops a sense of belonging to the Catholic Church and encourages
individuals and school communities to grow in holiness.
 It identifies the school‘s best Catholic practices that may serve as a model
for other Catholic schools.
 It leads to a greater appreciation of the role and mission of Catholic
Educators and the realization of the need to grow in the perspective of the
Church.
1.2 Scope and Delimitation
The study focused on the perceptions of the administrators, teachers and
staff, students and parents on the Catholic identity of De La Salle Lipa
Integrated School. It considered only the spiritual formation program of the
Integrated School as carried out by the different offices namely, the
Institutional Lasallian Formation Office (ILFO), Community Involvement
Office (CIO) and the Christian Living Department of the school. Out of the
total student population of 2,224 (Registrar‘s Record 2012), 330 or 14.8% were
considered and answered the questionnaire. Twelve (12) identified honor
students from the fourth year levels were considered in the focused group
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discussion (FGD). Out of the total 145 administrators, teachers and staff, 121,
or 83.4%, answered the questionnaire while 10 of them participated in the
FGD. One hundred fifty (150) parents from the different sections of the high
school levels were given the questionnaires but only 76 returned the
accomplished forms and were considered in the study. Instead of a focused
group discussion, a set of open-ended questions were included in the
questionnaires given to the parents.
2.0 THEORETICAL BACKGROUND
2.1 Literature Review
What Is a Catholic School? According to one key source,
―Christ is the foundation of the whole educational enterprise
in a Catholic school. His revelation gives a new meaning of life and
helps man to direct his thought, action and will according to the
Gospel, making the beatitudes his norm of life. The fact that in their
own individual ways all members of the school community share
this Christian vision makes the school ―Catholic‖, principles of the
Gospel in this manner become the educational norms since the
school has them as its internal motivation and final goal‖.
(http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/ccatheduc/docu
me)
The Catholic school is thus committed to the development of the whole man,
since in Christ, the Perfect Man, all human values find their fulfillment and unity.
Herein lies the specifically Catholic character of the school. Its duty is to cultivate
human values in their own legitimate right and in accordance with its particular
mission to serve all, has its origin in the figure of Christ. He is the One who
ennobles man, gives meaning to human life, and is the model which the Catholic
school offers to the pupils. Mindful of the fact that man has been redeemed by
Christ, the Catholic school aims at forming in the Christian those particular values
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which will enable him to live in Christ and help him to play faithfully his part in
building
up
the
Kingdom
of
God.
(http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/ccatheduc/docume)
During the celebration of the 400th year of Catholic education in the
Philippines, the Catholic Education Association in the Philippines (CEAP)
summed up the contributions of the Catholic schools:
 The Catholic schools had been a sure and reliable agent of evangelization. It
is in schools that systematic and programmed instruction in the faith
happens.
 The Catholic schools have provided quality education while relying on their
own resources.
 The Catholic schools had been custodians and promoters of music, arts and
culture. They had been the depositories of rich traditions in the country.
 The Catholic schools had been the extended arms of the Church as they
opened their doors to the marginalized, the handicapped, the poor, the
orphans and the out-of-school youth.
 The Catholic schools had been a ready support to the advocacies of the
Church.
 The Catholic schools had been a ready source of assistance/support in times
of calamities and tragedies.
In the context of the society, the Catholic schools have always offered an
alternative education that provided integral formation. (Pastoral letter of the CBCP
on the occasion of the 400th year of Catholic education in the Philippines, January
29, 2012)
Pope Benedict XVI stated well the contributions of the Catholic school in
these words: The education in the faith which Catholic Education provides through
the Schools nurtures the soul of a nation. (Pope Benedict XVI, cited in the Pastoral
letter of the CBCP on the occasion of the 400th year of Catholic Education in the
Philippines, January 29, 2012)
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Vatican II affirmed this statement when it said:
The Church is absolutely convinced that Catholic schools,
with their educational objectives, perform a vital service for the
Church herself in today’s world. She participates in cultural
dialogue through schools, making her own contribution to the cause
of the total formation of man. The essence of Catholic school would
be a great loss for civilization and for the natural and supernatural
destiny of man. (Vatican II Document, cited in the Pastoral Letter of
the CBCP on the occasion of the 400th year of the Catholic
education in the Philippines.)
Moved by the same Spirit, the Church is constantly deepening her awareness
of herself and meditating on the mystery of her being and mission. Thus, she is
ever rediscovering her living relationship with Christ ―in order to discover greater
light, energy, and joy in fulfilling her mission and determining the best way to
ensure that her relationship with humanity is closer and more efficacious‖ – that
humanity of which she is a part and yet so undeniably distinct. Her destiny is to
serve humanity until it reaches its fullness in Christ. (The Sacred Congregation for
Catholic
Education,
The
Catholic
School.http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/ccatheduc/docume)
Evangelization is, therefore, the mission of the Church; that is, she must
proclaim the good news of salvation to all, generate new creatures in Christ
through Baptism, and train them to live knowingly as children of God. (The Sacred
Congregation
for
Catholic
Education,
The
Catholic
The Catholic school forms part of the saving mission of the Church,
especially for education in the faith. Remembering that ―the simultaneous
development of man‘s psychological and moral consciousness is demanded by
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Christ almost as a pre-condition for the reception of the befitting divine gifts of
truth and grace‖, the Church fulfills her obligation to foster in her children a full
awareness of their rebirth to a new life. It is precisely in the Gospel of Christ,
taking root in the minds and lives of the faithful, that the Catholic school finds its
definition as it comes to terms with the cultural conditions of the times. (The
Sacred
Congregation
for
Catholic
Education,
The
Catholic
A closer look at the school‘s vision and mission would reveal to us three
unique noble elements: Christian formation, academic excellence and social
responsibility. These three elements often found in the vision and mission of
Catholic schools are very well aligned with how education is viewed today. (Notes
and excerpts from Dr. Alfredo Dimaano in the seminar ―Religion as Core of the
Curriculum Using the Whole Brain learning System as a Strategy 2012)
Emphasis on the Role of Catholic Educator. Since the educative mission of
the Catholic school is so wide, the teacher is in an excellent position to guide the
pupil to a deepening of his/her faith and to enrich and enlighten his/her human
knowledge with the data of faith. While there are many occasions in teaching when
pupils can be stimulated by insights of faith, a Christian education acknowledges
the valid contribution which can be made by academic subjects towards the
development of the mature Christian. The teacher can form the mind and heart of
pupils and guide them to develop a total commitment to Christ, with their whole
personality enriched by human culture. (The Sacred Congregation for Catholic
Education,
The
Catholic
School.
http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/ccatheduc/docume)
The Catholic school considers human knowledge as a truth to be discovered.
In the measure in which subjects are taught by someone who knowingly and
without restraint seeks the truth, they are to that extent Christian. Discovery and
awareness of truth leads man to the discovery of Truth itself. A teacher who is full
of Christian wisdom and well prepared in his/her own subject does convey the
sense of what he/she is teaching to his pupils. Over and above what he/she says,
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he/she guides his pupils beyond his/her mere words to the heart of total Truth. (The
Sacred Congregation for Catholic Education, The Catholic School.
http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/ccatheduc/docume)
In the whole, educating the young generations in communion and for
communion in a Catholic school is a serious commitment that must not be taken
lightly. It must be duly prepared and sustained through an initial and permanent
project and formation that is able to grasp the educational challenges of the present
time and to provide the most effective tools for dealing with them within the
sphere of a shared mission. (The Sacred Congregation for Catholic Education, The
Catholic School.
(http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/ccatheduc/docume)
The Catholic School System. Carrying out the mission of the Church is a
multi-faceted task of the school. As a system, it requires all parts of the entire body
to perform optimally in cadence with the common goal of spreading the Good
News of Jesus Christ. Evaluation of the system for the purpose of ensuring
fulfillment of an identity as a Catholic school will then be maximized by enlisting
participation of all members of the school system. Such system includes the
students, teachers, staff, administrators, parents, alumni and parish community
leaders (Torres 2013).
The school‘s physical environment contributes to the creation of a Catholic
environment. Catholic schools should express visibly and physically the external
signs of Catholic culture through images, signs and other objects of devotion.
Celebrations and sacramental reminders of Catholic ecclesial life should be
palpably present (Torres 2013).
In general, the Catholic school is characterized by its culture that shapes and
nurtures the community of believers, and that serves the common good of society.
It explicitly proclaims the Catholic way of living, thinking and behaving. In a
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Catholic school, Jesus Christ is the center of the school community‘s life and
environment (Torres 2013).
The Parents as Authors of Education. Since parents have given children their life,
they are bound by the most serious obligation to educate their offspring and
therefore must be recognized as the primary and principal educators GE#11). This
role in education is so important that only with difficulty can it be supplied where
it is lacking. Parents are the ones who must create a family atmosphere animated
by love and respect for God and Man, in which the well-rounded personal and
social education of children is fostered. Hence, the family is the first school of the
social virtues that every society needs. It is particularly in the Christian family,
enriched by the grace and office of the sacrament of matrimony, that children
should be taught from their early years to have knowledge of God according to the
faith received in baptism, to worship Him, and to love their neighbor. Here, too,
they find their first experience of a wholesome human society and of the Church.
Finally, it is through the family that they are gradually led to a companionship with
their fellowmen and with the People of God. Let parents, then, recognize the
inestimable importance a truly Christian family has for the life and progress of
god‘s own people. GE#12) (Gravissimum Educationis, Proclaimed by His
Holiness, Pope Paul VI on October 28, 1965)
A Catholic school recognizes the ―primary role of parents as educators of
their children‖ (GE #3, cited by Torres) Moreover, ―the cooperation required for
the realization of this aim is a duty in conscience for all the members of the
community, teachers, parents, pupils and administrative personnel.‖ (GE #61).
Thus, a Catholic school forges a strong collaboration with the outside community,
i.e., the families of the students. The school assists and supports parents in
fulfilling their primary role in the Christian education. (Torres 2005)
Principles of Lasallian Education in the Philippines.
St. John Baptist de La Salle and his companions discerned God‘s call to
service in the human and spiritual distress of the poor and abandoned children. As
a concrete response to this divine call, they associated together to conduct schools
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that would make the benefits of a quality human and Christian education accessible
to the poor. By giving visible and effective expression to the creative and
redemptive love of God for young people, such schools became ―signs of God‘s
kingdom and instruments of salvation.‖ – Guiding Principles of the Philippines
Lasallian Family Documents
Today, the mission of human and Christian education is a wide-ranging
collaborative effort entrusted to men and women of diverse backgrounds and gifts,
who, in creative fidelity to De La Salle‘s vision, commit themselves to making the
benefits of a transformative human and Christian education available to all, most
especially to the poor. Each member of the Lasallian Family lives out this
commitment through association in a Lasallian educational project according to his
or her particular role and area of competence (Guiding Principles of the Philippine
Lasallian Family 2003).
Elements of an Educational Philosophy (Animo La Salle 2001)
A. Incarnating God‘s Love
The work of Lasallian education finds its ultimate foundation in the
love of God who desires that all be healed, liberated, and saved. From start
to finish, the work belongs to God and is dependent on God for its
fulfillment. The Lasallian school and the educators who comprise it are
engaged in a task mediating the free and unconditional love of God to those
who are entrusted to them by parents, by the Church, and by God. The love
of God is mediated to young people through concrete relationships and
through the service of a human and Christian education adapted to the real
needs and circumstances of those for whom it is intended. The universality
of God‘s concern and the gratuity of God‘s love continually challenge the
school community to find ways to make the benefits of its services
accessible to those who need it most – the poor, those who are differently abled , and those in situation of high risk. After all, the joy of Lasallian
educators lies not in any materials rewards, but in seeing the Gospel being
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spread and in helping the youth and the poor to live with the joy, freedom,
and dignity of God‘s children.
B. For Integral Salvation
The goal of Lasallian education is to enable students to make real in
their lives the gifts of salvation on Christ by enabling them to live by the
Christian spirit in their particular context, contributing to the fulfillment of
God‘s reign of justice, love, and peace through their work in the world,
Salvation in Christ is progressively realized in the Lasallian school through
an educational project that takes into account all aspects of human
development in its reorientation towards Christ who is the paradigm of the
human person liberated from sin and made new. It is, therefore, appropriate
and fitting to describe the Lasallian mission as one of evangelization through
education.
C. Embracing the Human
Lasallian education embraces whatever is authentically human,
recognizing in the positive values of secular and non – Christian cultures a
preparation for the Gospel. Since it is with a view to Christ that human
natures as well as the entire universe and created, opening young people to
life, to knowledge, and to love is already doing God‘s work. (D 41.3)
Even when a Lasallian educator is not involved in religious
instruction, he/she continues to exercise an apostolic ministry by striving to
awaken the young to an awareness that life is to be taken seriously and to a
conviction of the greatness of human destiny; by enabling them to
experience the liberation that comes from independent thought and their
rigorous pursuit of truth; by helping them to use their liberty to overcome
their ready – made prejudices; by empowering them to overcome social
pressures and those that derive from destructive personal tendencies; by
disposing them to use their freedom, their intelligence, and their training in
the service of their fellow human beings; by teaching them to be open to
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others, to listen, to understand, to trust, and to love them; and by instilling in
the young a sense of justice, brotherhood, and fidelity. (D 41.2)
Ultimately, while affirming the value of all that is authentically
human, the Lasallian educator realizes that it is the word of God that reveals
the ultimate meaning and the infinite value of human existence (D 42.1) and
that, consequently, offering the worlds of God to young people as a
liberating message constitutes the greatest service an educator can give.
D. An Education for Life
Lasallian education is an education for life. It seeks to prepare young
people for responsible participation in the world of work in the community
and in the wider society. It strives to prepare them to face their actual life
situation with integrity and competence. The Lasallian emphasis on the
practical dimension means that the educator takes every measure to ensure
that the students establish the necessary links between ideas and life,
between theory and praxis, between knowing and doing. This holds true
particularly in the area of catechesis, De La Salle having asserted many
times in his writing that it is not enough that the students know the message
of the Gospel, but that they must put this message into practice to the extent
that they are capable of doing given their age and circumstances. Lasallian
education does not reject the speculative dimension of learning rather it is
concerned that knowledge, whenever possible, be translated into concrete
and realistic praxis.
E. Uniting Evangelization and Education
In a Christian milieu, Lasallian education does not separate
evangelization and catechesis from the rest of education. From the very
beginning, De La Salle tied the work of evangelization with the effort to
develop good citizens through an education impregnated with the spirit of
the Gospel. The success of the Lasallian mission in a school is assured not
merely through good religious instruction (although this is a prime
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consideration), but through a total unity of all the elements in the educational
program and through the participation of all sectors of the school in the
shared ministry of evangelization through education. The religious
dimension is made present in every aspect of school life – in the lesson
being taught; in the quality of relationship between students, teachers, staff,
administrators, parents, and alumni; in the code of conduct and system of
discipline that binds all members; in the structures and policies being
adopted; concern of orienting the secular towards the sacred characteristic of
the Lasallian approach to Christian education (Sauvage 1987).
F. Centered on the Student
Lasallian education is concerned with the student‘s whole person and
is respectful of their individuality and freedom. It presumes that educators
personally know their students and can thereby discover the most
appropriate means to win their hearts and lead them to God. (M 33.1) It
resists every impulse to indoctrinate; proposing, but never imposing, the
Christian message as an illuminating and liberating word. (D 39.2) Lasallian
education takes as its starting point the character, social situation, and the
personal vocation of each student. It takes into account the student‘s true
interest and always seeks to make programs and structures that serve their
real needs. Lasallian education is designed to prepare students for their
future responsibilities as heads of families , citizens of the state, and
members of the church.
G. Educating for Freedom
Lasallian education challenges young people to become agents of
their own human and religious development and agents for the
transformation of the communities in which they are involved. In their
choice of educational methods, Lasallian educators favor the use of learning
experiences that encourage the development of personal initiative, craftconsciousness, critical thinking and discrimination, creativity, autonomy and
responsibility. Furthermore, the Lasallian school seeks to guide students in
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the responsible exercise of their freedom by giving them an active role in the
total life and mission of the institution (R 13b).
H. In Solidarity with the Poor
Lasallian educators have a preferential concern for the poor and the
marginalized and are constantly seeking ways to make the benefits of a
human and Christian education available to them. Lasallian Involvement
with the poor must seek as far as possible to engender in them a love for
Christ and a commitment to follow Jesus on the path towards full
humanization. (D 30.2) When educating those who are not materially poor, a
Lasallian tries to awaken in these students an awareness of human suffering
and an understanding of its root causes. (D 32.2) A Lasallian education
strives to foster in young people a sense of universal kinship in Christ, so
that they can make the cause of the poor their own. (D 32.2) This kind of
education enables the youth to see their privileges as gifts to be shared with
those who have less. Lasallian education also helps the young to learn from
the poor in spirit what constitutes true happiness and real wealth. Thus, in
anticipation of God‘s reign, Lasallian education equips the youth with the
knowledge and the skills needed for the work towards a more just and
equitable society.
I. The Value of Relationships in Education
The heart of Lasallian education is the heart of the Lasallian educator.
Lasallian education is profoundly relational and, in token of this realization,
De La Salle‘s disciples took the name Brother to describe their role towards
those entrusted to their care. Students learn best when they know that their
teachers are truly concerned about them as persons. Precisely, because
teachers care about their students, they strive to hold themselves up to the
highest standards of expertise and professionalism, always keeping in mind
the good of their charges. Before proposing the Christian message, the
educator strives to put it into practice realizing that the Christian spirit must
be modeled and not simply taught. The Lasallian educator is immersed in the
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lives of their students; sharing their interest, their pains and their hopes;
striving to be available to them even beyond school hours when necessary.
(D40.4)
Even when the educator makes no explicit religious reference, he or
she reveals to them the servant Christ by educating the young to lead a life
that is more alert, more responsible, and more human. The educator
announces the Gospel of LIFE to the extent of leading them to experience
the benefit of the love one offers them, a love that is respectful, sensitive,
sturdy, and unselfish. (D 40.5) The Lasallian educator is not a schoolmaster
who tries to pound truths into thick skulls, but an elder brother or sister who
helps the young to discern within themselves the call of the Spirit, leads
them to a better understanding of what is real and valuable, helps them to
recognize their own abilities, and thereby allows them to discover their place
in the world. It is not in books that the young first encounter God, but in the
one who educates them out of love. (D 40.5)
Related Studies
Torres and Arcadio (2005) are co-authors of the first paper on ―How
Catholic Is Your School?‖ This study had the following objectives: 1) to assess the
Catholicity of the school as envisioned by the Church, 2) to deepen awareness of
the school‘s identity and responsibility as a Catholic school, 3) To identify,
improve and formulate programs, systems, structures and lifestyles that will help
the school become more Catholic, 4) to live the complementarity of Catholic
schools by learning from one another‘s best practices, and 5) to experience
solidarity among Catholic schools as partners in accomplishing the mission of the
Church.
A sample of high school faculty/staff and students of three Catholic schools
in the Antipolo-Marikina area was used as respondents in this evaluativedescriptive study. The original questionnaire administered in Bukidnon by Sr.
Irene Cacile Torres was improved using Church documents, particularly
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Gravissimum Educationis, the Catholic Faith Inventory by Rev. Boyack, et al, and
other references. Parallel self-evaluation tools were then constructed for
faculty/staff faculty and students. Another instrument to validate the participation
of parents in the Christian formation of their children was constructed and
administered to Assumption-Antipolo parents who attended the first parents‘
general assembly.
The study identified the strengths and weaknesses of the school based on the
mean ratings of faculty/staff, student and parent respondents. Some of the
recommendations for the school were more deliberate integration of Gospel values
in all subjects, infusion of Christian teachings and values in the pre-school
curriculum, 3)provision of structures and practices that will reinforce the Catholic
culture in the classrooms and offices, 4)basic catechetical instruction for
new/probationary teachers, 5)provision of more opportunities for reception of the
sacraments of families, 6)renewal and reflection sessions with families, 7)device a
follow-up qualitative evaluation instrument to supplement the quantitative data,
8)challenge the CEAP as a body to facilitate the growth of member schools in their
Catholic identity and 9)to experience solidarity as Catholic schools in
accomplishing the mission of the church.
The authors also listed some recommendations for other schools who will
replicate the project: 1)The evaluation of the Catholicity of a school is urgent,
essential and relevant; 2)The identification of a school‘s best school practices will
facilitate sharing among Catholic schools; 3)The identification and recognition of a
school‘s areas for growth will help the school to become more faithful to the
Church‘s mission; 4)The richness of the Catholic Church is manifested in the
unique charisms and contributions of Catholic schools to the mission of
evangelization.
The study of Aduca, Gachola, et al (2011) focused on the assessment of the
Catholic identity of the St Mary‘s University, Nueva Vizcaya, Philippines using
the survey questionnaire presented by Sr. Irene Cecile Torres RA, in a national
DLSL JMR
19
onvention of the Catholic Education Association of the Philippines (CEAP).
A total of 1,220 respondents composed of high school and college students,
elementary, high school and college faculty, and alumni answered the
questionnaire. Mean and standard deviation were used to analyze the data. The
results affirmed that St Mary‘s University manifests to a great extent the Catholic
identity of a university using the indicators and criteria pointed out in the pertinent
Vatican II documents.
Recommendations included: 1) the promotion of ecumenism and interreligious dialogue in the university: provision for learning situations that will
facilitate growth in dialogue of faith and culture; 2) the provision of the reception
of sacraments of reconciliation and matrimony whenever possible as well as
baptism and confirmation for the college students; 3) active involvement in the
pastoral activities in the local church; recognition of students participation in
church ministries; 4) strategic planning to improve parents involvement in school
activities; Stronger home – school partnership at the college level; 5) on – going
evaluation and renewal that facilitates greater consciousness about the gifts and
tasks of being a member of Catholic School; 6) creation of an environment that
will facilitate deeper relationships and greater accompaniment among the school
community members; and 7) involvement of every department and unit in
providing in their respective areas an environment reflective of the school‘s vision
– mission.
In an article titled DLSL@48, Towards a Move Relevant Lasallian Presence
in the Philippines Districts, Africa and Peña (2010) summarized the findings on
―Assessment of DLSL‘S Faithfulness and Adherence to the Guiding Principles.‖
In 2007, the DLSP mission team visited DLSL to assess the extent of the
school‘s implementation of and faithfulness to the guiding principles of the
Philippine Lasallian Family. The mission team made use of a rubric that rated
DLSL on the following dimensions: Foundational Principles of Lasallian
Formation; Principles of Lasallian Education in the Philippines The Lasallian
School, Lasallian Students, Lasallian Educators, Lasallian Educational
DLSL JMR
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Experiences; and Principles of Lasallians Social Development. (TALAS 20092010).
DLSL was assessed according to the following categories: thriving,
promising, initiating and struggling depending on how each of the items in the
DLSP rubric is exemplified / manifested in the educational practices of DLSL.
The results of the self – assessment done and the findings of the visiting
team revealed the following: 1) the school needs healing and bridge – building
within the community. Furthermore, structures to promote the senses of
camaraderie still need to be set up, 2) the school has to devise ways to ensure the
ongoing renewal and sense of association of its members, 3) there is a sense of
disunity and / or ennui across and among the different sectors of the school
community, 4) the integration of Christian values and perspective still need to be
owned and implemented by members of the school community, particularly the
faculty and support staff.
From the observation made by the DLSP Mission Team, it was evident that
the main obstacle that hinders the school from living more faithfully to the
Lasallian charism lies on the problem of communication between and among the
different constitutive units of the school which prevents it from fully establishing a
solid Lasallian grounding. This gap in communication creates a sense of disunity
and division among the different sectors of the school community and prevents the
flow and exchange of creative synergy among the members. The school therefore,
should endeavor towards healing and bridge – building to strengthen the sense of
togetherness and association of the members. Openness to communicate and to
reach out should be promoted among all sectors of the Lipa Lasallian community
and a structure that will promote attachment and a spirit of co – ownership of the
school‘s mission and vision should be put in order to guarantee that the Lasallian
spirit thrives at DLSL. (Africa and Pena 2010)
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SYNTHESIS
The aforementioned review of literature and studies give a picture of the
duties and roles of a Catholic School, the role and mission of Catholic school in the
mission of the Universal Church. It also includes the Guiding Principles of the
Philippine Lasallian Family and the Philosophy of Lasallian Education and the
Elements of the Lasallian Educational Philosophy.
The Sacred Congregation for Catholic Education clearly states that Jesus
Christ is the foundation of the whole educational enterprise in a Catholic school
and in their own individual ways the entire school community should share this
Christian vision. Catholic educators, therefore, should recognize the important
place of God in the lives of Christian people and that the development of the
person finds its center and fulfillment in Jesus.
In the seminar on ―Religion as Core of the Curriculum Using the Whole
Brain Learning System as a Strategy‖ the speaker emphasized the role of Catholic
educators in the mission of evangelization of students. He stressed that Catholic
educators need a formation of the heart; they need to be led to that encounter with
God in Christ which awakens their love and opens their spirits to others; so that the
educational commitment becomes active through love. It is only in this way that
they can make their teaching a school of faith, a transmission of the Gospel, as
required by the educational project of the Catholic school (Seminar handouts, held
in Canossa Academy November 2011).
A Catholic school emphasizes the primary and principal role of parents as
educators of their children (GE#3). It forges a strong collaboration with the
families of the students and the parish.
The work of Lasallian education finds its ultimate foundation in the love of
God who desires that all be healed, liberated, and saved. The Lasallian school and
the educators who comprise it are engaged in a task of mediating the free and
unconditional love of God to those who are entrusted to them by parents, by the
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22
Church and by God (Philosophy of Lasallian Education, cited in Animo La Salle
2011, Living the Lasallian Spirit in the Philippines Today).
The study of Torres and Arcadio is similar to the present study which also
assesses the Catholic identity of a school, the De La Salle Lipa Integrated School.
Both studies used high school administrators, faculty and staff, students and
parents as respondents. However, the instrument used in this study is a modified
version of that which was used by Torres and Arcadio who used the six criteria to
assess the Catholicity of the target school. The researchers in the present study
used only three criteria namely, being filled with the spirit of Jesus Christ, concern
for integral formation and role of the Catholic educators, and the selected
indicators for each criterion. On the other hand, it is different from Aduca and
GAchola‘s study which used college students as respondents.
The aforementioned concepts presented were used as bases for assessing the
Catholic identity of De La Salle Lipa Integrated School.
2.2 Conceptual Framework
The following figure illustrates the conceptual framework of the study. The
model consists of three concentric circles with the Catholic school at the innermost
core. On the second level are the foundational principles of Catholic school as
contextualized in the study: the school is filled with the spirit of Jesus Christ, is
concerned with the integral formation of the person, and emphasizes the role of
educators as sharers in the mission of the church. At the outermost circle are the
expected outcomes of Catholic education which are: the provisions of Christian
formation, academic excellence and social responsibility.
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Figure 1. Conceptual Framework
3.0 METHOD
3.1 Design
Key Church documents cited emphasize that certain characteristics
must be present for a school to be considered Catholic. The following criteria are
suggested in the present concept of the Catholic school identity:
Criterion 1
Criterion 2
Criterion 3
Criterion 4
Criterion 5
Criterion 6
Sharing in the mission of the Church
Being filled with the spirit of Jesus Christ
Concern for the integral formation
Emphasis on the role of educators
Collaboration with the community
Practice and living of faith
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This paper is a modified version of the instrument used by Sr. Irene Cecille
Torres, as it considered only four of the aforementioned criteria, namely, sharing in
the mission of the church, being filled with the spirit of Jesus Christ, concern for
integral formation and emphasis on the role of educators. The indicators for each
criterion were likewise simplified to suit the particular level of the respondents.
Thus, the first criterion was integrated in the questions for criterion 2, 3 and 4.
Criteria 5 and 6, collaboration with the community and practice and living of
faith, were deliberately omitted but was recommended to be included in the future
conduct of the same study in DLSL IS.
The respondents, administrators, teachers and staff, student and parents,
were made to assess the Catholic identity of DLSL using the aforementioned three
criteria as well as to assess its faithfulness to the mission entrusted to her by the
Church.
The ―How Catholic Is Your School‖ (HCIYS) questionnaire developed by
Sr. Irene Cecille Torres is a carefully constructed self-survey instrument based on
the Church teachings on Catholic education such as Gravissum Educationis and
other documents like, The Catholic School. Other sources and materials about
Christian education were studied and reflected on and were used to formulate
criteria that can best describe the Catholic identity of a school. The instrument is
intended for students, administrators and faculty and parents. The instrument has
undergone several revisions to meet a few instrumentation requirements which
have refined the evaluation process. In a focused interview with Sr. Irene last
January 4, 2013, she claimed that the whole process of developing the HCISYS
instrument was an expression of journeying with the Holy Spirit.
3.2 Study Site
The religious Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools, more
popularly known today as the De La Salle Brothers, was founded in Rheims,
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25
France by St. John Baptist de La Salle, the acknowledged patron of Christian
teachers. Together with two other Brothers, he professed to live together in faith
and association and to commit their lives for the education of the underprivileged
youth, even if they had to live by bread alone at the time when the young institute
was on the brink of a collapse.
In the Philippines, the Lasallian mission began with the putting up of a
school in Manila in 1911 which later became De La Salle University on Taft
Avenue. Through the years, the De La Salle Brothers have put up 17 schools all
throughout the Philippines and have supervised several other schools.
In 1962, the Brothers came to Lipa city upon the invitation of Bishop
Alejandro Olalia. The 221 boys at the high school department of the now defunct
Our Lady of the Rosary Academy operated by the Maryknoll Sisters were the
pioneering students of the young school. From a small provincial school in 1962,
De La Salle Lipa has flourished to become a leading multi-level educational
institution caring for the formation of close to 10,000 students in the southern
Tagalog region (TALAS, 2010).
On December 8, 2004, Br. Manuel R. Pajarillo FSC, then president of
DLSL, released a primer on the formulation of the new Vision-Mission Statement
of DLSL. The primer focused on the following concerns:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Lipa and Batangas Situationer
Creating a Niche for De La Salle Lipa
A Sharper Vision-Mission Statement of De La Salle Lipa
Readjusting the Organizational Chart Of De La Salle Lipa according to a
Vision-Mission
5. Other Implications for School Direction, Faculty, Hiring and
Development, Curriculum Development, Facilities Improvement,
Development Office Goals, Etc.
DLSL JMR
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To work on the formulation of the new Vision-Mission Statement, a task
force (Task Force Vision-Mission) was created with Mr. Mauricio R. Lingao as
chairman and the following representative from different sectors of the school as
members: Mr. Rex Torrecampo, Ms. Tess Latay, Ms. Dfezie Tipan, Ms. Luz
Magpantay, Mr. Bruce Banaag, Ms. Kaye Domingo and Ms. Karol Andal.
With the primer as reference, the Task Force Vision-Mission was able to
formulate a draft of the new Vision-Mission. This was then presented to the
community through a survey in June, 2005, the results of which was used as basis
for the formulation of the final draft. The final draft was presented to the Executive
Vice-President on July 1, 2005 for presentation to the President and later for the
approval of the Board of Trustees.
The new Vision-Mission Statement of DLSL was implemented for use right
after the members of the Board of Trustees signed their approval in the same year.
To date, the School‘s Vision-Mission Statement remains the same: ―To be a sign of
faith as an excellent educational institution, sharing in the Lasallian mission of
teaching minds, touching hearts and transforming lives.
3.3 Outcome Measures
The questionnaire had 16 items which were divided into three sub-topics on
(a) the extent of how the school is filled with the spirit of Jesus; (b) the extent of
the school‘s ability to integrally form its components; and (c) extent of the
teachers‘ ability to manage their role as Catholic educators. Similar but modified
questionnaire was given to students, faculty and administrators. Three open-ended
questions were added to the questionnaire distributed to the parents. These
questions aimed at soliciting additional information on the parents‘ observation on
the school‘s formation program and its effect on their child‘s development.
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3.4 Data Collection Procedures
The researchers asked the Integrated School Principal the permission to
conduct the study in the High School Department. After the permission was
granted, questionnaires were distributed and focused group discussions were held.
Out of the total 2,224 students from Level 7 to 10, a total of 330 students were
given questionnaires. This number satisfies the statistical sample size required
when the Sloven formula is applied. In order to ensure that all sections were
properly represented, the researchers identified the respondents by taking the top
three class officers of each class. The advisers were asked to explain the items to
the student respondents and to retrieve the questionnaire after the students were
done in answering the questions. Three parents from each section were sent
questionnaires, too, and only 76 where returned and considered in the study.
The questionnaires for the teachers were given to the curriculum
coordinators for distribution during their department meetings. They also retrieved
the documents after the teachers answered them. The secretary of the principal
distributed the questionnaires to the administrators. She also collected the
documents after they were done answering them.
The focused group discussion with the administrators, faculty and staff, and
students were all held in the High School Learning Resource Center. The Principal
of the Integrated School sent his response through email. The researcher had a
separate informal interview with him.
After all the questionnaires were retrieved, the responses were summarized
and analyzed.
3.5 Ethical Considerations
The paper proposal was presented and approved by the panelists assigned by
the Office of Research and Publications (ORP). A letter of request to distribute
questionnaire and hold focused group discussion was noted by the director of the
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28
ORP and approved by the Vice Chancellor for Academics and Research. The
approved letter was shown to the Principal of the DLSL IS and permission to
conduct the study was granted. A request letter attached to the questionnaire by the
researchers was also sent to the parents.
3.6 Mode of Analysis
Data consisted of scores derived from a Likert scale with the following
interpretation:
Scale in the Questionnaire
Interpretation used in the analysis
1 – Strongly Disagree
2 – Disagree
3 – Uncertain
4 – Agree
5 – Strongly Agree
1.0 – 1.49
1.50 – 2.49
2.50 – 3.49
3.50 – 4.49
4.50 – 5.00
None at all
to the least extent
to a lesser extent
to an average extent
to a great extent
4.0 RESULTS
CRITERION 1. The extent to which the DLSL IS is filled with the Spirit of Jesus
Christ.
A Catholic School ―creates for the school community a special atmosphere
animated by the Gospel Spirit. (GE#8). The spirit of Jesus Christ permeates all of
the school community‘s life through the integration of God, His truth, His
Church‘s teachings and life in every aspect of the academic life. Every member
grows in his/her personal relationship with God in all experiences in the school,
i.e., in the different people, in the curricular and co-curricular activities, and in the
school‘s physical surroundings.
In being filled with the Spirit of Jesus Christ, the school community places
the Eucharist at the center of its life and the whole school community journeys
together towards holiness, in the process they live truly Christian lives where faith
DLSL JMR
29
is expressed in being of service to others and a dialogue of faith and culture is
promoted. (Torres 2013)
Table 1 shows to what extent the faculty perceived the school to be filled
with the spirit of Jesus Christ. Two indicators have been identified by the teachers
as strengths of the school. They perceive that the school has provided them with an
atmosphere for spiritual growth and development, with 4.54 weighted mean, and
that the school has formed students who value the human person and promote the
common good, with 4.52 weighted mean.
Table 1 The extent to which the administrators, faculty and staff perceived
DLSL to be filled with the Spirit of Jesus Christ
Weighted
Mean
Verbal
Interpretation
The knowledge and love of Jesus Christ and the gospel values
are integrated in all aspects of the student's academic life.
4.30
To an average
extent
The school forms students who value the human person and
promotes the common good.
4.52
To a great extent
The Eucharist is given primary importance in the school's
community life
4.43
To an average
extent
The school provides an atmosphere for spiritual growth and
development.
4.54
To a great extent
Prayer as a way of life is consistently practiced and experienced
by all members of the school community.
4.41
To an average
extent
Christian values and virtues are practiced by the members of
the community.
4.13
To an average
extent
Overall, the school community is bound and united by love.
4.29
To an average
extent
Composite Mean
4.37
To an average
extent
Indicators
At the De La Salle Lipa Integrated School there are visible signs, symbols
and practices of a Catholic identity within the school. To nourish the spiritual life
of faculty there are opportunities for daily prayers, liturgical celebrations, Masses
and celebration of the sacrament of reconciliation.
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30
In an interview with the head of the ILFO, he explained that there are
activities and modules for spiritual formation for teachers and administrators, such
as recollections, retreats and daily masses. According to the informants in the FGD
with teachers and administrators, the regular community prayers, such as the
Angelus, biblical readings and reflections become constant reminders for them to
stop work and join the prayers. During Lent, teachers and administrators do the
station of the cross and the visita iglesia by groups. They also have the block
rosary while others are officers of the Legion of Mary where they have students as
their members.
On the other hand, opportunities for teachers and administrators to grow in
the service for others are also provided by the school. Among the activities
mentioned during the FGD were their active participation in the Gawad Kalinga,
free remedial services given to students after classes in the afternoon, support
performance task integration, tree-planting projects and the moderatorship of clubs
under the Students Activity Program. Worth mentioning was the comment given
by the PAASCU visit in 2009 about the growing number of volunteer teachers in
the St. Brother Jaime Hilario Learning Community (SBJHLC). (PAASCU Report
2009).
However, during the FGD, the informants suggested that a more convenient
time for Mass and confession be scheduled to enable more teachers and
administrators to participate in the celebration. Furthermore, the respondent
teachers and administrators feel the need for a school chaplain whom they can ask
for spiritual guidance and who can attend to them when they have to go to
confession.
In the recent Lasallian Community Appreciation and Reflective Study
(Lasallian Cares), an action plan was designed ―to respond to the call for Lasaliian
schools to undertake a process of qualitative document of the Lasallian Guiding
Principles and the Lasallian core values of Faith, Service and Communion in
mission. The convenors came up with an action plan with a timetable for
implementation. One of the strategies written was to ―encourage the formation of
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31
small self-sustaining groups, focusing on growth in Lasallian spirituality through
prayers, faith-sharing and ministry‖. Involvement and genuine participation of the
members of the Lasallian community in all schools was also encouraged.
Although the rest of the indicators were interpreted as within the average
level, there were two areas where they got low. These were: ―Christian values and
virtues are practiced by the members of the community‖ and ―overall, the school is
bound and united by love‖.
Table 2 shows the perceptions of the students as to the extent to which
DLSL is filled by the spirit of Jesus Christ. The items with the highest weighted
means are: ―Prayer as a way of life is consistently practiced and experienced by all
members of the school community‖ and ―The Eucharist is given primary
importance in the school community, with weighted means of 4.69 and 4.68,
respectively.
Table 2. The extent to which the students perceived DLSL IS to be filled with
the Spirit of Jesus Christ
Indicators
Weighted
Mean
Verbal
Interpretation
4.65
To a great extent
4.54
To a great extent
4.68
To a great extent
4.59
To a great extent
4.69
To a great extent
4.54
To a great extent
4.56
To a great extent
The knowledge and love of Jesus Christ and the gospel
values are integrated in all aspects of the student's academic
life.
community life
development.
Prayer as a way of life is consistently practiced and
experienced by all members of the school community.
the community.
Composite Mean
DLSL JMR
4.61
To a great extent
32
During the FGD, the students shared that the school has been giving them
opportunities for the spiritual growth and enhancement of their services for others.
Their spiritual activities include attendance to Holy Masses and reception of the
Sacrament of the Eucharist, annual retreat for the graduating classes, once-a-year
recollection for the undergraduates, daily morning prayers, prayers before and after
classes,1 o‘clock prayer, 3 o‘clock prayer, the Angelus, and reflections. There are
also group activities where they are involved, such as membership to the Legion of
Mary, Altar Knights, Block Rosary, Dawn Rosary and Cathechetical and Religious
Emissary (CARE). One of the informants said that ―I am truly grateful for all the
blessings that the school has given me to improve my spiritual life.‖ Others gave
these comments: ―My relationship with God has improved because I now know
how to pray‖; ‖Because of constant reminders to pray, I become more open to God
telling Him my problems and in asking for help.‖ ; ―Sa recollection po namin,
naroon nang lahat, masaya po, may Mass at Communion, natuto po kami ng team
building, naging closer po kaming mag-classmates.‖ (In our recollection,
everything is there. We were happy. We had mass and communion. We learned
about team building and we became close to one another.); ―We had the chance to
talk to God.‖ During our daily prayers, we also had time for Gospel reflections.
―Even if it is not our scheduled Mass, nagsisimba na rin po ako.‖ (I also attend
mass). Another said that his faith deepened because of the regular prayers which
provided him with the opportunity to be closer to God.
Worth mentioning, too, are the activities being done in some Christian
Living classes which were shared by the CL curriculum coordinator during a
focused interview. Some of these activities are catechetical apostolate, agape meal
sharing once every quarter, and the faith sharing sessions.
During the FGD with students, they suggested that the Sacrament of
Reconciliation be done not only during recollections or retreat but also after daily
masses at the chapel.
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33
Table 3 shows the extent to which DLSL IS is filled with the spirit of Jesus
Christ as perceived by the parents. Ranked as the highest with a mean of 4.72
among the indicators is ―Prayer as a way of life is consistently practiced and
experienced by all members of the school community‖. This is followed by
―Knowledge and love of Jesus Christ and the gospel values are integrated in all
aspects of the students‘ academic life‖ which got a mean score of 4.6. Lowest
among the indicators with 4.51 mean score is ―Christian values and virtues are
practiced by the members of the community. The composite mean of 4.58 is
interpreted as manifested to a great extent: the school is filled with the spirit of
Jesus Christ.
Table 3. The extent to which the parents perceived DLSL IS to be filled with
the Spirit of Jesus Christ
Indicators
Weighted
Mean
Verbal Interpretation
The knowledge and love of Jesus Christ and the gospel values
are integrated in all aspects of the student's academic life.
4.61
To a great extent
4.55
To a great extent
4.54
To a great extent
4.54
To a great extent
Prayer as a way of life is consistently practiced and
experienced by all members of the school community.
4.72
To a great extent
the community.
4.51
To a great extent
4.58
To a great extent
Composite Mean
4.58
To a great extent
community life
development.
In the questionnaire sent to the parents, the respondents observed how
prayers have strengthened their children‘s spirituality. Some of the comments
given by the parents were ―He now attends Mass regularly, listening intently to
Gospel reading and homilies‖, ―He took his stand to fulfill his Sunday obligations
DLSL JMR
34
without (our) forcing him to do so‖, Parents observed, too, that the daily Gospel
readings during morning prayers, the prayers at the start and the end of every class,
and the Angelus made children aware of that prayers should always be part of their
daily lives. Parents also commented that ―members of the community should
practice Christian values and virtues‖ more.
In the 2007 visit of the DLSP team at DLSL, the school was rated
―struggling‖ in the area of Christian values and perspectives‖, meaning, the
integration of Christian values and perspective still needs to be owned by the
school community, particularly the faculty and staff. This affirms the observation
made by the parents, as mentioned above.
CRITERION 2 – The extent to which DLSL IS is able to integrally form its
components.
A Catholic school is a privileged place wherein integral formation occurs
through a living encounter with Jesus Christ. Thus, the purpose of instruction is the
development of the person from within, freeing him/her from the conditions which
would prevent him/her from becoming a fully integrated human being. The
Catholic school‘s education program is intentionally being directed to the growth
of the whole person (CS no. 29). Thus, a Catholic School provides holistic
formation programs – spiritually, intellectually, emotionally, physically, socially
and culturally – that will enable the students to make Christian choices and
decisions in all aspects affecting their life. Furthermore, a Catholic school
faithfully participates in the work of justice, peace, solidarity and care for creation
(Torres 2005).
Guided by the vision-mission statement of De La Salle Lipa, the Integrated
School is committed to the task of providing solid basic education, thus promoting
the holistic formation of the youth towards becoming Christian Filipinos
witnessing the Lasallian core values (Appendix: IS Goals and Objectives and
Graduate Attributes of Lasallian Education).
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35
The teachers evaluated how they have contributed to the integral formation
of the students and the students evaluated how integral is the formation they
received from the school. The parents, being part of the school community
evaluated, too, how their children were formed by DLSL IS.
Table 4 shows how the administrators, faculty and staff rated the extent to
which they integrally formed the students. One of the five indicators, perceived by
the faculty as manifested to a great extent with 4.59 weighted mean, is ―The school
provides avenues for students‘ community engagement. The other four indicators
show that the DLSL IS faculty integrally forms its component to an average extent.
These are: ―The school supports programs then promotes justice, peace, solidarity
and care for creation‖, 4.33; ―The school maintains culture and environment
nurture Catholic faith‖, 4.38; and ―The school‘s formation program addresses all
components of human development‖: 4.41. The composite mean is 4.43,
interpreted as manifested to a great extent.
After DLSL was named as the Regional Center for Peace Education (RCPE)
by the Commission on Higher Education in 2010, a core group was assigned to
intensify the program for implementation in the CALABARZON area. Some of the
activities that were held during the 2012 Peace Consciousness Month were
participated by both high school and college students. These included lectures and
workshop on the following themes: ―Challenging Prejudice. . . a Lasallian
Leader‘s Response as a Peace Maker‖, ―Peace Concepts: Their Integration into the
College and Basic Education Curriculum and the participation of 16 IS students in
Peace Pals International 2012 15th Annual Arts Exhibition and Awards. The RCPE
core group took concrete steps for education to make peace a second nature among
students (Ala eh Publications, Sept. – Nov. 2012).
The creation of the Community Involvement Office (CIO) is an indication of
the school‘s sincere attention given to the marginalized sector of the community.
The office facilitates the different exposures and outreach activities of the IS
intended for the different levels: Level 3-Kaibigan, Level 4-Kapatiran, Level 5-
DLSL JMR
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Kapaligiran, Level 6-Kaagapay, Level 7-Kadamay, Level 8-Kapamilya, Level 9Kapuso and Level 10-Ka-Gawad Kalinga. Students‘ learning experiences during
the facilitation of these activities are being expounded in the classroom so they will
be able to internalize the real essence of Lasallian education (PAASCU Report,
2009).
Table 4. The extent to which the DLSL IS integrally form its students as
perceived by administrators, teachers and staff
Indicators
Weighted
Mean
The school provides avenues for the student's community
engagement.
4.59
To a great extent
The school maintains a culture and environment that
nurtures Catholic faith.
4.38
To an average extent
The school's formation program addresses all components
of human development - spiritual, social, physical,
emotional, and cultural.
4.41
The school supports programs that promote justice, peace,
solidarity and care for creation.
4.33
Composite Mean
4.43
The other activities mentioned in the FGD where teachers and students work
together were the Project Green Club, paper segregation and tree-planting
sponsored by the Science teachers. The teachers and the students also had a
Concert for a Cause where the proceeds were given to the poor.
Worth mentioning, too, is the faculty and staff‘s involvement in the Book
Mobile Reading Program (BMRP), a brainchild of former DLSL President, Br.
Manuel R. Pajarillo, FSC, which aims to improve the reading skills of the public
school children who have little or no access to quality reading materials. The
program utilizes three vehicles, the largest is a bus designed as a transportable
library that goes to different schools and provides children the opportunity to read
and borrow books. In its visit to Pusil Elementary School on November 15, 2012,
DLSL JMR
37
the English Department and Bulik staffers, together with 9 teachers and 40
students, had a reading session with the children.
According to the Christian Living Curriculum Coordinator, Catholic
teachings are integrated in the curricular and extra-curricular offerings of the IS.
He said that, ―In the CL curriculum, we have a lot of integrations being done
outside the four walls of the classroom. The Understanding by Design (UbD)
approach makes it more possible to apply the teachings of the Church in real life
situation. The Catechism for Grade 9 is the heart of all the other activities in the
department (Appendix: Curriculum Guide in Christian Living).
The Principal, in response to the questionnaire sent to him, claimed that
academic administrators and the curriculum coordinators make it a point to always
remind the teachers to check the lesson plans for values integration and in the
observation
of
teachers‘
performance
in
the
classroom
if
monitoring/implementation is done and enhanced. One of the criteria in the
assessment of performance of teachers in the classroom is the integration of values
(Appendix: Performance Evaluation Instrument for Teachers). During the
PAASCU visit in 2009, the accreditors rated as ―Implemented‖ the
recommendation: ―Venues for deepening and processing of values in the lesson
which are more attuned to the students‘ life experiences be developed‖ (PAASCU
Reports 2009).
Table 5 shows the perceptions of the students on how they are integrally
formed by the school. The composite mean is 4.55. All indicators are manifested to
a great extent with the indicator ―The school maintains an environment that
nurtures Catholic faith‖ getting the highest weighted mean of 4.62. This is
followed by ―The school provides venues for the students‘ community engagement
at 4.57 and ―The school‘s formation program addresses all components of human
development at 4.52. The lowest indicator – with 4.50 – but still manifested to a
great extent, is ―The school supports programs that promote justice, peace,
sustainability and care for creation.‖
DLSL JMR
38
Table 5. The extent of the DLSL IS‘ ability to integrally form its
components as perceived by the students
Weighted
Mean
Verbal
Interpretation
engagement.
4.57
To a great extent
4.62
To a great extent
4.52
To a great extent
4.50
To a great extent
Composite Mean
4.55
To a great extent
Indicators
DLSL IS has different modular formation programs anchored on the three
Lasallian values of faith, service and communion. The approach to the formation
programs has been made more specific since it has been limited to the level of the
departments. According to the head of the Institutional Lasallian Formation Office
(ILFO), the programs have been designed and facilitated by campus ministers to
deepen the students‘ spirituality and enhance their personal relationships with self,
others, God and nature. In the 2012 President‘s Report, Br. Joaquin Martinez, FSC
summarized the various programs and activities provided to students and
employees to address spiritual nurturing.
Retreats and recollections are provided to employees and students starting
from Grade 4. Vocation ministry is actively endorsed through programs like
Search-in, ―Live-in with the Brothers‖ Program, Brothers‘ ―Open House‖ and
attendance in seminars related to religion. Other religious activities, such as daily
masses at the Capilla De San Juan Bautista, De La Salle, ―Kumpilang Lasalyano‖
(Lasallian Confirmation), First Communion and confessions are part of the
spiritual formation. (Domine Opus Tuum Quod is est Partis, De Le Salle Lipa,
President‘s Report 2012)
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39
The students of DLSL IS shared their experiences and reflections with the
researchers during the FGD: ―We had group activities for spiritual formation. We
had the BEC which gave us time para sa pagninilay(for reflection), ‖Ang Buwan
ng Wika ay sa pagdiriwang ng wikang Filipino at maipakita and pagmamahal sa
mga kapwa Filipinong Kristiyano‖(The National Language Month to celebrate the
Filipino Language and the value of nationalism), ―Ang UN Week ay para makilala
ang ibang bansa at magkaroon ng pantay-pantay na pag-galang at pagmamahal sa
lahat ng tao sa mundo‖(UN Week is to know more about the different countries
and to develop respect and love for all the people of the world, ‖In October we
have the Rosary Month. We participate in the Block Rosary.‖ One student said
that, ―every Christmas we remember to put something in our Christmas basket,
gifts for the poor and for the members of our maintenance. We give school
supplies to our adopted communities.‖ Some of those present in the FGD were also
members of the Legion of Mary.
In the President‘s Report for 2012, again, the Brother President listed the
extra-curricular activities of the Integrated School and their noble objectives:
Level 7 students are tasked to take up ―KADAMAY‖, an exposure to and outreach
to rehabilitation centers that treat patients of substance abuse.
In ―KAPAMILYA‖ Level 8 students are provided an opportunity to share
their skills, talents, and resources to the greater community outside the school.
For the ―KAPUSO‖ program, the Level 9 students focus on the elderly members of
the society. Feeding and caring for the senior citizens are the focal points of the
endeavor.
Level 10 students participate in ―KA-GK‖ which provides community
outreach programs in various barangays.(Domine Opus Tuum, Quod is est Partis,
De La Salle Lipa President‘s Report 2010)
During the FGD, the third year students said that their visits to the elderly in
Tanauan and San Pablo made them realize ―ang kahalagahan ng pag-aalaga sa
aming lolo at lola. Mahirap po ang walang nag-aalaga.‖; ―Naramdaman po namin
DLSL JMR
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ang pagbabago sa aming mga sarili. We realized we have to respect our parents
always.‖ ‖ We experienced transformation in ourselves‖. (The value of taking care
of our grandparent. It is difficult when no one takes care of them. We felt the
changes in us.)
Table 6 shows the perceptions of the parents on how their children are
integrally formed by DLSL IS. The parents believe that the school maintains a
culture and environment that nurtures Catholic faith as this indicator has the
highest mean score at 4.51. This is followed by 4.49 weighted mean for ―The
school provides avenues for the programs that promote justice, peace, solidarity
and care for creation‖ with a mean score of 4.42. The composite mean is 4.47,
interpreted as manifested to an average extent.
Table 6 The extent of DLSL IS‘ ability to integrally form its components as
perceived by parents
Weighted
Mean
engagement.
4.49
4.51
To a great extent
4.47
4.42
Composite Mean
4.47
Indicators
According to the parents, the school has provided many activities that helped
their children to enhance their faith. These activities involve mass sponsoring,
session prayers and individual and group performances that show God‘s given
talents. The following are some of the observations which they wrote on the
questionnaires sent to them: ―I think DLSL IS helped my daughter spiritually,
DLSL JMR
41
physically, socially, and culturally through the school‘s program and event
gatherings‖; ―My daughter now has a stronger faith in God, a more positive
outlook in life and has become a more responsible person.‖; ―Everything that my
son does now contributes more to his spiritual relationship with Jesus Christ. He is
now eager in coming to school early because of the early morning Mass. I should
say that he was enhanced more spiritually as he joined DLSL IS.‖; ―My son has
improved emotionally, yes, because he gained more confidence in all the things he
does in school. Physically, he learned to deal with different activities, which he has
not encountered before, like what they do in Physical Education. His physical
endurance was more enhanced now. Socially and culturally, he has learned to
encounter and mingle with people who are new to him. He mentioned a lot of ideas
and values, I noticed that in him‖; ―The activity that I remember most was given to
my son through the recollection in Bluroze where he realized the basic teachings of
Jesus Christ – that is, to love your fellowmen. Loving means making friends with
new classmates.‖; ―He now takes a stand to fulfill his Sunday obligations without
us forcing him to do so. He makes sure that he tries to give help to his classmates
in every way he can.‖
The parents also observed how their children have actively participated in
the outreach activities of the school. The parents mentioned KADAMAY,
KAPAMILYA, KAAGAPAY, SIKAT, CARE and visits to the Home for the
Aged. They were grateful for whatever learning their children have gained since
―through these experiences they have become more mature and responsible.‖ The
parents likewise shared what they have observed and heard from their children.
They claimed that the activities at DLSL IS are obviously intended to give their
children a good Christian foundation. ―The community involvement program is
especially significant for a better transformation of my child, like KADAMAY
exposure for Level 7, KAPAMILYA exposure for Level 8, Visiting the Home for
the Aged for Level 9 and the recent KAANCOP for Level 10‖ which provides
community outreach program in various barangays. ―There is also constant
frequency of prayer that helps my child to be more grateful for whatever she has
and to let Jesus live in her heart forever.‖ ―My child has a stronger Faith in God
now, a more positive outlook in life and she has become a more responsible
DLSL JMR
42
person. She has become more motivated to teach about God‘s goodness through
volunteerism at Si Kristo at Tayo (SIKAT) catechism, literacy and recreational
activities and she tries her best to set good examples of a leader to others.‖
After the DLSL was designated as the Regional Center for Peace in 2010,
the curriculum for Christian Living in the Integrated School started to integrate
peace concepts in its lessons.
CRITERION 3- The extent to which teachers manage to assume their roles as
Catholic educators
―Let teachers recognize that the Catholic school depends
upon them almost entirely for the accomplishment of its goals and
programs. They should therefore be very carefully prepared both in
secular and religious knowledge so they are equipped with suitable
qualifications and also with a pedagogical skill that is in keeping
with the findings of the contemporary world. Intimately linked in
charity to one another and to their students and endowed with an
apostolic spirit, may teachers by their life as much by their
instruction, bear witness to Christ, the unique Teacher‖, (GE #8).
Thus, in a Catholic school, educators are witnesses of faith as they
consciously live a life of integrity characterized by fidelity to the teachings of Jesus
Christ and His church. In so doing, they are co-formators of faith with one another,
and lead their students to know, love and serve Jesus Christ and His people (Torres
2013)
Table 7 shows the perceptions of the teachers in their readiness to assume
their roles as Catholic educators. Four indicators are rated as manifested to a great
extent. Ranking first among these is ―I promote the school‘s goals and objectives
in the performance of my tasks, with 4.71 weighted mean. This is followed by ―I
show competence in professional knowledge;‖ ―I show competence in religious
DLSL JMR
43
knowledge and my behavior/ way of life is reflective of Christ and His teachings‖.
The last three indicators have weighted means of 4.70, 4.58 and 4.54, respectively.
Lowest indicator at 4.16 is ―There is positive and healthy relationship between and
among the faculty, administrators and staff‖.
Table 7. Educators‘ perceptions on the extent to which administrators,
faculty and staff manage to assume their role as Catholic educators
Weighted
Mean
Verbal
Interpretation
I promote the school's goal and objectives in the
performance of his/her task.
4.71
To a great extent
I show competence in professional knowledge.
4.70
To a great extent
I show competence in religious knowledge.
4.58
To a great extent
My behavior/way of life is reflective of Christ and His
teachings.
4.54
To a great extent
There is positive and healthy relationship between and
among the faculty and the staff.
4.16
To an average
extent
Composite Mean
4.54
To a great extent
Indicators
In De La Salle Lipa Integrated School which is a level 2 PAASCU
accredited school, the teachers carry out the philosophy, vision, mission and
objectives of the basic education as they follow over and above the required
contents set by the Department of Education. This information in the school‘s
goals and objectives, mission, vision and principle of Lasallian education are
discussed in the orientation program given to teachers who are on trial 1, 2 and 3
statuses. The orientation program also includes school‘s history, organizational
flow chart and spiritual program (Appendix: Orientation Program for teachers and
staff)
Institutional retreats, recollections, Lasallian spiritual modules which are
provided by the ILFO, Lasallian talks and other in-service trainings that are
provided periodically to the teachers are instrumental for the teachers‘ deeper
DLSL JMR
44
internalization of the school‘s vision and mission (PAASCU Re-survey Report,
Vol. 1, 2009) Being a level 2 PAASCU-accredited school, DLSL IS follows the
standards set by PAASCU, which states that ―Faculty members should be welleducated, not merely trained teachers and should have the following academic
requirement: liberal education at a satisfactory level of achievement, mastery of
subject matter and extensive preparation in the field of specialization and an overall picture of the curriculum as a whole. ―For the teaching load, the teachers are
given teaching assignments in their field of specialization. Christian Living
subjects are taught by 10 male teachers who are graduates of BS Philosophy (exseminarians) and one former nun who is a BS Education, major in English
graduate.
Seminars and workshops on the different areas of specializations are also
provided for the enhancement of the teachers‘ personal and professional skills. The
Five-Year Development Program for Teachers in the De La Salle Lipa Integrated
School includes an ongoing scholarship program for those who wish to complete
their MA/MS programs.
Professional performances of teachers are periodically monitored by the
curriculum coordinators, assistant principals and the Principal through observation
of classes followed by conferences.
Table 8 shows the students‘ perceptions on how their teachers manage to
assume their roles as Catholic educators. Rank 1 among the four indicators is
―There is positive and healthy relationship between and among the administrators,
faculty and staff‖, with the mean score of 4.59, followed by ―My teacher promotes
the school‘s goals and objectives in the performance of his/her task, ―4.57, and
―My teacher shows competence in professional and religious knowledge,‖ 4.56.
All mean scores are interpreted as to a great extent. Lowest among the indicators is
―My teachers‘ behaviors and way of life are reflective of Christ and His teachings‖
with a mean score of 4.47, interpreted as manifested to an average extent.
DLSL JMR
45
Table 8. The extent to which administrators, faculty and staff manage to
assume their role as Catholic educators, as perceived by students
Weighted
Mean
Verbal
Interpretation
My teacher promotes the school's goal and objectives
in the performance of his/her task.
4.57
To a great extent
My teacher shows competence in professional and
religious knowledge.
4.56
To a great extent
My teacher‘s behavior/way of life is reflective of
Christ and His teachings.
4.47
To an average
extent
4.59
To a great extent
Composite Mean
4.55
To a great extent
Indicators
The results show that the students perceive their teachers as creatively
working together to realize the school‘s mission, vision and objectives. This
realization is reflected in the school‘s academic, non-academic and extra-curricular
programs and activities which help enrich classroom instruction and promote
positive values and attitudes
In an interview with the Coordinator of the Students Activity Program
(SAP), he said that all the objectives of club activities are geared towards the
enfleshing of the school‘s values of Faith, Service, and Commitment. He said that
each club includes a scheduled outreach activity which they do in coordination
with the CIO.
The students‘ perceptions on how their teachers assume their roles as
Catholic educators are aligned with those of the teachers‘ self-perceptions on the
three indicators, i.e. the teachers promote the school‘s goals and objectives on the
performance of his/her task and that the teachers are competent in both
professional and religious knowledge. Using a pre-approved instrument, De La
Salle Lipa Integrated School students evaluate the teachers‘ personal and
DLSL JMR
46
professional qualities. Results of the evaluation, including verbatim comments of
the students on the performance of their teachers, are then collated at the HRD
Office, disseminated to the administrators and teachers at the end of the schoolyear, and used as bases for training programs for teachers.
Just like the teachers‘ perceptions, the students‘ lowest indicator is that ―The
teachers‘ behavior and way of life are reflective of Christ and his teachings. ―In a
Catholic school, the teacher is one of the influential factors who can form the
minds and hearts of students and guide them to develop a total commitment with
Christ. As Catholic teachers, they must give primacy to their faith life, personally
and collectively. They are not mere subject teachers, but witnesses of faith. Their
life should be an effective life channel for shaping the faith of the students. Thus,
an ongoing formation of teachers is a must to help them grow as effective
formators and as effective models of faith. It is important for the administrators to
formulate holistic formation programs for the Catholic educators, because they will
not be able to give what they do not have (Torres, 2005).
The ratings of the parents on the extent to which the administrators, teachers
and staff assume their roles as Catholic educators are shown in Table 9. They
perceive that teachers show competence in teaching religion subjects as the
indicator ranked first with 4.51 mean score among the 5 indicators. This is
followed by ―There is positive and healthy relationship between and among the
administrators, faculty and staff,‖ with 4.45 weighted mean. Lowest among the
indicators at 4.38 weighted mean is ―The teachers‘ behavior and way of life is
reflective of Christ and His teachings.‖ The composite mean is 4.43, interpreted as
manifested to an average extent.
DLSL JMR
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Table 9. The extent to which faculty, administrators and staff manage to
assume their role as Catholic educators, as perceived by parents
Weighted
Mean
Verbal
Interpretation
The teacher promotes the school's goal and objectives
in the performance of his/her task.
4.42
To an average
extent
The teacher shows competence in professional
knowledge.
4.39
To an average
extent
The teacher shows competence in religious knowledge.
4.51
To a great extent
The teacher‘s behavior/way of life is reflective of
Christ and His teachings.
4.38
To an average
extent
4.45
To an average
extent
Composite Mean
4.43
To an average
extent
Indicators
The perceptions of the parents revealed that Christian Living (CL) teachers
who teach religion subjects are competent in the subjects they are tasked to teach.
This perception can be supported by the integration being done inside and even
outside the classroom and the implementation of the Understanding by Design
(UbD) approach, as claimed by the coordinator of the Christian Living in a focused
interview.
Some parents shared the same perceptions in the questionnaire sent to them.
One parent said that ―Christian Living subject guides my daughter to know more
about Jesus Christ and that the teachers are the most valued factor to enrich every
student to become better Christian.‖
Other parents said that writing reflective journals and the comments of the
teacher on the reflections done have helped their children to be more confident in
dealing with others. Other comments given included programs on CL subjects. One
of the parents claimed that ―DLSL Christian formation is a must, a key component
that ensures the complete and successful integration to society of my son.‖ Other
DLSL JMR
48
parents said, ―My daughter‘s Christian values show great improvement socially
and spiritually.‖ ―Christian formation at DLSL is very important to all of us
because it helps my daughter to be a solid Christian.‖
―I observed some significant changes in my daughter because of the
Christian Formation she received from DLSL. It‘s because of the regular Mass and
religious activities that had been helpful in her growth as a Christian.‖
―Through Christian formation, my son is now religiously attending holy
Mass regularly. He now appreciates what he has.‖
―Even before, we regularly attend Sunday Mass, but now, he is more
conscious because of his assignment in CL to take notes about the Gospel and
homily that he heard. I should say that he is more enhanced spiritually since he
joined DLSL IS.‖
Just like the perceptions of the students, parents also observed the positive
and healthy relationships existing among the administrators, faculty and staff. But
they also have the same ratings and observations on the lowest indicator, that is,
―The teachers‘ behaviors and the way of life is reflective of Christ and His
teachings.‖
A Catholic school recognizes the ―primary and principal role of parents as
educators of their children‖ (GE 3). Moreover, ―the cooperation required for the
realization of this aim is a duty in conscience for all the members of the
community, teachers, parents, pupils, administrative personnel.‖ (GE 61) Thus, a
Catholic school forges a strong collaboration with the outside community,
specifically, the families of the students.
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49
5.0 Conclusion and Recommendations
The study yielded the following results:
1. On the one hand, students of De La Salle Lipa Integrated School
manifested to an average extent that the school is filled with the spirit of Jesus
Christ. On the other hand, teachers, administrators, staff and parents perceived the
school to have manifested to a great extent the spirit of Jesus Christ. Students and
parents were agreed that in De La Salle Lipa Integrated School ―prayer as a way of
life is consistently practiced and experienced by all members of the school
community‖. Both sets of respondents rated this to be the highest indicator.
Teachers, however, believe that ―the school provides an atmosphere for spiritual
growth and development‖ and rated this as the highest among the five indicators.
2. The extent by which the school manifested its ability to integrally form
its various components as a Catholic institution was perceived by faculty,
administrators and staff and parents as average. Students, however, perceived the
efforts of the school to integrally form its components as manifested to a large
extent. Rated as the highest indicator by faculty, administrators and staff is the
school‘s ability to provide avenues for the students‘ community engagement.
Parents and students, however, were one in saying that ―the school maintains a
culture and environment that nurtures Catholic faith‖. Both groups rated this as the
highest among the 5 indicators.
3. The faculty, administrators and staff perceived that they assumed their
roles as Catholic educators to a great extent. The students agreed with the faculty,
administrators and staff on this area. Parents, however, perceived that teachers,
administrators and staff assumed their roles as Catholic educators to an average
extent. Faculty, administrators and staff rated the highest their role in the
promotion of the school‘s goals and objectives in the performance of their tasks.
Students, on the other hand, have observed that ―there is positive and healthy
relationship between and among the faculty and the staff‖, and rated this as the
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50
highest indicator. For the parents, meanwhile, the teacher‘s competence and
knowledge in religion was rated as the highest indicator.
4. Based on the results of the survey, FGD and interview with faculty,
administrators, staff, students and parents, the following are recommended by the
researchers: (a) for the administrators to design and formulate a holistic program
for teachers so they will be equipped not only with academic knowledge but also
with religious knowledge; (b) strengthen the school programs that support justice,
peace, solidarity and care for creation; (c) appeal to the Archbishop of Lipa to
appoint a school chaplain who will be available any time to respond to students‘
spiritual needs; (d) sacrament of reconciliation be done not only during retreats and
recollection but also after the daily Mass in the chapel; and (e) follow up study
should be done after five years to check the implementation of the suggestions
aforementioned.
References
Aduca, Gachola, et.al. “How Catholic Is Your School”
Journal.Volume 1, No. 1 SY 2011-2012
Graduate School
Animo La Salle, Living the Lasallian Spirit in the Philippines Today, 2011,
Mandaluyong City, Philippines by the Lasallian – Family
Brothers of the Christian Schools. A Declaration: The Brothers of the Christian
Schools in the World Today. Rome, Italy: Brothers of the Christian Schools, 1967
DLSL@48:”Towards a More Relevant Lasallian Presence in the Philippines
District‖ by Yolanda Africa and Eldrick Peňa. TALAS AY 2009 – 2010
Dr. Alfredo Dimaano, facilitator. Religion as the Core of the Curriculum Using
the Whole Brain Learning System as Strategy―. Seminar held at Canossa
Academy. Lipa City on November 2012
Domine Opus Tuum: The 2012 DLSL President’s Report
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Guiding Principles of the Philippines Lasallian Family documents
Gravissimum Educationis, Declaration on Christian Education, Proclaimed by
His Holiness Pope Paul VI on October 28, 1965
DLSL IS PAASCU Re-Survey Report, Volume 1, February 26-27, 2009
The Sacred Congregation for Catholic Education, The Catholic School at
http://www.vatincan.va/romancuria/congregation/ccatheduc.docume....
Torres, Sr. Irene Cecille RA and Cynthia Arcadio, PhD, ―How Catholic Is Your
School‖, paper presented at the CEAP National Convention, September 15, 2005,
Davao City
Vatican II documents cited in CBCP in the Pastoral Letter of CBCP
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Volume I Issue 1
January 2014
De La Salle Lipa
ISSN
AFFIRMING YOUTH SPIRITUALITY:
A POSITIVE DEVELOPMENT APPROACH THROUGH
PHOTOVOICE
Vivian B. Titular, Ph.D.
aian.titular@yahoo.com
ABSTRACT
In this advanced-modern world, our young people are challenged to live a
good life. This study affirms and describes youth’s experience of God and
spirituality in terms of personal beliefs, value system, and motivations in life and
discovers what they view as forces shaping their lives.
This research is a phenomenological approach with which photovoice
(Burris and Wang, 1992) is utilized as a method. It explores the spirituality
evident in photos and reflections of young people. The researcher finds it
significant to use this method as a pedagogical instruction in the classroom to
facilitate substantial reflections with the use of camera as the technology in taking
into action any issues on ―youth spirituality‖ and any issue which place young
people at risk. The researcher conducted the study, wherein the participants were
drawn to make reflections from where they are, to facilitate some general
descriptions of their spiritual life. Results have led to the discovery of the different
ways on how young people deal with life and attitudes toward their future.
Developed programs for spiritual and value formation should be strengthened in
all educational institutions to be able to respond to the needs of the young people
towards fulfillment, happiness and we-being in their adult life.
Keywords: essence, spiritual, value system, reflections
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Affirming Youth Spirituality: A Positive
Development Approach Through
Photovoice ● Vivian B. Titular, Ph.D.
53
1.0 INTRODUCTION
It is easy for the world to explore the externals of the young people rather
than the inner workings of their life. Some would label this generation as ―greedy‖,
―destructive‖, ―ambitious‖ and ―individualistic‖. But where is the place of God,
faith and spirituality in all of these in the young people‘s life in most Catholic
institutions?
De La Salle Lipa has more than five thousand (5,000) college students
coming from different religious denominations. They are formed in different
religious perspectives and having their own views about life. Religion and
spirituality are parts of culture, or the web of meanings that inform people‘s lives
(Roof, 1993).
Religion and spirituality are expressed in different ways like prayers,
reflections, and symbols that explain what life is all about and what is shared
commonly to give response to life and the call to what is life ahead. There is
myriad of meanings on being religious and being spiritual. From the point of view
of studies of religion, to be religious, according to Durkheim, bears specific
religious obligations like attending worship, going to mass, etc., but according to
de Mello, to ―be spiritual‖ is more engaging, empowering and personal and has to
do with the deepest motivations and dynamics in life. W. James (1981) coined
religious experience based on ―the feelings, acts, and experiences of individual
men in their solitude, so far as they apprehend themselves to stand in relation to
whatever they may consider the divine‖.
Roof (1993) shared that when one speaks of life, spirituality in its broadest
sense, it has to do with interconnectedness with the self in relation to others, nature
and the world itself and it is human‘s spiritual part if he has the capacity to think
about God, things related to spiritual life and contemplate on them.
In this study, sensitivity to this generation in which young people live, and
to what they view as forces shaping their lives are the primary concerns to illicit
substantial reflections. Specifically, this study sought to:
a. Describe the youth‘s experience of God and spirituality in terms of
personal beliefs, value system, and motivations in life
b. Discover the place of God and spirituality in young people‘s lives
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Development Approach Through Photovoice ●
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c. Describe how they experience involvement of God and spirituality in
their lives
d. Identify the implications of their defining experience of God and
spirituality to their value system, to the Lasallian formation, to religious
education and to the Filipino family.
It is a common stand among researchers that spirituality is something not
easy to define and describe. Studies on spirituality among young people today are
lacking. This has led the researcher to undertake Youth Spirituality and find the
link and significance of spirituality played in the development of young people‘s
lives, choices and goals towards their fulfillment, happiness, well-being and
satisfaction.
The researcher examined their responses to the guide questions for their
reflections: ―How involved is God in your life? And what are your proofs?‖. The
responses reveal that youth describe their spiritual life in the specific shared lived
experiences. This aims to prove that young people‘s desire and experiences could
mark a significant impact with the way how they deal with life‘s purpose.
2.0 THEORETICAL ORIENTATION AND REVIEW OF RELATED
LITERATURE AND STUDIES
2.1 Theoretical Orientation
2.1.1 The Human Person as a Spiritual Being
2.1.1.a Faith and Spirituality
Every human being is a spiritual being. Being spiritual means dealing
with the process of human life - its progress and development of one‘s life to
fullness. It may be both theoretical and practical; it is based on revealed
principles, but also on the knowledge of the human person (Doohan, 1990).
A positive spirituality leads us to the fullness of ourselves as Godrelated-human beings (Seelaus, 1998). In Christian communities, it is
witnessing in the life of Jesus‘ compassion, simplicity, integrity, gentleness
and concern for all people, in everyday situations especially those in need,
rejected, or deprived in the community.
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As young people have faith or trust in the abundance of the life of the
universe they find greater abundance flowing to them. Faith allows them to
act "as if" there is abundance and to do what they know is spiritually right
for themselves and others, trusting that it will work out well for everyone
(McLaughlin and Davidson, 1996). Faith eventually grows into knowing
God's law and providence and it works as they experience it in their lives.
The decisions and actions increasingly flow not simply from one‘s own
plans but even more deeply from the Spirit's inclination within, an
inclination which becomes so "natural" to human persons that it seems like
an "instinct" within. (ST I-II, 68, 4; cf. ST I-II, 68, 5; ST I-II, 68, 2, ad 2; In
Rom 8, lect 1, lect 3).
2.2 Related Literature and Studies
2.2.1 Youth Spirituality
According to Cheon (2010), youth spirituality is regarded as young
people‘s developmental search engine for connectedness, meaning, and
being in touch with one‘s real life. He noted that spirituality provides a sense
of profound connectedness with divine, human, or natural others, giving a
young person an opportunity to experience himself or herself in relationship
to God, a community of believers, society, or nature.
As young people went through searching and learning about faith and
the meaning of their life, the importance of spirituality in their development
is being sought to find relevance in the spiritual formation most educational
institutions offer.
Woods (1983) shared that spirituality is another way of describing the
inescapable human passion to find, or create, meaning and value in life as a
whole. He added that as the deepest heart of human development, this
spirituality is shaped (or misshaped) through actual human encounters,
assuming character and determination as a function of how one meets the
world.
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2.2.2 Worldly Life: Effects of Materialism and Consumerism
According to Ulrich Beck in his article, ―Living in the World Risk
Society‖, modern society has become a risk society in the sense that it is
increasingly occupied with debating, preventing and managing risks that it
itself has produced. All of the past and present practical experiences of
human beings in dealing with uncertainty now exist side by side, without
offering any ready solution to the resulting problems. He added that modern
life is fragmented with an alterity of one‘s own life.
One of the consequences of consumerism shared by other authors is
materialism. This made the people so concerned for their life and that their
anxiety makes life unbearable, even when they have the things they think
they want for their very concern for enjoyment makes them unhappy.
Ramirez (2008) claimed that the result of economic globalization is a deepseated crisis which has penetrated and unknowingly entrapped institutions in
the society. It has brought about a highly monetized, materialistic,
mechanistic and consumerist dominant culture.
Young people today live in far more complex times than for those of
us from previous generations. Their lives are defined by uncertain transitions
between school and adult life, by a dominant culture of materialism and
individualism which impacts on young people's lives by breaking down
connections to community because people can tend to see each other in
competitive terms rather than communal ones (Hodder, 2008).
2.2.3 Concept of Values: Life, Hope, Love and Happiness
According to Jocano (1997), values are sources of reasons why we see
and do things the way we do. They are ―the guiding principles in our lives
with respect to personal and social ends we desire – such as salvation or
peace – and with respect to moral conduct and personal competence such as
honesty and imagination‖. (www.psychologicalselfhelp.org/Chapter3.pdf)
The concept that happiness becomes an inner measure of quality of
life, moving away from the quantity of things is the assumption of this
study.
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As nations move to postmodern economies, other issues are
becoming more important, among them is the spiritual. By spiritual
we mean interrelated factors such as relationship with the
transcendent, generally seen as both immanent and transcendental.
This relationship is focused on trust, surrender and for Sufis,
submission and social- a relationship with the community, global,
local, a caring for others (www.metafuture.org).
2.2.4 Positive Youth Development
PYD is an approach which aims to support and give opportunities for
the youth towards a healthy and successful adulthood life. Finding ways to
help them discover their very potentials and strengths are significant in the
process towards life satisfaction. There is growth in researches which have
evaluated many programs that target specific issues using a PYD approach.
And there is a growing body of evidence that PYD programs can prevent a
variety of risk behaviors among young people and improve social and
emotional outcomes. http://transition.acf.hhs.gov/programs/fysb/positiveyouth-development
3.0 METHOD
3.1 Research Design
This research is a phenomenological approach with which photovoice is
utilized as a method. It is a process by which participants identify, represent, and
enhance their life and their community through a specific photographic technique.
This methodological procedure is introduced by Caroline C. Wang of the
University of Michigan, and Mary Ann Burris of the University of London in
1992.
For this study, the researcher used a combination of digital photography and
reflective process. Participants were asked to represent their point of view by
reflecting on the guide questions, taking photographs, discussing them together,
making reflections with their photos, and conducting relevant actions based on the
findings.
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Even though this methodology is intended for the grassroots in the
community, the researcher find it significant to use this method as a pedagogical
instruction to facilitate substantial reflections with the use of camera as the
technology in taking into action any issues on ―youth-at-risk‖ which endangers
youth spirituality. It also intends to give insight into how they conceptualize their
own state in life, circumstances and their hopes for the future.
The strength of this method is that it gives the maximum voice to the
participants allowing them to express themselves. Photovoice is viewed as
providing a source of empowerment for community members to articulate what
they felt was important about the program within their community (or institution).
http://www.allacademic.com/meta/p_mla_apa_research_citation/2/0/0/8/6/p20086
7_index.html
3.2 Study Site
The study focuses on the experience of God and spirituality of De La Salle
Lipa college students under the course RELED21, Church, Sacraments and Family
Life. The selected sections are under the researcher‘s regular class for academic
year 2011-2012 for the 1st and 2nd semester. The study was facilitated in the
different colleges namely; College of Education, Arts and Sciences (CEAS),
College of International Hospitality, Tourism Management (CIHTM) and College
of Information Technology and Engineering (CITE). Initially, twenty-five (25)
photos and photo reflections were gathered from different classes and willingness
to participate was the criterion. Only twenty (20) students with parental consent
willingly came over for the photovoice exhibit and session.
3.3 Data Collection Procedure
3.3.1 Process of Doing Photovoice
a. Introduction of photovoice
Photovoice was introduced to class – its meaning, origin and purpose as a process for research. The process of photovoice was clearly explained.
Initially, the students were asked to bring photos and give meanings to the
photos they brought in class.
b. Facilitation of photography lessons in class
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c.
d.
e.
f.
Digital photography was facilitated in class. Guidelines in taking
photos and ethics of photography were discussed.
Mood-setting and preparatory discussions on spirituality
Students were asked for a moment of silence. There were reflective
reading and discussions on spirituality.
Reflective sessions and photo shooting
The reflective questions: ―How involved is God in your life? What are your
proofs?‖ were given as an assignment. They were asked to take photo that
depicts the experience expressed in the assigned reflection.
Reflection Writing (Photovoice Session)
The first part of the photovoice session was the writing of reflection.
The twenty (20) students who were chosen and were invited to join the
photovoice session were convened for reflection writing. Guide questions:
Describe the photo and its title. What is the real story this picture tells?
How does this photo relate to your life, especially your spiritual life? How
involved is God in your life? What are your proofs?
Sharing and discussion (Photovoice Session)
The second part of the photovoice session was the sharing and
discussion of the photos and reflections. The twenty (20) participants were
given time to show their photos and share their individual answers to the
given reflective questions.
3.5 Data/Mode of Analysis
3.5.1 Process of Doing Reflective Analysis and Interpretation
This study explored, described, presented, analyzed, reflected and
interpreted the photographs and reflections of the participants in expressing their
experience of God and spirituality. This is the process where the researcher
contemplated on the many themes discovered and shared eidetic insights.
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Figure 1. Process of Doing Reflective Analysis and Interpretation
The process of doing reflective analysis started with the presentations of the
chosen photographs with the group, writing of reflections, sharing and discussions
of the photo reflections, consolidation of the shared reflections. From the
consolidated reflections, the researcher made her own reflection supported with the
related readings from different sources. The thematic documentations were
researcher‘s reflection. The eidetic insights are the reflective analysis of the
thematic documents and interpretation.
4.0 RESULTS
4.1 Presentation of Results
The participants were given guide questions to help them describe the photos
and the meaning behind the images. The tables below present the photos and
summary of the photo reflections of the participants. Reflections were consolidated
to present accurate answers to reflective questions.
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Table 1. Presentation of Photographs
Photo Title/Location
Photo/Caption
Photo #1
―The Ring of
Happiness‖
Enchanted Kingdom,
Sta. Rosa, Laguna
―The ferries wheel portraits a thousand ideas that reflect
the life of every person. From the day I was born, God
has been involved in my life. This idea resonates with the
process depicted in the picture – fun and enjoyment in
riding the wheel. The happiness that this life brings makes
me appreciate that God loves me.‖
Photo #2
―Sailing‖
Balete, Batangas
―God is involved in every details of my life. He is my
strength, my protector and my Holy Guide. In times when
I go astray, He patiently waits until I come back to the
path of light.‖
Photo #3
―Road of Life‖
Batangas City
―I see my path but I don‘t know where it leads…for the
road of life is experienced as one travels it.‖
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Photo #4
―God Beside Him‖
Balete, Batangas
―It shows that every single moment in my life, God is
there. Even if there is no enough space, God is guiding
and helping me to survive. Like me, the grass is blessed
by God by giving it the chance to catch the sunlight get
enough water from the ground and air to take in.‖
Photo #5
―The Leaves‖
Balete, Batangas
―Just like the leaves, God is everywhere. I mind the
presence of the leaf when I need it. Sometimes, I used to
forget and destroy it because I thought that I have
everything I need and there‘s no worth at all. Similarly,
the relationship between the leaf and the man is the
common scenario of our life with God.‖
Photo #6
―Glimpse‖
Balete, Batangas
―Don't look for God in the sky; look within yourself.
Peace on the outside comes from knowing God on the
inside.‖
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Photo #7
―The Pathway to a
New Life‖
Bluroze Farms
Lodlod, Lipa City
―As I travel the pathway of life, I pause and reflect on the
person I strive hard to be. That when I get near to the end
of my travel, I will see the greatest gift of God, and that is
the beauty of a new life.‖
Photo #8
―Hibiscus‖
Balete, Lipa City
―Just like the friendship established by the Hibiscus that
my childhood friends and I use for ―bubble-making‖; the
Hibiscus reminded me that I need not to look elsewhere
for friendship. I just need to look up and He‘s there, my
Heavenly Father, my God and my true Best Friend with
whom I can feel at ease with; with whom I can open my
whole being with.‖
Photo #9
―The Perfect Tour
Guide‖
De La Salle LIpa
Campus
Lipa City
―God will always guide us to have a great life. He will
never guide us in the other way around. I consider Him as
my perfect tour guide.‖
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Photo #10
―Bow‖
Lipa City
―With God‘s grace, even the strongest bow... even the
mightiest... is bearable.‖
Photo #11
―River of Life‖
Tanauan City
―Life is a river that flows through different currents.
There would be rocks that keep us from pushing forward
to our goal, but there is a God who guides us through the
right current.‖
Photo #12
―Keep Holding On‖
Lipa City
―The piece of wood symbolizes God and the wire
represents us. If we hold on together with God, we will be
safe from harm and we will be protected by His eternal
love.‖
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Photo #13
―The Jar of My
Experiences‖
Lipa City
―My faith in God is shown in this jar filled with different
sizes and kinds of stones. They symbolize the people and
experiences I encountered throughout my life which gave
a large contribution on the faith that I am now
experiencing.
Photo #14
―Goal‖
De La Salle Lipa
Campus
Lipa City
―Life is just like a football game. I have to be determined
and I have to believe in myself. In life, I have courage and
strength that come from God to go on with the game. Do
the work and leave it all to God.‖
Photo #15
―Without God, I am
Blinded, Misguided
and Meaningless‖
Lipa City
―Without God I am blinded, misguided and meaningless.‖
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Photo #16
―Hunger in an Image
of a Fish‖
Nuvali,
Sta. Rosa, Laguna
―Hungry fishes need to be fed just like human beings.
Many people ignore those who need help How can we
just pass by the people who are hungry for our attention
and help if we know for ourselves that we are capable of
helping them? I am hoping to find answer to this question
with God‘s help.‖
Photo # 17
―Friendship‖
De La Salle Lipa
Campus
Lipa City
―The power of friends will never be torn apart. My
friends are my strength. Each one of them represents God.
They give endless freedom and happiness.‖
Photo # 18
―The One I cannot
Live Without‖
Lipa City
―Love birds cannot live without each other just like me
and God. Because I can‘t live without God. He is the One
who gives me life and the One who gives all things that I
need in my life. And as we keep our relationship with the
Source, who is God, then, His potential becomes ours.‖
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Photo # 19
―Wick of a Candle‖
Redemptorist Chapel,
Lipa City
―God will never leave me until the end.‖
Photo # 20
―Ring of My Life‖
Lipa City
―God seems to be more real and tangible in the lives of
the people I know. It is entirely possible for someone to
believe all the right things about God, but to have further
distant relationship with Him. In every decision I make, I
seek God‘s guidance for better results.‖
Table 1 shows the chosen photographs, title given by the authors, significant
thoughts behind the photo and location or the place where the photo was taken.
The reflection captions are answer to questions: ―How involved is God in your
life? What are your proofs?‖. The participants commonly shared the presence of
God in their lives and they experienced in a deeper sense of the daily events of joy
and struggles in life.
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Table 2. Documentation of Shared Photo Reflections
Photo
Photo #1
―The Ring of
Happiness‖
Photo #2
―Sailing‖
Photo #3
―Road of Life‖
Photo #4
―God Beside
Him‖
Description of the Photo
and its Title
The
ferries
wheel
illustrates who I am. As
we all know it gives
happiness to us as we ride
on it. Like the ferries
wheel, I also give
happiness to the people
around me specially my
family.
What is the real story this
photo tells?
Before Christmas break, my
family and I went to
Enchanted Kingdom. It was
my first time to ride a ferries
wheel. I thought it was very
scary to ride on it but it was
fun. My fear was gone and it
gives so much joy to me.
Because
despite
its
simplicity, it conveys a
wonderful meaning. It
was taken in Balete,
Batangas. The big and the
small boats caught my
attention.
The road symbolizes our
life. I capture it in
Agoncillo, Batangas. The
road is always a long road
to travel and you do not
know where it leads you.
This photo tells who God is
in my life. Represented by
the big boat which is God
leading the small boat which
represents myself. It conveys
the answer to the question
Who is God in my life?‖
This photo is not the first
photo I captured. It is just
when I took this photo that it
gave new meaning to me. It
turned that this photo seemed
to convey thousands of
words and made me think
there is more beyond the guy
walking alone the road.
―God Beside Me‖ is an The real story of this photo is
image taken to catch the to tell us that every single
beauty of a green living moment in our life, God is
thing beside a dry wood.
there beside us to guide and
help us survive.
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Photo #5
―The Leaves‖
Photo #6
―Glimpse‖
Photo #7
―The Pathway
to a New Life‖
Photo #8
―Hibiscus‖
Leaves are all around and There are many things that
we do not usually mind we ask from God but were
them.
not immediately granted to
us. He is giving us things we
needed little by little which
we couldn‘t notice most of
the time. I accidentally took
this photo. It was when I
took several shots of this
leaves did I notice the beauty
behind it.
The photo ―Glimpse‖ is The photo has been my
taken in Balete, Batangas choice because I believe that
during our immersion. The God is in us. This child‘s
child is playing with other smile never fades. Thus, it
kids and seated waiting for made me realize that God is
her turn to play.
within us.
The photo was taken at The real story behind this
Bluroze Farms, Lipa City. photo tells something about
A lot of pathways were my life. The way and the
seen in the area and this is direction represent God
one of the beautiful spots. leading me to a great life.
While taking this photo,
reflections like I have
already achieved the things
that I dreamed of. There may
be many obstacles but with
God‘s guidance, I would
mind to achieve them.
Hibiscus, a flower called When I left my hometown,
―Gumamela‖
in
the melancholy swept over me
Philippines.
A
very and started to sink in my
common plant played by being for I know i may
young kids in their garden. never had a chance to see my
childhood friends again. I‘d
miss everything about them
– even the afternoon
playmates.
We‘ve
had
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Photo #9
―The Perfect
Tour Guide‖
This photo was taken at
De La Salle Lipa Campus.
The image of St. La Salle
depicts the perfect tour
guide.
Photo #10
―Bow‖
The photo was taken in
Balete, Lipa City. Bowing
means getting into my
weakness.
This was taken in a river
in Tanauan City. Life is a
river that flows through
many currents. There
would be the rocks that
keep us from pushing to
our goal but God is there
to guide us through the
right current.
Photo #11
―River of Life‖
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crushing Hibiscus‘ petals and
leaves for us to make a
sticky
―bubble-making‖
solution from it. Thus, when
I saw the two Hibiscus
flowers on top of each other,
I thought of the meaning not
only related to my social life
but to my spiritual life as
well.
The photo tells that we
should follow what life
brings to us. St. John Baptist
De La Salle represents God
while the kneeling boy
represents myself and the
trees represents the life. God
wanted me to follow the
current-the blowing of the
wind in my life.
I captured this photo because
of its simplicity and the vast
wisdom behind it.
This photo tells us how life
could be. It shows my life
flows through the different
currents in life. It tells that
because of the problems
(rocks), we tend to change
direction in our life (current),
but still God is there to give
us the right current to real
our goal.
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Photo #12
―Keep Holding
On‖
In this photo are wires
connected to a wooden
pole which depicts the
idea of holding on.
Photo #13
―The Jar of My
Experiences‖
Without God I am
nothing. The jar represents
the God who holds my
experiences together.
Photo #14
―Goal‖
This photo from the DLSL
football field represents
my goal in life.
Photo #15
―Without God, I
am Blinded,
Misguided and
Meaningless‖
The sunglasses represents
that without God, I am
blinded, misguided and
meaningless. This photo
depicts the idea that we
cannot look directly at the
sun without sunglasses to
appreciate its beauty.
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The real story in this photo is
that the subject on the picture
is a ―sampayan‖ located in
our place. No matter how
strong the wind blows and no
matter how hard the rain falls
I took this photo by accident.
I took several photo but it
came out I can reflect many
times on it but with this
photo, I could easily relate
myself. It tells us of the
goodness of life. We need
not just to exist but we have
to live.
This photo tells us that
everyone has a goal in life.
Every person is eager to
attain one‘s goal. Just like
me, I am at stage of hoping
to reach my goal but I cannot
do it without God‘s help.
The sunglasses represent my
faith in God. Without faith, I
cannot
appreciate
the
blessings God has given me.
Without faith,
I am
misguided where am I going
in life.
Life would be
meaning if I will be blinded
and misguided so I have this
faith to have a meaningful
life.
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Photo #16
―Hunger in an
Image of a
Fish‖
This photo is an image of
hungry fishes in need to
be fed. I took the chance
of taking this photo which
represents man as the fish.
Photo # 17
―Friendship‖
In this photo, each one of
my friends represents God
and hope. It tells us that
each of us must live and
survive in this world full
of sorrow and suffering.
Photo # 18
―The One I
cannot Live
Without‖
We have many pets in our
house. At first I was
thinking of taking a photo
of our aquarium fishes and
found out that it was very
common so I present this
photo of the two love
birds.
This photo shows the I know that one of the
position of God in my life. symbols of God is candle –
light.
This is a basketball ring. This shows that basketball
This photo was taken in gives me energy to pursue
Sto. Tomas when we are my dreams and overcome
practicing depicts my faith my problems in life.
in God.
Photo # 19
―The Wick of a
Candle‖
Photo # 20
―Ring of My
Life‖
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When I saw those hungry
fishes being fed by many
people, one question popped
into my mind, ―how can we
neglect the people hungry in
the streets for our attention
and help?‖. If we know in
ourselves that we are capable
of helping them.
The real story behind this
photo tells about the
importance
of
having
friends. No one in this world
can live without friends. We
must give importance to our
friends for someday friends
and friendship will perish in
the end.
When I saw these love birds
looking at each other, it
caught my attention. They
cannot live without each
other. Just like me, I just
can‘t live without Him in my
life.
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Table 2 shows the different descriptions of the twenty (20) photos and the
stories behind the photos. The answers show where the photos were taken. The
stories behind gave deep explanation to the chosen object being taken in the photo.
The participants have shared symbolic meaning to different photos they have
chosen which spoke about friendship, goals, pathways, life, struggles, poverty,
direction in life, faith, happiness, etc.
Table 3. Documentation of Shared Photo Reflections
Photo
Photo #1
―The Ring of
Happiness‖
Photo #2
―Sailing‖
How does this photo
relate to your life,
especially your
spiritual life?
When I ride on a
ferries wheel, it gives
me happiness like
when I was with my
family. When I was
born my family was
very
happy and
blessed to have me
God is the one who
gives me life and who
leads me to the path
of light. Without God
I might have gone
astray or lost my way.
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How involved is God in your
life? What are your proofs?
The ultimate part of my life
that God has an involvement is
my spiritual and religious
belief. Before I make a single
act towards people I do it in
accordance to the teachings of
God. The picture is happening
in my life because I believe
that all persons and those who
are yet to come in my life is
experiencing
fun
and
enjoyment in my company. I
expressed it in a way that I do
my best to make people happy
with my company.
God is involved in every events
of my life. I had difficult times
when I got married at a very
young age. I may have gone
astray if without God‘s help
and guidance. He made me
stronger and showed me the
right way of living.
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Photo #3
―Road of Life‖
I see my path but I
don‘t know where it
leads for the road of
life is only revealed
when it is being
travelled.
Photo #4
―God Beside
Him‖
I know that in every
trial that come my
way, God will surely
strengthen me and
help me find a way to
overcome them.
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Losing someone very dear,
misunderstandings with friends
and lot of burdens led me to a
question: will I ever reach what
is ahead of this road? We
cannot deny that there are
times we are walking halfalive in this fast pace world
filled
with
different
technological advancements.
Whatever it takes, the burning
faith that our feet will bring us
to the path leading to the
answers we are searching
makes the difference. At the
end, the road of life has curves
to teach us the needed balance
over things, humps for us to
slow down, signage to remind
us of the things needed to be
prioritized and lanes us our
options or choices in life.
As a young person in this
journey, I have trials in life I
thought I couldn‘t handle but I
have this inner feeling that
sustains me like the dry wood
beside the grass. God always
give me inspiration to survive
and helped me through the
people who love me.
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Photo #5
―The Leaves‖
Photo #6
―Glimpse‖
Never quit, pursue on
doing things. For God
gives the things I
asked of him, maybe
not on the time I
wanted to, but on the
right time. God will
never fail me.
I believe that God is
not in a statue or a
stone, not in a wood
or a metal, for the
true God is within us.
Photo #7
―The Pathway
to a New Life‖
Pausing for a moment
and looking at the
person I strive to be
and thanking God for
the things He has
provided me and the
many blessings he
bestowed on me and
my family
Photo #8
―Hibiscus‖
I
remember
my
childhood friends and
the sadness I felt
knowing that I‗d
never see them again.
In my new home.
There weren‘t kids of
my age and looking
around, I thought I
could not establish
friendship around. I
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I have been asking many things
from God but there were times
when I couldn‘t really have
exactly what I wanted. I always
felt deprived but there were
times that led me to some
realizations like patience and
perseverance.
God reveals himself in many
ways. This photo is embracing
many
manifestations
of
Christian faith. This has led me
to confessions about the
existence of God in my life. In
many occasions of my life, I
realize God is not far but
within me giving me strength.
God is involved in the little and
big events of my life. I see a
long way leading me to a path
– a good life. I can always feel
the presence of God in nature.
Since I moved here in
Batangas, it was tough for me
to find friends who can accept
me and can understand me well
enough, my interests, and my
behavior. I seem like an outcast
in my school. I‘ve been
searching for a true friend for a
long time. In my being alone,
it‘s when I encountered God in
my life. He accepts my
76
Photo #9
―The Perfect
Tour Guide‖
sought for God‘s
presence and found
new friendship with
Him. God became my
best friend- with
Jesus and the angels
beside me.
My life is vain back
then, until I found
God beside me telling
me that He wanted
me a great life.
Photo #10
―Bow‖
This photo depicts
my weakness. Even
how much I try to
change, without HIM
I just can‘t and
believe I never will.
Photo #11
―River of Life‖
I
had
many
experiences that lead
to hard times, wrong
path but I realized I
was wrong. Learned
that in everything I
do, I need to ask for
God‘s guidance.
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individuality. I am genuinely
grateful to Him.
I always feel that God‘s hand is
leading me to something. My
life before has no direction and
have gone the other way and
found myself lost in connection
to people which showed me
that God is my perfect guide
and I should follow what life
brings to me.
I am a kind of person who is
always too sentimental, too
affected and so I ended up with
frowns and grudges and hates,
instead of smile and hope but
when I think of faith, religion
and life itself, I often find
myself thinking God has never
been there…my faith is an ―on
and off‖ faith. I‘ve been wrong,
I shed tears for I know He is
trying to reach me but I do not
let Him in.
God is involved in my life in a
way that I always come to Him
when I need
help and
guidance. He is concerned
about me because whenever I
got sick I pray to Him and ask
for health. I experienced this
when I was a child, I found the
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Photo #12
―Keep Holding
On‖
As an individual, I
am facing with lots of
struggles and pains in
life especially in
school. This image is
the best model in my
situation that no
matter how difficult
life could be, there is
God whom I am
holding on.
Photo #13
―The Jar of My
Experiences‖
The stones represent
everything that God
given me. As we can
see, the stones cannot
stand alone. It means
that without God in
my life I am useless
or simply nothing
without God.
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care of God through th and
hopee love of my parents. I
pray to Him for thanksgiving
and contrition. I feel His love
every time I wake up in the
morning and found myself
happy, alive and full of energy.
If I will enact this photo in my
life, the first person involve is
my God. Through God‘s
guidance I will be surrounded
by His love. I will stick myself
to God and trust in Him,
nothing is impossible. No
matter how hard the trials are, I
can successfully accomplish it
by putting my faith in Him.
The photo reminds me not to
give up in everything. Just try
to handle the fear and conquer
it and try not to fall. Just keep
holding on.
Through this simple jar, I can
say that God is really involved
in my life. He never lets me
suffer from the test and instead
helped me to gain faith in Him.
I learned and committed myself
in the activities that helped me
become a good son of God. A
week without mass made me
feel uneasy. I used to pray to
Him guidance for my family,
friends and loved ones.
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Photo #14
―Goal‖
I have my own goal
and it serves as my
inspiration. I will do
everything to achieve
it. I cannot achieve it
without prayers and
help from God.
Photo #15
―Without God, I
am Blinded,
Misguided and
Meaningless‖
Without faith, I could
not truly recognize
and appreciate God‘s
blessings.
Without
faith, I would fail to
recognize
the
meaning of people
around me and be
thankful.
Photo #16
―Hunger in an
Image of a
Fish‖
Sometimes I am one
of those people who
just pass by others
who are in need. This
reminds me That I
should be sensitive to
the community where
I belong.
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God is concerned about me.
After all the awful things that I
have done, he still led me to a
better direction of my life. He
gave me strength whenever I
encounter problems. As I
encounter some conflicts in my
studies, He never let me fail.
God continue to guide me all
the way to reach my goals in
life and achieve it.
The involvement of God in my
life is to the uppermost level of
implication. He granted me
with supportive family, secured
home, helpful friends,
meaningful life, talents and
skills. I experience God at the
beginning of the day and
before my day ends. I pray to
Him before I sleep and when I
woke up. When I got troubled,
I call to Him and suddenly I
feel comfort from Him.
Without God, I can‘t live my
life well.
I believe in all aspects of my
life, God is always with me. He
is concerned in me and my life
in this world full of
temptations. God loves me.
One example that I remember
is when I felt no one loves me,
even my family. I hunger for
love. It is common to me to
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Photo # 17
―Friendship‖
When I was in Grade
1, I experienced
having no friends in
class that is why I
cherish my friends.
Photo # 18
―The One I
cannot Live
Without‖
I know that God is
the One who gives all
the things we need
through our family
and friends.
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write every experiences of
feelings that I have, but when
the moment came, I am
surprised that it didn‘t work.
That is when something
popped up in my mind and that
is to pray. Right there and then
I felt that I am loved. He grants
me blessings and I am doing
my best to serve Him though
my talents.
God is my God. He gave me
great friends who complete my
day. He gave me the hope to
live together with other people.
He gave me freedom that all of
us want. God Knows all. He
gave meaning into my life. He
let live and cherish everything
in this world. The plan of God
is passed down into other
people and some of them are
my friends. Friends are the
people whom I can trust. They
are just in times of trouble, in
times of need and they are my
comrade. They are there in
times of laughing, enjoying,
sorrow and in times of giving
happiness to each other.
Love birds cannot live without
each other just like me. I
cannot live without God in my
life. He is the One who gives
me life and who give all the
things I need in life. Everything
within creation can only
produce according to its
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Photo # 19
―The Wick of a
Candle‖
God is like the wick
of a candle where it
will never leave the
wax which represents
me. For without GOD
there is no ME.
Photo # 20
―Ring of My
Life‖
Like my relationship
with God, the ring
represents my goal
and through playing
sports
can
gain
energy and it helps
me endure problems
in my life.
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purpose (Gen. 1:11). I have to
keep my relationship with my
Source, who is God. So I need
to respect lives and mu faith in
God should not fade because
this is the reason why I exist in
this world.
My family has been blessed by
Him. He is the One who my
light when I am in the dark. He
aids me when I am sick. He
never lets me go alone in my
life.In the beginning of my life,
He became my Father. I talked
to Him before I go to sleep. I
confess my sins and go to
church every Sunday. He loves
me that that gives me selfconfidence. Though there are
many religions, I can say that
God is my God.
God is the biggest part of my
life. He created me through His
love. He loves me because he
lets me eat more than three
times a day. He gives me my
parents who sent me to school.
He gives me challenges and
struggles to make me stronger
and better person. Everything
he has given to me is a
blessing. My life is not my
own. I don‘t have the right to
complain. He has given me
what I want and what I need. I
should love myself and cherish
it.
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Table 3 shows the participants‘ reflections on the significance of the photos:
how they depict their spiritual life and how involved is God in their life. The
participants may or may not be directly or explicitly mentioned God in their
experience of having spiritual life but getting into a deeper inner journey of oneself
is spiritual in itself. Just like what the author of Photo 6, ―Hunger in an Image of a
Fish‖, shared; ―Sometimes I am one of those people who just pass by others who
are in need. This reminds me that I should be sensitive to the community where I
belong.‖; these claims gave a different angle of living a spiritual life.
4.2 Researcher’s Reflection: Young People’s Ways of Approaching God
As young people develop their creative abilities to think about their life or
anything connected to their spiritual life, the need to discover their own value
system, faith, relationships, meaning of life, destiny and purpose becomes urgent.
They journeyed from the inner sense which begins with the urge to create and give
meaning to the world where they live. They long for the calling and trust that what
they invest for themselves can also be of value to other people. They find meaning
and identity in relationships and in God.
This affirmation of God‘s presence in their life continues to give many
portraits of Him in different ways. His presence remains in the many relationships
and encounters of young people with others and life as well. This has led to name
the ways on how their spirituality has been manifested and revealed through their
photos and reflections. They approach God in the very simple ways on how they
relate with people around them and primarily experience His presence.
God as a Father (Provider)
The author of Photo 7, ―Pathway to a New Life‖, regarded all things her
family received are blessing bestowed by God. God is the source and supply of
abundance. Borden (2010) shared that the image of God as a protecting Father is
very important because so many people today have felt anything but protected in
life. In one‘s life experience, even a father with the best intension cannot possibly
keep his children sheltered from every hurt. It is physically and every other way
impossible. If a human father cannot do that, there is a Heavenly Father whom they
could turn to and rely on; and this is still strongly believed by most young people
today.
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Photo 18, ―The One I cannot Live Without‖, shows that everything is from
God with whom one cannot live without for He gives everything man needs. The
prayer ―Our Father‖ suggests total submission to God‘s providence: ―Give us today
our daily bread.‖. This connects the idea that fatherhood is an image of God so
close to young people today which basically manifest the quality of being an ―ideal
parent‖ who gives not only existence to his children, but also enhancing their wellbeing and prosperity.
Photo 13, ―My Jar of Experiences‖, depicts the affirmation of a wonderful
and happy life God gave him despite many obstacles in life. Good parents do not
only give their offspring life, but sustain them in growth with a personal love and
care. Photo 2, ―Sailing‖, shares an attribute of God as the ―Giver‖ of life. Parents
give everything that they have to their children: their time, their energy, their
goods, their attention, their care. They give themselves to the limit of their
capacity. In this sense, it is but proper to a father to give his children bread- their
needs. This bread is also a symbol which evokes an image of the other things that
serve human‘s need.
God as a Friend (Companion)
Photo 13 depicts the kind of friendship experienced by the author. He
equated His friendship with his friendship with God and this gives him hope.
Relationships are important to young people. Psychologist Erik Erikson regards
relationship as significant influence in the formation of adolescents‘ identity.
These relationships also drive them to regard God as to how they regard other
people in their lives.
Specifically, in all walks of life, it is affirmed that human being‘s
relationship to God has many different aspects: God is the Creator, Judge, Father,
Savior, and Almighty and many others. There is this less acknowledged
relationship in the many relationships offered by God- and that is friendship. The
Bible explicitly expresses:
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―Now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God —
all because of what our Lord Jesus Christ has done for us in making us
friends of God‖ (Romans 5:11NLT).
―Friendship with God is possible only because of the grace of God
and the sacrifice of Jesus…All this is done by God, who through Christ
changed us from enemies into his friends‖ (2 Corinthians 5:18a TEV).
Photo 8, ―Hibiscus‖, depicts the author‘s sought for God‘s presence and
found new friendship with Him and He became her Best Friend. The most
influential people among youth today, aside from their families, are their friends.
Friendship is a common experience to them and so as they approach God.
Oxenhandler narrates that when people approach God as a true friend, it implies a
great responsibility.
It is in this context that young people today find significance in finding
friendship with God. The implication of friendship with God, as narrated by other
authors, is that there is no fear as they approach Him which could mean no terror,
no shame and mistrust. Most young people simply enjoy the people around them,
especially their friends and family members who brought them satisfaction and
pleasure and they, likewise, treated such friendship with God as a source of
satisfaction and happiness.
In Photo 8 ―Hibiscus and Photo 17 ―Friendship‖, the authors left their
hometown and found themselves living in a strange place, God is the only one
whom they could turn to in their childhood aside from their parents. An image of
God as a friend is very common to young people for they often seek
companionship. God, in the many accounts in the Scripture, also pursue His
friendship with humanity. Some experience friendship with God since childhood
when little opportunities of friendship are available in their environment.
The creator of Photo 18, ―One I Cannot Live Without‖ shares, ―Love birds
cannot live without each other. Just like me, I just can‘t live without Him in my
life.‖ Level of intimacy with God is constantly measured through often and open
communication with Him. There was that feeling that God didn‘t seem to be far
away through conversation in prayer. Talking to God is easier when treating Him
as a friend. There is no fear in approaching Him. Just like how they approach a
friend, they approach God in confidence asking Him for some advises favors, and
inspiration.
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In Photo 15, ―Without God, I am Blinded, Misguided and Meaningless‖, the
author‘s realization that without faith, he would fail to recognize the meaning of
people around him and be thankful. Warrens, in his sermon, shared; true friends
care about what is important to each other. ―You will never grow a close
relationship with God by just attending Church once a week or having a daily
quiet time. Friendship with God is built on sharing all your life experiences with
him. He wants to be included in every activity, every conversation, every problem,
and even every thought.‖ Paul tells in 1 Thessalonians 5:17 to ―pray
continuously‖. This means maintaining an open-ended conversation with God
throughout the day, whatever you are doing or thinking, sharing it with God.
God as a Guide (Mentor)
The author of Photo 9, ―The Perfect Tour Guide‖, shares that his life was in
vain back then, until he found God beside him telling him that He wanted him to
have a great life. Oxenhandler shares that when one has a right-standing
relationship with God, s/he has a life of freedom, liberty, and delight;
s/he has God‘s will. The Bible also narrates in Proverbs 16:9: ―In their hearts
human beings plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps.‖ It is true that
allowing God to be the Guide starts with little obedience to His message,
commandments and will. He directs through His living presence and guidance.
Only in the form of individual experience can people attain their own conclusive
answer to questions of destiny and purpose in life, and the experience of that
answer can be encountered only in discovering one‘s true self and through one‘s
true Guide.
Reflections from Photo 4, ―God Beside Him‖, narrates – ―that every single
moment in our life, God is there beside us to guide and help us survive‖. This line
illustrates a strong faith in God as the One who never permits people to fail. As
they have faith or trust in the abundance of the Life of the Universe, they find
greater abundance flowing to them.
The author of Photo 11, ―The River of Life‖, reflects that life is a river that
flows through different current. That picture is an example of not giving up and
always asking for God‘s guidance. Photo 3, ―The Road of Life‖, depicts a long
road to travel and one may not know where it leads him. Faith allows young people
to act "as if" there is that drawing line to follow and a guide to do what they know
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is spiritually right for themselves and others. Reflection from Photo 5, ―The
Leaves‖, represents the things I am asking from God and the essence of waiting on
things I ask from Him.‖ Definitely, it is in a way trusting that it will work out
economically, physically, emotionally for everyone, despite how it may appear to
the senses and the rational mind. The author of Photo 2, ―Sailing‖, shares ―God is
the one who gives me life and who leads me to the path of light. Without God I
might have gone astray or lost my way.‖ Faith eventually grows into knowing
God's ways and works as one experience it in his life and which gives direction to
one‘s soul.
God as an Inspiration (Strength)
Photo 10, ―Bow‖, depicts the author‘s weaknesses. Even how much he tried
to change, without GOD, he believes he just can‘t and claims he never will. Photo
12, ―Keep Holding On‖, images the best model in his situation that no matter how
difficult life could be, there is God whom he is holding on. A continual awareness
of the reality that God is always present makes spirituality revealed its impact on
young people‘s development. It reveals that they could describe or define
spirituality in terms of positive behaviors, feelings and goals. An anonymous
author from Theosophy Digest shares - ‖Our lives are not determined by what
happens to us; not by what life brings to us, but by the attitude we bring to life. A
positive attitude causes a chain of reaction of positive thoughts, events and
outcomes. It is a catalyst, a spark that creates extraordinary results.‖
The author of Photo 14, ―Goal‖, narrates ―I have my own goal in life and it
serves as my inspiration. I will do everything to achieve it. I cannot achieve it
without prayers and help from God.‖ Youth spirituality is expressed in prayer and
in action. Photo 19, ―The Wick of a Candle‖, represents deep faith by its author
that God is like the wick of a candle where it will never leave the wax which
represents him. He added, ―For without GOD there is no ME‖. Photo 20, ―Ring of
my Life‖, shows the author‘s reflection that like his relationship with God, the ring
represents his goal and through playing sports can gain energy and it helps him
endure problems in my life.
Photo 16, ―Hunger in an image of a Fish‖, shows reflections on poverty in
the world. Youth spirituality also reflects solidarity with the poor. The author
shares ―Sometimes I am one of those people who just pass by others who are in
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need. This reminds me that I should be sensitive to the community where I
belong.‖
Photo 6, ―Glimpse‖, has been the choice of the author to represent his
thoughts on life and God. He believes that God is in us. Just like the child‘s smile
never fades in the image. Thus, it made him realize that God is within us. Such
affirmation of spiritual life is also a way of life of mutual respects and deepens
relationship with God and others.
Table 4. Thematic Documentation
Photograph
Significant Themes
Relevant Themes
No.
1
―The Ring of Source of happiness: Family
Fear: Overcoming fear
Happiness‖
2
―Sailing‖
God always guides us. We Faith: Response to struggles in
just need to follow
life and going astray
Life is an endless road. At
Uncertainties in life: never
3
―Road of
times, we want to have our
knew where it could lead us
Life‖
own way but we know that
there is God‘s way.
4
―God Beside
Him‖
5
―The
Leaves‖
God is found in the
friendships we have in our
life. We are all equal in the
eyes of God.
We ask God through
prayers. He gives at the
right time. Learn to wait.
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Sufferings: everything
happens for a purpose
There are problems and pains.
There will always be
solutions. Believe in God‘s
grace.
87
6
―Glimpse‖
God is among us.
We cannot find him in
tangible religious items. We
can find him in people we
meet.
7
―The
Pathway to a
New Life‖
8
―Hibiscus‖
Recognize the blessings
from God. Find His ways.
Obstacles in life: at the end of
this life is a new life: kingdom
of God.
God has always been there.
Essence of prayers
Being alone is a sad thing:
finding friends anywhere is
needed.
9
―The Perfect
Tour Guide‖
10
―Bow‖
11
―River of
Life‖
12
―Keep
Holding On‖
There is the right way: with
Life is vain. Guidance is
God, me, life. Just go with
needed
the flow.
God‘s grace is the mightiest. Being lost: finding a way to
Humility is needed.
stand.
Currents in life are God‘s
Struggles in life can lead us to
way to direct us to the shore
new friendship with people
– life.
around us and God.
We are safe in the hands of
God. Hold on to him.
Struggles and pain: find
friendship, find God.
13
―The Jar of
My
Experiences‖
Becoming human without
God is impossible.
Pain and suffering: Stand in
the midst of them
14
―Goal‖
People have goals. They
give direction and
motivation.
Hope: to achieve even it is
difficult
15
―Without
God, I am
Blinded,
Believing in God.
Bad and good things in my life
Appreciate His graces and happen. It is part of one‘s life.
blessings. Only then we can
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Misguided
and
Meaningless‖
16
―Hunger in
an Image of a
Fish‖
17
―Friendship‖
do it.
Being sensitive to the
poverty around us is our
role. We have to share
because we are part of this
world.
Nothing can satisfy hunger but
kindness.
Friends give meaning to our
lives.
Nothing is permanent in this
world.
18
―The One I
Family relationships give
Accept and trust: have faith in
cannot Live
color to one‘s life.
our own families
Without‖
We cannot live alone. God
Problems can consume us.
19
―The Wick of will always be there for us.
a Candle‖
20
―Ring of My We can rely on God in times
Problems are meant to be
Life‖
when we are weak and
solved.
problematic.
Table 4 presents the significant themes and relevant themes from the photo
reflections which were used to reflective analysis and interpretation to come up
with the eidetic insights. Significant and relevant themes were summarized into
experiences with sources of happiness, God as a Guide, a Friend, the path they
have to travel, the grace of God, on becoming human, facing problems and
difficulties, faith and hope, sensitivity to the needs of other people, and essence of
prayers.
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4.3 Eidetic Insights
Youth Spirituality is expressed in their personal beliefs, positive look in life,
value system, and attitudes toward life, behavior, motivations and goals. The
following themes suggest the common manifestations of young people‘s
affirmation of spirituality in their lived experiences expressed in the photos.
Faith: Becoming confident, reliable and trustful
Photo 2 ―Sailing‖, Photo 5 ―The Leaves‖, Photo 6 ―Glimpse‖, Photo 9 ―The
Perfect Tour Guide‖, Photo 15 ―Without God, I am Blinded, Misguided and
Meaningless‖, Photo 18 ―The One I Cannot Live Without‖, and Photo 19 ―The
Wick of a Candle‖ express a deep sense of faith among the authors. The term
―faith‖ can be an innate disposition and an outward expression of being and
becoming attuned to God (St. Augustine), a part of the Other (Enriquez). Worship
and interdependence were also revealed by Albert Einstein in his life when he
shared: ―A hundred times a day I remind myself that my inner and outer life
depends upon the labors of other men and women, living and dead, and that I must
exert myself in order to give in the same measure as I have received and am
receiving‖.
Trust and confidence are inner strengths which sustain oneself in the midst
of adversity. Being realistic about one‘s limitation and uncertainties about what is
life ahead makes them confident and trustful of the things that they can achieve
and the support they needed to pursue their goals. The author of Photo 9 ―The
Perfect Tour Guide‖ shared; ―My life is vain back then, until I found God beside
me telling me that He wanted me a great life.‖ Such approach to themselves,
significant others and God directs them to be more reliable and trusting to a better
life ahead.
Becoming confident is being able to be trustworthy and trusting others. It is
a conviction that good life and well-being of individuals is not only achieved in
personal interests and fulfillment of ambitions but being able to trust, respect and
acknowledge the strength, response, and inspiration of others (especially their
families and friends) and God, the Ultimate Source.
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Grace and Positive Attitude: Becoming resilient and persevering
Photo 4 ―God Beside Him‖, Photo 5 ―The Leaves‖ Photo 10 ―Bow‖, Photo
11 ―River of Life‖, and Photo 12 ―Keep Holding on‖ illustrate the authors‘ belief
in God‘s in God‘s grace and providence. Trese (2001) explains that the word
―grace‖ is reserved in theology to describe those gifts to which man is not evenly
entitled, not even by virtue of his nature as a human being and is used to identify
those gifts which are above human nature. It is with God‘s infinite kindness that
blessings come to a believing and faithful heart.
The author of Photo 12 ―Keep Holding On‖ shared; ―The image is the best
model in my situation that no matter how difficult life could be, there is God whom
I am holding on.‖ People from all walks of life would prefer a life with as few
difficulties as possible. They would like to have a future totally free of problems,
sorrows, fears, anger, and pain; rather than a future full of pain, sufferings, regrets
and anguish. An author shares that our daily experiences speak of God‘s
participation in the ordinary and God promises blessings for each day still will
come. No matter what happens, God will not abandon us. It is in this context that
young people literally experience reliance and perseverance.
There are young people who may not have been able to explain grace in
words but they know what it is. By the mere fact that grace lies in the spiritual
realm, it is immeasurable and unexplainable. It will remain unexplainable within
the conceptual framework of conventional science and ―natural law‖ (M. Scott
Peck). It will remain miraculous and amazing for human to persevere in the many
struggles and difficulties in life. The only thing that can sustain human life and this
world, and make it bearable to live in is in our gratitude to God for His countless
blessings – our gratitude of receiving and giving by sharing (D‘Sousa,1972).
Resilience and perseverance are the graces simplified in human life.
Positive behavior: Becoming increasingly kind, creative and prayerful
Photo 2 ―Sailing‖, Photo 7 ―The Pathway to a New Life‖, Photo 8
―Hibiscus‖, and Photo 17 ―Friendship‖ demonstrate the authors‘ positive behavior
toward circumstances in life. Living this spirituality through positive behaviors
expresses living in one‘s contemplative expressions of deep connection towards
everybody and everything. Being kind and creative give a strong conviction that
they are sharing the world with the whole of humanity and that the core of the
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strength and identity of the young people is anchored and deeply rooted in the
dynamics of their spirituality.
The author of Photo 2 ―Sailing‖ shared that prayer has never let her go
astray. Prayer is not detached from everyday life. It is enmeshed with the daily
struggles and joy of life and is a situation/process which is meant for all person
(Garvey, 1995). According to Reyes (1994), it is in contemplative prayers (in
whatever forms) can strengthen the interiority, personality and authentic values of
the Filipinos towards God and others which are indigenous to Filipinos and distinct
from materialistic concept of development which caused too much destruction in
today‘s society.
Marian Wright Edelman advises; Trust and serve God and know that every
single one of us can make a difference. Somewhere deep man, he realizes, he
seems to know that he is destined to something better in this life - what he is meant
to become – working together to counter poverty and effects of natural disasters
through the spirit of compassion, inspiring others to outpour generosity and care
for humanity. Faith is an affair of the heart and a commitment of the mind that
results in good actions, service and moral behevior (Strommen and Hardel, 2004).
Being kind and creative to find ways to reach out to people is deep within
oneself of a spiritually conscious individual. There are personal experiences which
affirmed that the more they give, the more excitement, energy, and joy they derive
from their lives. When individuals give, they portray important steps on the road to
achieving their personal potential; all the while improves the world through their
actions. As they move through life, they are challenged to respond to the needs of
people. Defining priorities and relationship of these priorities are significant. An
example of this is when human reach out (being kind) to another and offer
unconditional love, joy, well-being and peace are the results.
As they understand God‘s role, they understand things about life. They allow
the reality of God‘s love in the many encounters they had with the circumstances
in life. There is an affirmation of the God‘s involvement that is constantly breaking
through their life, even in their frustration, anxiety and pain. The bottom line is
―With God, everything is going to be alright.‖ This implies becoming more
prayerful in life.
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Hope: Becoming more motivated and goal-oriented
Photo 3 ―Road of Life‖, Photo 13 ―The Jar of My Experiences‖, Photo 14
―Goal‖, and Photo 20 ―Road of My Life‖ express clinging to hope and being
motivated by the authors towards their goals in life. As young people develop their
creative abilities connected to their spiritual Source, they also find ways on how
they could contemplate on their future. Hope is an orientation of the spirit, an
orientation of the heart. It is not the same as optimism – a conviction that
something will turn out well, but the certainty that something makes sense,
regardless of how it turns out (Havel, 1986).
It transcends the people of the world who anchored themselves to the
deepest dimension of their soul. Daniel (in the Bible), Gandhi, Dalai Lama, Mother
Theresa, Pope John Paul II – these are the people, very well known, who journeyed
in the light of grace and planted the seed of hope to the hearts of humanity. Like
them, these young people today may be unknown to many but their rich direct
experiences can give inspiration and may resonate with the many wandering souls
who could find new meaning in one‘s own existence.
Deeper sense of commitment to a good future is expressed in perseverance
to pursuing the goals. Young people may be in a slow process in achieving them
because of the circumstances and their own preferences but this prepares them to a
progressive transition- equipping them with skills, abilities, and strength and
making them mature.
Positive Values: Finding Purpose, Meaning, Well-Being, Fulfillment, and
Happiness
Photo 1 ―The Ring of Happiness‖, Photo 13 ―The Jar of My Experiences‖,
Photo 14 ―Goal‖, Photo 16 ―Hunger in an Image of a Fish‖ and Photo 20 ―Ring of
My Life‖ reveal the positive values of the authors. The way to clarify values on
moral character and performance character is an affirmation of the most
appropriate values when humans use their intelligence freely and reflectively to
define their own values. Young people‘s journey to happiness is possible only
when they see the outer and inner workings in life and find harmony in them.
Many of these facts have been written to direct them to what concerns about
spiritual life (inner life) and destiny of human but it is still unique to discover the
variety of their experiences in terms of their own personal relationships and beliefs.
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This supported by the words of Dalai Lama ――I believe that the very purpose of life
is to be happy. From the very core of our being, we desire contentment. In my own
limited experience I have found that the more we care for happiness of others, the
greater is our own sense of well being.‖
All people want to achieve meaning; fulfillment and happiness. A lot of
people in history confirm that these things come from not being self-centered but
rather from making a difference and giving happiness to others. The author of
Photo 1 ―My Ring of Happiness‖ claims ―When I was born my family was very
happy and blessed to have me.‖ How many young people today have that same
feeling of becoming so much a ―blessing‖ to their family?
One‘s happiness, fulfillment, and ―wellness‖ can be achieved through the
desire accomplish the goals and the commitment to how much one can do. It is no
enough to be inspired but to live the values. Estanislao (1997) shared, it requires
effort, discipline and perseverance to achieve well-being. He narrates in his book
―On Well-Being…‖ that this could be expressed through the joy of living, will to
win, living for others, commitment to life, freedom to exceed oneself and
fulfillment of duty. These expressions affirm its resonance to the
expressions/description of the spirituality of the young people who participated in
this study.
Figure 2. Describing Youth Spirituality
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This figure illustrates how youth spirituality can be possibly described.
Looking into the deeper sense of their experiences, their expressions of faith, grace
and positive attitude, positive behavior, hope, and positive values are few ways to
affirm how young people live their spiritual life.
5.0 SYNTHESIS AND IMPLICATIONS
5.1 Creative Synthesis
Young people approach God and express their spirituality in how they
experience life. Adolescence is the stage where identity and concrete roles are
formed. Such affirmation of spirituality/spiritual life can lead to positive
development among the youth. Their thoughts, actions and motivations in life are
defined when they have the values and commitment to achieve them. Youth
Spirituality is expressed in the following: faith, grace and positive attitude, positive
behavior, positive values and hope.
The lived experiences of the young people today are certainly not too far
from the many experiences of the people of the past. The only difference is the
kind of struggles and the degree of pains they face in this modern world. The need
to have an affirmation of the spirituality is a positive approach to help them into
mature individuals. Their open and often interactions with the world can bring
positive dynamics in life if properly addressed and directed by families and
institutions. Young people can spiritually grow through positive support by giving
them greater opportunities to live quality life.
It is based on understanding that young people also bonded with all other
persons because they share a common dream of a good life. This implies that every
person owes fellow human beings affirmation of the needs, respect, support and
solidarity. This positive approach on youth development can bring hope to future
generations.
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5.2 Implications of the Study
To all Lasallian institutions and other religious institutions;
Most religious institutions aim to provide quality education in terms of
knowledge, and skills, but most importantly social abilities and spiritual formation.
Such spiritual formation deals with concrete human, spiritual events which actually
forming distinctively human, spiritual life (Garvey, 1995).
In year 1911, De La Salle Brothers educational principle was introduced to
the Philippines which provided a spiritual realm for young Filipinos until this time.
The Lasallian spirituality of faith, service and communion address the value - gap
among young people through religious and spiritual formation for the young
people especially the youth-at-risk. This spiritual intervention can be coined as
PYD for its programs and curriculum focus on a holistic formation of the Lasallian
youth to develop in them the strength and skills needed to the challenges of
professional and adulthood life.
Br. William Garvey, FSC shared that spirituality in the concrete is living a
distinctively human life, and this include ―going beyond‖ the social-historical, vital
(the physical and emotional) and functional dimensions. It is living a transcendent
life. Most spiritual formations are expressed in spiritual disciplines such as
spiritual reading, meditation, methods of prayer, spiritual direction, discernment
process, guided reflections in recollections and retreats.
These are ways of feeding the minds and nurturing the spirit. But inner
reflections should be challenged to extend outwardly by sensitivity and solidarity
with others. Individualism (in the content of caring only for oneself, one‘s
ambition, one‘s own good life) should be eradicated for this could lead to selfcenteredness and insensitivity. Aside from inner formation, the task of getting
young people involved in community services can enhance their capability and
creativity to extend themselves to others which is rather proactive.
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To the Filipino family and all families in the world;
Parents usually believe that their responsibility has ended when they sent
their children to school. Spiritual and value formation were always entrusted to
teachers and were not properly addressed in their own homes. Some families failed
to nurture the faith and become a venue for spiritual growth. It is a common
knowledge that each family should bear the responsibility of sharing faith, values
and purpose as they walk through a life of hope, well-being and fulfillment. Each
family should have a deeper sense of commitment to this mission.
Studies show that close family relationships can lead to deeper spiritual life
of the young people. According to Strommel and Hardel (2004), close family
relationships are important because faith and spirituality is formed through
personal, trusting relationships and can be strengthened by parental harmony,
effective communication, wise parental control and parental nurturing.
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Castro, Francisco (2005), Philosophy of the Human Person, A Phenomenological
Approach, (Mandaluyong City: Books Atbp. Publishing Corp.)
Chin, Jr., Vicente Hao (2007), Spiritual Life in the Midst of Worldly Life,
Auckland: Theosophical Publishing House.
Cheon, Jeong Woong (2010). A Transpersonal Understanding of Youth
Spirituality: Implications for an Expanded View of Social Work, Currents: New
Scholarship in the Human Services Volume 9, Number 1.
De Mesa (2008), BAKAS, Retrieving the Sense of Sacramentality of the
Ordinary, (Manila: De La Salle University and Anvil Publishing, Inc.)
Doohan, Leonard (1990),Current Trends Scripture and Contemporary Spirituality,
http://www.spiritualitytoday.org/spir2day/904216doohan.html
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D‘Sousa, Charles (1972), Loving and Living, (Better Yourself Books, Printed by
St. Paul Publications).
Ellwood, Robert (1984). Opening the Inner Door , Finding Deep Joy, Quezon
City: Theosophical Publishing House.
Estanislao, Jesus P (1997), On Well-Being: Uniting Mind, Body, and Spirit into
Coherent Whole, (Manila: University of Asia and Pacific, Foundation Inc.)
Garvey, William (1995), Van Kaam’s Formation Science Formative Spirituality
and Religious Education in Asia, (Manila, Philippines: De La Salle University
Press Inc.)
Jocano, F. Landa (1997), The Filipino Value System, A Cultural Definition,
(Quezon City: Punlad Research House Inc.).
Kouzes and Posner (1993), http://www.psychologicalselfhelp.org/Chapter3.pdf
Marden, Orison Swett (2002), The Secret of Happiness: Self-Reliance and SelfMastery, Quezon City: Theosophical Publishing House.
Merton, Strommen, Hardel, (2004), Passing on the Faith, (Philippines: Jesuit
Communications Foundation, Inc.).
Moore, Thomas, (1992). Care for the Soul: A Guide for Cultivating Depth and
Sacredness in Everyday Life, (USA: HarperCollins Publishers).
McLaughlin
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Davidson
(1996),
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Politics,
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Nouwen, Henri JM, (1981), The Way of the Heart: Desert Spirituality and
Contemporary Ministry, (New York: The Seabury Press).
Peck, Scott (1978), The Road Less Travelled, A New Psychology of Love,
Traditional Values and Spiritual Growth, (New York: Simon & Schuster).
Popson, Martha (1981), That We Might Have Life, (USA: The Catholic Heritage
Press, Inc.).
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Ramirez, Mina, (2008) Paper on Phenomenological Method. ( Asian Social
Institute: Class handout)
Roof, Wade Clark (1993), A Generation of Seekers: The Spiritual Journeys of
Baby Boom Generation, (USA: HarperSanFrancisco, A Division of Haper Collins
Publishers).
Schuller, Roberta (1987), Power to Grow Beyond Yourself, (New Jersey:
Fleming H. Revell Company).
Seelaus, Vilma (1998), St. Therese of Lisieux’s Spirituality of Imperfection:
Finding Strength in Weakeness,
http://showcase.netins.net/web/solitude/vilma5.html.
Summa Theologiae. Latin text and English trans. 61 vols. London, Blackfriars in
conjunction with Eyre & Spottiswoode; New York: McGraw-Hill, 1963-1981
Trese, Leo J. (2001), The Faith Explained, third Edition, (Manila: SINAG-TALA
PUBLISHERS, INC.).
Woods, Richard (1983), Religious Symbol and Spirituality in an Electronic Age,
http://www.spiritualitytoday.org/spir2day/833514woods.html
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http://www.theinnovationcenter.org/files/doc/D5/CLW%20pp%20164%20Photovo
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http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2010-06/uom-yds062110.php
http://www.visionarylead.org/newecon.htm
http://www.nrcyd.ou.edu/youth-engagement/positive-youth-development
http://transition.acf.hhs.gov/programs/fysb/positive-youth-development
www.metafuture.org
http://transition.acf.hhs.gov/programs/fysb/positive-youth-development
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http://www.allacademic.com/meta/p_mla_apa_research_citation/2/0/0/8/6/p20086
7_index.html
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http://girardianlectionary.net/res/durkheim_1-iv.htm
http://www.spiritualitytoday.org/spir2day/91431fatula.html
oral Letter of CBCP
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Volume I Issue 1
January 2014
De La Salle Lipa
ISSN
ECONOMICALLY IMPORTANT PLANTS OF
MT. MALEPUNYO, LIPA CITY,
PHILIPPINES
Bernardo C. Lunar
colonelc4b@yahoo.com
ABSTRACT
This research identified the economically important plants of Mt.
Malepunyo. Employing the descriptive research design, questionnaires were
distributed to a total of 150 local residents of Barangay Sto. Nino and Talisay.
Personal interviews were also done to ascertain how the local people use these
plant species in their area. Economic plants mentioned by respondents were
categorized into food, medicine, timber and ornamentals. A total of 99 species
belonging to 45 families were mentioned by the respondents as economically
important plants. Among the 99 species mentioned, 67 plant species or 67.68%
were categorized as food, 57 species or 57.58% were used as medicinal, 10 species
or 10.10% were classified as ornamental species, and 8 species or 8.08% were
regarded as timber species. Fabaceae was the most represented family, with 10
species consumed as food medication, or used as ornament or timber. The second
most represented families were Lamiaceae and Cucurbitaceae with 7 species each
being used as food, medicinal or ornamental plants. Mangifera indica and Cocos
nucifera were plants identified by the local communities having multiple uses such
as food, medicine, timber and firewood.
Keywords: Resource utilization, economically- important plants, Mt. Malepunyo
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Economically Important Plants of Mt.
Malepunyo, Lipa City, Philippines ●
Bernardo C. Lunar
101
1.0 INTRODUCTION
Mount Malarayat, noted to be the largest forest reserve in the Batangas
province, provides environmental services including watershed, carbon
sequestration, landscape beauty, and biodiversity conservation. It is the primary
source of the water requirements of Lipa City and the low lying neighboring
towns. It still hosts a variety of native plants and animals that are endemic to the
Philippines and some to Luzon. Its vastness gives rise to three destinations: the
highest peak of Mt. Malepunyo, Mt. Susong-Dalaga, and Manabu Peak.
Mt. Malepunyo, which is a part of the Malarayat ranges, is located in the
west side of Lipa City, Batangas province. It has an elevation of about 963 meters
above sea level. The mountain also serves as watershed to Lipa City and its
neighboring towns such as Malvar and Tanauan. It is considered to be a secondary
forest primarily because of current and potential threats and anthropogenic
disturbances to it. These include presence of invasive species, impacts of
unregulated tourism activities, small scale timber poaching, hunting and land
conversion. Clearing of some vegetation in favor of the Coffee sp. was also
reported alarming.
Looking into the interface between people and their forests offers clues
needed for rural development. It provides basis for sustainable yields of forest
products (Focho et al., 2009). FAO (1995) recognized the role of forest trees and
identified the links between forestry and food security such as environment,
production, and socio-economic linkages which are interrelated.
Realizing the need for conservation of forest resources of the mountain, De
La Salle Lipa, has been actively participating to the many initiatives done to
conserve and manage Mt. Malarayat. This study was done to create a baseline data
on its plant resources. This study presents preliminary information on the
important plants and how they are used by the local community.
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1.1
Statement of the Problem
The general objective of the study is to identify the economically important
plants and their uses as specified by the respondents. Specifically, the study aims
to answer the following questions:
1. What are the plant resources being utilized by the respondents?
2.1food
2.2 medicinal
2.3 ornamental
2.4 timber
2. What is the socio-economic profile of the respondents?
1.1 age
1.2 gender
1.3 religion
1.4 marital status
1.5 educational attainment
1.6 employment status
1.2
Significance of the Study
The study is deemed important to the local community. This will serve as
educational material and can be of use in long-term resource monitoring for the
whole community. Especially on the plants being used for timber, this will
disseminate appropriate interventions on conservation strategies for management
plant resources. Information on this will promote basic and applied researches
both in biological and social fields and would pave the way to designing ways to
safeguard the plant species in the area.
1.3
Related Literature and Studies
Mount Malarayat
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Mount Malarayat was declared as forest reserve by virtue of Proclamation
158 on April 7, 1928 hectares in line with section six of the Public Land Act. On
September 4, 1935 the declaration of Mount Malarayat forest reserve was revoked
by virtue of Proclamation 842 in line with section 18 and 26 of the Revised
Administrative Code. The proclamation placed the management of Mount
Malarayat to the Bureau of Forestry to protect the watershed and the mountain in
accordance with the Forest Law and Regulations
It is one of the major features of the Southern Tagalog landscape, which also
includes Mt. Makiling, the Mt. Banahaw complex, and Mt. Maculot. This
mountain is cool, forested, and verdant for the most part, even the summit. Other
areas are grassy, like those near Manabu Peak.
Mountain trekkers frequently visit its three peaks: the highest peak of Mt.
Malepunyo, Mt. Susong-Dalaga, and Manabu Peak. These three are interconnected
through a separate itinerary exists for two hour trek to Manabu Peak. The
customary trip is a traverse from Barangay Talisay in Lipa City to Barangay.
Atisan in San Pablo City. It will take 3-4 hour climb, to reach its peak, passing by
woodlands and forested areas. There is a water source after an hour ascent, there
after the trek will be steep but there are plenty of small trees to hold on to. The 4-5
hour descent north to San Pablo City involves the same trail for the first half, and
then branch off to San Pablo after a grassy area (Lunar and Arcega, 2011).
Socio- political Dynamics
Barangay Talisay has a population of 4,143 composed of 1,025 families and
739 households (Barangay Annual Report, 2009). On the other hand, Barangay
Santo Niño has a population of 2,425. Major livelihoods of the local communities
of Barangays Talisay and Sto Niño were fruit and plantation crops farming,
livestock, nursery gardening, and bee culture.
The Barangay Councils of Talisay and Santo Niño have several ordinances
and resolutions with regard to environmental conservation and solid waste
management. Some of the policies are about logging ban, anti bio-piracy
(poaching), and practice of proper waste disposal. Environmental ordinances were
focused on conservation of Mount Malarayat, as most tourists especially mountain
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Bernardo C. Lunar
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hikers visit the area for leisure, and there are plans to develop it as an eco-tourism
site (Palao et al., 2010).
Related Studies
The PUSOD, Inc., an environmental non-government organization based in
Lipa City and member of Lipa Head Waters Council, (LHWC) conducted a
research expedition on Malarayat Watershed Reserve to identify the vulnerabilities
of the said ecosystem and its dependent communities to climate change. The
project, which was supported by the Philippine Tropical Forest Conservation
Foundation (PTFCF), consisted of a biodiversity survey/assessment of existing
flora and fauna, in particular to mammals, birds, herps and flowering plants. This
rapid assessment of biodiversity recorded 16 species of mammals; 63 species of
birds; 35 species of herps; and 122 plant species recorded in two study sites. A
total of 89 species surveyed are endemic and this includes 7 out of 16 mammal
species surveyed in the area; 35 out of 63 species of birds; 24 out of 35 species of
herpetofauna; and 23 out of 122 plant species.
In a study entitled ―Vegetation Analysis of Angiosperm Flowering Plants at
the Watershed of Mt. Malipunyo (Bulos, A.M. and Paluay, R., 2009), there were
82 species, 61 genera, and 39 families of angiosperm flowering plants found in
these three sites. The top 5 species with the highest overall importance value are
Setaria palmifolia, Premna integrifolia, Kulutong, Ficus septica, and Colocasia
esculenta. The species with the highest overall importance value was Setaria
palmifolia (19.5338), although Fabaceae dominates the watershed areas if the
family is considered. Using Shannon-Weiner Index, Ilog Sala showed to have a
greater diversity (3.57) than both Ilog Butas (3.23) and Ilog Banaba (3.13) despite
having the lowest total number of plant species.
Another botanical expedition by Lunar and Arcega (2011) on Mt. MalarayatMalepunyo recorded a total of at least 104 species under 60 families; of which 46
species are indigenous or native to the Philippines; 27 species are introduced; 23
species endemic to Mt. Malarayat; while 9 species were unidentified. Eleven (11)
are found to be threatened species included in the conservation priority areas.
Analysis of data indicated that for the overstorey, of the seventy-one (70) species
Coffea sp. had the highest density with 52 individuals comprising the comprised
13.08 % of the total density of 428 trees and subsequently the highest relative
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frequency of 6%. Diversity index for overstorey showed a value of 3.48 which
indicates that it is relatively diverse. For the understory, there was a total of (34)
undergrowth plant species belonging to (31) families recorded. This can be broken
down into (4) ferns, (5) herbs, (14) shrubs, and (11) vines.
An ethnobotanical investigation by Sher et al. (2008), investigated some
multipurpose fruit tree plants in three important sites of District Swat of Pakistan,
aimed at identifying the plants growing in the area and collecting information on
their uses by the local people. The methodology was largely based on the
‗sustainable livelihood framework‘, which is based on the premise is about people
and their lives.
A study on the plant resource utilization at Mt. Maculot (Arsenio, J. et.al,
2007) assessed the socio economic status of the local community and identified the
economic uses the plant resources of the mountain. Findings showed that the
economic plants were categorized under food (64.21%), medicine (47.37), timber
(3.16%), firewood (2.10%), handicraft (1.05%) and ornamentals (13.68%).
Mangifera indica and Cocos nucifera were plants identified by the local
communities having multiple uses such as food, medicine, timber and firewood.
The socio-cultural practices and beliefs of tenured migrants and their impact
on Mts. Palay-palay Mataas-na-Gulod were studied by Salibay, C. et.al (2009).
This study found out that the natural resources of the forest were sufficient for
them as sources of food, medicine, timber and other needs for survival. Their other
socio-cultural activities and practices were also dependent on the natural resources
of the forest.
Synthesis
The reconnaissance focused on the following themes: Mount Malarayat
Ranges and Mt Malepunyo and the communities in its base. Related studies dealt
with the botanical expeditions on the forest and on the related surveys pertaining to
plant resources utilization and socio-cultural profile and practices of communities
inhabiting areas around some mountain ranges.
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1.4
Scope and Limitations
This research focused identifying the economically important plants and
their uses as claimed by the respondents. Likewise, it surveyed the socio-economic
profile of the respondents. Survey was done from November 2011- January 2012.
Socio-cultural practices and beliefs related to the forest and its resources were not
covered by this study.
Operational Framework
Identification of Study Sites
Selection of Respondents
Survey and Interview
Analysis of Data
Output: List of Economically important Plants
Figure 1. Research Simulacrum
2.0 METHOD
2.1 Research Design
Two villages found at the base of Mt Malepunyo serve as points of entry to
its peak namely: Sto. Nino and Talisay were selected as study sites. Majority of the
farmers that work on the mountain come from these two villages. The field study
employed the descriptive method to identify the economically important botanical
species used by the respondents.
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Tools and Data Gathering Procedure
Using a researcher- made survey questionnaire, this study identified the
economically- important plants and their uses. The first part of the questionnaire
included socio-economic information about the respondents, and the second part
pertained to the uses of the plant species as mentioned by the local community.
The survey instrument made the respondents enumerate plants they get from the
mountain and used as food, timber and non-timber forest products used as
ornamentals and medicinal. Informal interviews with the respondents were done to
validate their answers to the survey. Responses were then tallied and data gathered
were tabulated. Ranking and percentages were used in quantifying the findings.
Being a follow up study on the plant resources of Mt. Malarayat (Lunar and
Arcega, 2011), the identification and verification of the plant species mentioned by
the respondents were based on the existing list of plants identified in the mountain.
2.2 Research Locale and Respondents
Employing the purposive sampling design, the respondents consisted of one
hundred fifty (150) individuals, 75 respondents from each barangay. The
respondents were chosen based on the criterion set that they should come from a
household with a member or members involved in the activities concerning the
mountain, either in its conservation and protection, or as resource user, or a farmer.
The first group of respondents includes the residents of Barangay Talisay
which has an area of 1,417.64 hectares with an elevation of 800 feet (above mean
sea level) and a distance of 8 kilometers from Poblacion of Lipa City. The other
group included the residents of Barangay Sto. Nino (Lipa City, 2010). It has an
area of 825.04 hectares with an elevation of 950 feet (above mean sea level),
bounded in the north by Barangay Talisay, and a distance of 6 kilometers from
Poblacion of Lipa (Lipa City, 2010).
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Figure 2. Philippine Map and landscape view of Lipa City showing Mt.
Malepunyo
Figure 3. The Mt. Malepunyo with Brgy. Talisay and Sto.Nino at its base.
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Bernardo C. Lunar
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Source: Ella, V. B. 2010. Hydrologic Assessment within Mt Malarayat
Subwatershed
3.0 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
Utilization of Plants
As cited by Ella (2010), the two villages namely Sto. Nino and Talisay, are
highly disturbed lowland forests. Their vegetation was a mix of residual and early
second growth trees mostly comprised of small to medium sized trees with a
diameter-at breast height of between 0.15 and 0.60 meters. Canopy height was low
with emergent trees standing around an average of 15 meters.
According to Lunar and Arcega (2011) the forest formation in Mt.
Malepunyo is disturbed by natural catastrophic occurrences and anthropogenic
inputs. Most of the species succeed after natural or man-made activities causing
gaps and therefore interrupt the usual forest formation processes. Introduction of
exotics like Swietenia macrophylla might have negative impacts to the native flora.
Looking on how these plant resources are being used, a total of 99 species
belonging to 45 families were mentioned by the respondents as economically
important plants. Among the 99 species mentioned, 67 plant species or 67.68%
were categorized as food, 57 species or 57.58% were used as medicinal, 10 species
or 10.10% were classified as ornamental species, and 8 species or 8.08% were
regarded as timber species.
With the number of different species mentioned by the local people of Mt.
Malepunyo, food and medicine have been identified as the most valued
economically. Other species mentioned are used as timber, firewood and
construction wood and ornamental plants. Most species mentioned are common
and are harvested from the mountain and are planted in their backyards. Some of
them generated their income from the crops produced in their farms located in the
different elevations of the mountain.
Plants Used as Food
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110
As listed on Table 1 below, a total of 67 plant species belonging to 34
families were mentioned by the respondents as plants used as sources of food and
beverage. Among the food sources are fruits, vegetables, root crops, grains and
spices.
Fabaceae was the most represented family as food source with 7 species
including different beans, root crop and fruit. This was followed by Cucurbitaceae
family with 6 species of vegetables. Solanaceae and Myrtaceae were the third most
represented families, each with 4 species of fruits and vegetables.
There were only 2 species mentioned belonging to Poaceae namely Oryza
sativa and Zea mays, but this family was regarded as the most important family by
the respondents. Fabaceae ranked second in terms of perceived importance. It
supports the FNRI data from 1978 to 1993 that rice occupies a central role in the
Filipino diet indicating that rice accounts for about 35 percent of the total food
intake, and about 85 percent of all cereals consumed. Corn represents 10 percent
of all cereals consumed, while other cereal products such as bread and noodles,
account for the remaining 5 percent (Aguilar, 2005).
Table 1. List of Plants Used as Food
FAMILY NAMES
Alliaceae
Anacardiaceae
Annonaceae
Annonaceae
Arecaceae
Arecaceae
Arecaceae
Brassicaceae
Brassicaceae
Bromeliaceae
Caricaceae7
Convolulaceae
Cucurbitaceae
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SPECIES
Allium cepa
Mangifera indica
Annona squamosa
Annona muricata
Colocasia esculenta
Arenga pinnata
Cocos nucifera
Brassica juncea
Brassica chinensis
Ananas comosus
Carica papaya
Ipomoea batatas
Momordica charantia
LOCAL NAMES
Sibuyas
Mangga
Atis
Guyabano
Gabi
Kaong
Niyog
Mustasa
Petchay
Pinya
Papaya
Kamoteng bagin
Ampalaya
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Cucurbitaceae
Cucurbita maxima
Kalabasa
Cucurbitaceae
Cucurbitaceae
Cucurbitaceae
Cucurbitaceae
Dioscoreaceae
Euphorbiaceae
Euphorbiaceae
Fabaceae
Fabaceae
Fabaceae
Fabaceae
Fabaceae
Fabaceae
Fabaceae
Gnetaceae
Lauraceae
Lauraceae
Leguminosae
Leguminosae
Malvaceae
Meliaceae
Moraceae
Moraceae
Luffa acutangala
Cucumus sativus
Sechium edule
Lagenaria siceraria
Dioscorea alata
Manihot esculenta
Antidesma bunius
Dolichos lablab
Cajanus cajan
Glycine max
Vigna sesquipedalis
Vigna radiata
Tamarindus indica
Pachyrrhizus erosus
Gnetum gnemon
Persea americana
Cinnamomum sp.
Arachis hypogaea
Vigna unguiculata
Abelmoschus esculentus
Sandoricum koetjape
Broussonetia luzonica
Artocarpus
heterophyllus
Artocarpus
odoratissimus
Moringa oleifera
Musa sapientum
Muntingia calabura
Syzygium malaccensis
Syzygium cuminii
Psidium guajava
Averrhoa bilimbi
Auerrhoa carambola
Pandanus amaryllifolius
Patola
Pipino
Sayote
Upo
Ube
Kamoteng kahoy
Bignay
Patani
Kadyos
Utaw
Kibal
Monggo
Sampalok
Singkamas
Bago
Avocado
Laurel
Mani
Sitaw
Okra
Santol
Himbabao
Langka
Moraceae
Moringaceae
Musaceae
Myrtaceae
Myrtaceae
Myrtaceae
Myrtaceae
Oxalidaceae
Oxalidaceae
Pandanaceae
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Marang
Malunggay
Saging
Cherry
Makopa
Duhat
Bayabas
Kalamias
Balimbing
Pandan
Bernardo C. Lunar
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Piperaceae
Poaceae
Poaceae
Punicaceae
Rubiaceae
Rutaceae
Rutaceae
Rutaceae
Sapindaceae
Sapindaceae
Sapotaceae
Sapotaceae
Solanaceae
Solanaceae
Solanaceae
Solanaceae
Sterculiaceae
Tiliaceae
Zingiberaceae
Zingiberaceae
Piper nigrum
Zea mays
Oryza sativa
Punica granatum
Coffea sp.
Citrus microcarpa
Citrus grandis
Citrus reticulata
Lansium domesticum
Nephelium lappaceum
Manilkara zapota
Chrysophyllum cainito
Lycopersicon esculentum
Capsicum annuum
Solanum melongena
Solanum nigrum
Theobroma cacao
Muntingia calabura
Zingiber officinale
Curcuma domestica
Paminta
Mais
Palay
Granada
Kape
Kalamansi
Lukban
Sinturis
Lansones
Rambutan
Chico
Kaimito
Kamatis
Sili
Talong
Unti
Kakaw
Aratiles
Luya
Luyang dilaw
Consumption of the above mentioned plants as sources of food help the
respondents fulfill the needs of proteins, carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals
required by the human body to maintain homeostasis and its optimum function.
Plants Used as Medicine
Table 2 below shows the list of a total of 57 plant species belonging to 32
families mentioned by the respondents belonging to medicinal plants. Among the
sources are trees, shrubs and herbs. Lamiaceae was the most represented family
with 7 species. This is followed by Fabaceae family with 5 species and
Cucurbitaceae with 4 species.
Though Asteraceae ranked fourth, together with Euphorbiaceae, Rutaceae
and Solanaceae, all with 3 species each, it is where the species which was regarded
by the respondents as most versatile belong, the Blumea balsamifera. They
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claimed that its leaves, even fresh or when boiled, can cure various common
diseases and disorders like fever, stomachache, relapses, malaise, cough and it
promotes wound healing. Ranking next to it were Vitex negundo, Plectranthus
amboinicus, Lagerstroemia speciosa, Mentha x. cordifolia and Cucurma
domestica.
Table 2. List of Plants Used as Medicine
FAMILY NAMES
Alliaceae
Amaryllidaceae
Anacardiaceae
Annonaceae
Annonaceae
Annonaceae
Apocynaceae
Arecaceae
Asteraceae
Asteraceae
Asteraceae
Caricaceae
Crassulaceae
Cucurbitaceae
Cucurbitaceae
Cucurbitaceae
Cucurbitaceae
Euphorbiaceae
Euphorbiaceae
Euphorbiaceae
Fabaceae
Fabaceae
Fabaceae
Fabaceae
Fabaceae
Lamiaceae
Lamiaceae
Lamiaceae
Lamiaceae
Lamiaceae
Lamiaceae
Liliaceae
Lythraceae
Malvaceae
Menispermaceae
Menispermaceae
SPECIES
Allium cepa
Crinum zeylanicum
Mangifera indica
Annona squamosa
Annona relitulata
Annona muricata
Alstonia scholaris
Cocos nucifera
Blumea balsamifera
Artemesia vulgaris
Chrysanthemum indicum
Carica papaya
Kalanchoe pinnata
Momordica charantia
Cucurbita maxima
Luffa acutangala
Cucumus sativus
Antidesma bunius
Euphorbia neriifolia
Jathropa curcas
Caesalpinia pulcherrima
Entada phaseoloides
Gliricidia septum
Vigna radiate
Pachyrrhizus erosus
Mentha x. cordifolia
Vitex negundo
Hyptis suaveolens
Plectranthus amboinicus
Ocimum tenuiflorum
Orthosiphon aristatus
Aloe vera
Lagerstroemia speciosa
Hibiscus rosa-sinensis
Tinospora glabra
Arcangelsia flava
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LOCAL NAMES
Sibuyas
Lirio
Mangga
Atis
Anonas
Guyabano
Dita
Niyog
Sambong
Kamaria
Mansanilya
Papaya
Kataka-taka
Ampalaya
Kalabasa
Patola
Pipino
Bignay
Soro-soro
Tuba
Cabalyero
Gogo
Kakawate
Monggo
Singkamas
Herba Buena
Lagundi
Lokoloko
Oregano
Sulasi
Taheebo
Sabila
Banaba
Gumamela
Makabuhay
Katunggal
USES
cough, colds, aphrodisiac
rubifacient for rheumatism
laxative, anti-diabetes
colds, pediculicide
indigestion, antihelmintic
anti-diarrhea
anti-inflammatory, colds
anti-pyretic, cough, colds
expectorant, wound healing
cough, gas pains
laxative, cuts and rashes
anti-inflammatory
anti-diabetes
anti-inflammatory, anti-pyretic
purgative, amenorrhea
anti-diabetes
cough, anti-asthma
stomach ache
skin itchiness
diuretic, hemorrhoids
anti-diabetes, diuretic
rubifacient for body aches
expectorant, cough
skin rashes
expectorant, cough
skin rashes
anti-fungal, insect bites
sunburn, wound healing
expectorant, diuretic
anti-pyretic, rubifacient
wound healing, skin itchiness
Bernardo C. Lunar
114
Moringaceae
Musaceae20
Moringa oleifera
Musa sapientum
Malunggay
Saging
Myrtaceae
Pandanaceae
Piperaceae
Piperaceae
Punicaceae
Rubiaceae
Rutaceae
Rutaceae
Rutaceae
Sapindaceae
Sapotaceae
Solanaceae
Solanaceae
Solanaceae
Theaceae
Tiliaceae
Verbenaceae
Zingiberaceae
Zingiberaceae
Psidium guajava
Pandanus amaryllifolius
Piper nigrum
Peperomia pellucid
Punica granatum
Coffea sp.
Citrus microcarpa
Citrus grandis
Citrus reticulata
Lansium domesticum
Chryaophyllum caimito
Lycopersicon esculentum
Capsicum annuum
Solanum nigrum
Carmona retusa
Muntingia calabura
Premna odorata
Zingiber officinale
Curcuma domestica
Bayabas
Pandan
Paminta
Pansit-pasitan
Granada
Kape
Kalamansi
Lukban
Sinturis
Lansones
Kaimito
Kamatis
Sili
Unti
Tsaang gubat
Aratiles
Alagaw
Luya
Luyang dilaw
skin disorder, hypertension
dysmenorrheal, diarrhea
stomach ache, wounds
diuretic, wound healing
hypertension, diuretic
expectorant, cough
diuretic, gas pains
cough, colds, skin itchiness
anti-diabetes, colds
diarrhea, anti- pyretic
laringitis, anti-diabetes
anti-asthma
tooth ache, rubifacient
anti-inflammatory, anti-pyretic
skin itchiness, stomach ache
colds, headaches
cough, fever, colds
cough, fever, colds
Like most Filipinos, the respondents use herbal medicine as an alternative
treatment. This is possibly because of the high cost of conventional medicine in the
market. Most of the plants mentioned by the respondents are being used to treat
common colds, cough, gastrointestinal problems and associated symptoms like
fever and body pains. Methods of preparation of medicinal plants range from
decoction, maceration, direct ingestion and infusions. Different parts of the plants
are being used as source of medication like their leaves, fruits, seeds, roots, flowers
and barks. These findings show that Mt. Malepunyo is home to a wide variety of
plant species which are sources of medication.
Plants Used as Ornament
As shown on Table 3, there were a total of 10 plant species belonging to 10
different families were mentioned by the respondents as ornamental plants.
Hibiscus rosa- sinensis, was the most frequently grown ornamental plant among
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the list. This was followed by Codieaum variegatum and Jasminum sambac,
respectively.
Table 3. List of Ornamental Plants
FAMILY NAMES
Amaryllidaceae
Annonaceae
Asteraceae
Crassulaceae
Euphorbiaceae
Fabaceae
Lamiaceae
Liliaceae
Malvaceae
Oleacaceae
SPECIES
Crinum zeylanicum
Cananga odorata
Chrysanthemum
indicum
Kalanchoe pinnata
Codieaum variegatum
Caesalpinia
pulcherrima
Orthosiphon aristatus
Aloe vera
Hibiscus rosa-sinensis
Jasminum sambac
LOCAL NAMES
Lirio/Bakong
Ilang-ilang
Mansanilya
Kataka-taka
San Francisco
Cabalyero
Taheebo
Sabila
Gumamela
Sampagita
With the tropical climate of the Philippines, it is a home to a number of
unique ornamental plants and flower species. The respondents, just like typical
Filipinos are fond of maintaining gardens and they adorn their homes with fresh
cut flowers, live plants and dried ornamentals that come from the mountain.
Plants Used as Timber
Table 4 presents the list of 8 plant species belonging to 7 families mentioned
by the respondents used as timber for making houses, fences and furniture.
Moraceae was the most represented family with 2 species. Some other tree species
were used as firewood.
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Table 4. List of Plants Used as Timber
FAMILY NAMES
Anacardiaceae
Arecaceae
Fabaceae
Leguminosae
Meliaceae
Moraceae
Moraceae
Myrtaceae
SPECIES
Mangifera indica
Cocos nucifera
Gliricidia septum
Samanea saman
Swietenia macrophylla
Artocarpus
heterophyllus
Diplodiscus
paniculatus
Syzygium cumini
LOCAL NAMES
Mangga
Niyog
Kakawate
Acacia
Mahogany
Langka
Margapale
Duhat
These findings conform with the data provided by the botanical expedition
done by Lunar and Arcega (2011) that assessed the plant biodiversity of the
mountain which found out that its overstorey is composed of 67% trees, mostly
from families Moraceae, Euphorbiaceae, Lauraceae, Meliaceae and Rubiaceae.
The undergrowth layer includes shrubs (13%), vines (11%) herbs (5%) and ferns
(4%). There was a total of (34) undergrowth plant species belonging to (31)
families recorded. This can be broken down into (4) ferns, (5) herbs, (14) shrubs,
and (11) vines.
The mountain is also found to have threatened species which are endemic to
the country. Eleven species are under the International Union for the Conservation
of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) ―vulnerable‖ category. These are Ficus
ulmifolia, Celtis luzonica, Terminalia pellucida, Dillenia philippinensis, Tristania
decorticata, Cinnamomum mercadoi, Diplodiscus paniculatus, Artocarpus blancoi,
Ziziphus talanai, Litsea glutinosa, and Ficus nota. Some were declared as ―low
risk‖ which means that the species listed is not close to extinction. These species
are Alstonia macrophylla and Alstonia scholaris (Lunar and Arcega, 2011).
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Findings show that all the plant species mentioned by the respondents being
used as timber do not include those species that are in threatened and vulnerable
category. This could mean that the local people are responsible enough on the use
of timber products.
Plants with Multiple Uses
Multipurpose trees pertain to woody perennial trees that are grown to
provide more than one significant contribution to the production and or service
functions of a land use system (Chang et al., 200). When a food component is
added to these, they become multipurpose fruit tree plants (MPFTP). Beside other
functions, MPFTP serves as an important source of food.
Most of the plant species have more than one economic value owing to the
fact that most parts of the plant have economic value. Mangifera indica and Cocos
nucifera were plants identified by the local communities having multiple uses such
as food, medicine, timber and firewood. Annona squamosa, Annona muricata,
Momordica charantia, Moringa oleifera, Musa sapientum, Psidium guajava, and
Cucurma domestica were the most frequently mentioned plants which have two
uses: as food and medicine. Chrysanthemum indicum, Kalanchoe pinnata,
Orthosiphon aristatus, Aloe vera, and Hibiscus rosa-sinensis were reported to have
2 uses also: medicinal and ornamental. Syzygium cumini was regarded as a source
of both food and timber while Alstonia scholaris was used as medicine and timber.
The Socio-Economic Profile of Respondents
The two barangays have approximately 1,200 families residing along Mt.
Malepunyo. The age range of the respondents was 35-65 years old of which 106
(71%) are male respondents while 44 (29%) were females. The respondents claim
that within the locality, most of the residents are related to each other either by
consanguinity or affinity. Among the study groups, 12 (8%) families have 10
children or more while 20 (13.33 %) have children ranging from 7-9. A total of 58
(36.25%) families have children of 4-6 and 45 (30%) have 1-3 child/children, 15
(10%) have no children. Majority of the families are professed Christians
dominated by 134 Roman Catholics (89.33%). Around 48.67% (73) reached
elementary level only, while 26.67% (40) of the respondents finished high school,
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118
and only 21.33% (32) respondents were college graduates and 3.33% (5)
respondents had vocational course.
There were 20 (13.33%) respondents who are skilled workers including
carpenters, plumbers, butchers and beauticians, while 39 (10.56%) were employed
as teachers, bank tellers, cashiers, saleslady and salesmen. There were 46
respondents (30.67%) who were unemployed and were taking care of their children
and grandchildren. There were 45 or 30.00% of respondents who were selfemployed including farmers, store owners and livestock raisers. Majority of the
respondents own varying parcel of lands and have same agricultural produce for
income generation.
13.33
%
30.00%
skilled workers
26.00%
%
employed
unemployed
self-employed
30.67%
%
Fig. 4. Employment status of the respondents
According to Hornedo (1997), the economic status of the farmers in the
Philippines is generally categorized either in the marginal or poverty level. This is
likewise manifested in the local community of Mt. Malepunyo as they attributed
their failure to finish formal schooling to their financial constraints. However, the
findings also reveal that their socio-economic status of the respondents have
seemingly improved over the years as they ventured into other activities that
supplemented their income from farming.
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4.0 Summary and Conclusion
The study confirmed the findings of Palao et al. (2010), as observed and
deducted from the employment status of the resident- respondents of Barangay
Talisay and Barangay Sto. Nino, they have low direct level of dependency to Mt.
Malarayat when it comes to source of income and their livelihood. Majority of the
residents mentioned that they do not depend much on the resources of Mt.
Malarayat except but not limited to water and plant produce of agriculture based
income.
The local community residing along Mt. Malepunyo has established
dependence on the economically important plants basically for their food,
medicine, ornamental and timber use. Fabaceae was the most represented family,
with 10 species consumed as food medication, or used as ornament or timber. The
second most represented families were Lamiaceae and Cucurbitaceae with 7
species each being used as food, medicinal or ornamental plants. These plants are
of great importance in supporting the community‘s healthcare, income and
survival. There is, therefore, a need for cultivation, protection and sustainable
management of economically important plants.
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APPENDIX A
Sa mga residente:
Kaugnay ng isang pag-aaral na isinasagawa ukol sa mahahalagang halaman
ng ating Bundok Malepunyo, hiningi po ang ilang bahagi ng inyong oras upang
sagutan ang survey na ito at makapanayam tungkol sa paksa. Makakaasa po kayo
na ang mga datos na kukunin ay itatagong lihim at gagamitin lamang sa pagtataya
ayon sa nasabing pag-aaral.
.
Questionnaire
A. Demograpiko
Edad : _____
Kasarian:
Babae
Lalaki
Marital Status: ____________
Bilang ng Anak:
____________
Relihiyon: ________________
Pinag-aralan: ___________
Hanap-buhay: ____________
B. Mga mahahalagang Halamang Ginagamit
1. Mangyari po na pakipunan ang mga puwang ng mga halaman na inyong
itinatanim/ inaani/ pinipitas at ginagamit para sa kaukulang kadahilanan.
Bilang Pagkain
(prutas, gulay, pampalasa, lamang ugat,
butil)
Materyales
(konstruksyon,mwebles,
troso,panggatong)
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Bilang Halamang gamot
(dahon, bunga, balat ng puno, buto)
Bilang Ornamental
(sa hardin, bahay/ altar, pinatuyong
palamuti)
Bernardo C. Lunar
123
2. Sa mga naitala mong halaman sa itaas, alin ang pinakamahalaga para sa iyo.
Isulat sa bilang isa ang pinakamahalaga, sa bilang dalawa at tatle ang sunod
na mahalaga.
1._____________________
2._____________________ 3.
____________________
3. Punuan ang pangungusap na ito. Mahalaga ang Bundok Malepunyo para sa
akin at sa aking pamilya dahil
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________
Maraming Salamat Po!
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Bernardo C. Lunar
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APPENDIX B
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Bernardo C. Lunar
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Volume I Issue 1
January 2014
De La Salle Lipa
ISSN
REVISITING “DOMINUS IESUS”
UNITY OF TRUTH TOWARDS ECUMENICAL DIALOGUE
Michael M. Ramos
mykramos1517@gmail.com
ABSTRACT
The greatest challenge that the Catholic Church is facing in the 21 st century
is the challenge of relativistic theory characterized by religious pluralism. This
paper aims to reflect on the Catholic Church's response to that challenge in the
recent document issued by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith entitled
―Dominus Iesus: On the Unicity and Salvific Universality of Jesus Christ and the
Church‖. However, the document receives so much critique from the council of
world religions and by those within the Church because of the strong language and
vague terms that it uses: ―He who believes and is baptized will be saved; he who
does not believe will be condemned‖ (Mk 16:15-16) and it held also that other
religions ― suffer from defects.‖ The sudden change of tone at the Vatican broke
the balance of nature of the world interfaith dialogue that caused the withdrawal
of other faith communities in protest to the statement of the Catholic Church. But
after the document has been analyzed and evaluated in order to shed light to its
underpinning significance and relative purpose of the document, it shows that it
strongly opposed religious relativism because it destroys and jeopardizes the
nature and meaning of ―Truth‖ not only of the truth claimed the Catholic Church,
but likewise, the truth in each religion and such view does not do justice to the
depth and persistence of religious truth claims because with the understanding
about pluralism, it has resulted to the promotion of religious tolerance.
Keywords: Plurality of Religion, Religious Pluralism, Religious Relativism,
Inclusivism, and Inter religious dialogue
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1.0
INTRODUCTION
―The desire for God is written in the human heart, because man is created
by God and for God; and God never ceases to draw man to Himself. Only in God
will man find the truth and happiness he never stops searching for.‖1 Man lives in
a world whose populations are usually far from being homogeneous; they are said
to have pluralistic societies. Each society is composed of people who differ from
each other in appearance, ethnic backgrounds, aspects of their culture such as
language, customs and practices and ideology. As an individual embarks on a
journey in search for the truth, he discovers a variety of expressions and ways of
seeking for the meaning of life. Hence, he finds himself in a situation where there
exist significant differences of opinions among individuals. Such diversity of
opinion is nowhere more evident than in the area of religious thoughts.2 All
religious sentiments hold significantly diverse convictions; thus, resulting
sometimes to incompatible beliefs. With this issue on the diversity of truth claims
in religious system, it causes all religions to be reasonably biased against one
another because of the attempt to prove that their own religion is true. This is
because convictions and beliefs are essential values of every human life. The
resurgence of conflicting truth claims led people to an uneasy coexistence with
other belief systems, and consequently made one faith group to think that other
religions are in serious errors, and place their members in grave threat of eternal
damnation.3
Moreover, a similar pluralistic trend is encouraged by the suggestion to
consider the various religions as alternative paths to the same transcendental
finality or having many paths to the same mountain peak. The ancient religions
like Sikhism and Hinduism, do believe that despite all the different religious truth
claims, there exists one impersonal ultimate truth, the one creator of the world, the
source of all truth. Accordingly, the view that all religions are equally valid implies
that no religion is inherently better or superior to any other religions. There may be
1
Catechism of the Catholic Church, 27
John Hick, God Has Many Names (London: Macmillian, 1980), 2.
3
Truth claim refers to any concept or doctrine that says it alone is the truth and other opinions are false. Alan Race,
Christians and Religious Pluralism: Patterns in the Christian Theology of Religions (Maryknoll, New York: Orbis
Books, 1982), 23-27
2
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Toward Ecumenical Dialogue ● Michael
M. Ramos
127
differences in rituals and beliefs among various religions, but on the most
important issues, there is great similarity.4
This paper analyzed and evaluated the Church‘s document ―Dominus Iesus:
On the Unicity and Salvific Universality of Jesus Christ and the Church‖. When
the document came out and echoed its message, upholding and reaffirming the
Lordship of Christ and reiterating the main tenets of Christian faith, it resulted to
the resurgence of conflicting truth claims and catastrophe when other religions
reacted vehemently to the exclusivistic message of the document 5 Thus, it is from
this issue that behooves us to re-investigate the document to unpack the jargon that
causes the turmoil.
The approach used in this research was the literary criticism. By criticism,
the evaluation and analysis of a particular literary work can be examined from the
author's writings as a whole. Literary criticism is a critical review using a close
literary analysis of the text that attempts to identify the nature of the problem or
conflict of the document and, likewise, to give the consensus positions of critics.6
Moreso, the deconstruction method was used as a lens for re-reading the
document. The researcher analyzed the document in its language to expose its
ambiguity in order to articulate the connection between the text and the reader.7
2.0 The Document “Dominus Iesus”
The declaration ―Dominus Iesus: On the Unicity and Salvific Universality of
Jesus Christ and the Church‖ issued by the Vatican‘s Congregation for the
Doctrine of the Faith8 on August 5, 2000 stated its purpose as to ―recall to Bishops,
theologians, and all the Catholic faithful, certain indispensable elements of
Christian doctrine‖ because the gospel of Christ is being endangered by the
4
John Hick explains that Christianity is set "in a new and to some an alarming light in which there can no longer be
any a priori assumption of overall superiority."
5
Exclusivistic view is a classical medieval Christian theology that affirms the apostolic teaching that salvation,
although part of the universal plan of God, is only made available through the historical mediation of Jesus and His
Church. Ibid. #4
6
http://www.ipl.org/div/pf/entry/48496. Date Accessed: September 2, 2012
7
http://www.cla.purdue.edu/blackmon/engl360k/critical.html#poststruct. Date Acccessed: September 2, 2012
8
Founded in 1542 by Pope Paul III with the Constitution "Licet ab initio," the Congregation for the Doctrine of the
Faith (CDF) was originally called the Sacred Congregation of the Universal Inquisition as its duty was to defend the
Church from heresy. It is the oldest of the Curia's nine congregations.
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―relativistic theories‖9 and by the mentality of indifferentism and that some
principle of the Second Vatican Council are being manipulated and wrongfully
exceeded. From this assertion, an avalanche of reactions from different religious
sectors came out because it clearly shows the Catholic Church‘s position of being
exclusivistic and biased with other religions.10 However, Congregation for the
Doctrine of the Faith insists its position that the document‘s concern was primarily
to warn against inappropriate inter-religious relations, with relativism being the
major problem. According to Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, the prefect of the
Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith that time, our previous Pope Benedict
XVI, the relativist philosophy already penetrated theology, which resulted to a
false concept of religious tolerance, which in turn caused the loss and renunciation
of the issue of Truth. Such philosophical thought jeopardizes the truth of the
Catholic faith, that is, it diminishes the uniqueness of the revelation of Jesus
Christ.11 This sudden change of tone at the Vatican broke the balance of nature of
the world interfaith diplomacy that caused the withdrawal of other faith
communities in protest to the statement of the Catholic Church. The root of the
trouble is focused on the document‘s severe language that is consequently
exaggerated or misconstrued in its claim on religious relativism. As the
declarations states;
―The roots of these problems are to be found in certain presuppositions
of both a philosophical and theological nature, which hinder the understanding
and acceptance of the revealed truth. Some of these can be mentioned: the
conviction of the elusiveness and inexpressibility of divine truth, even by
Christian revelation; relativistic attitudes toward truth itself, according to
which what is true for some would not be true for others; the radical opposition
posited between the logical mentality of the West and the symbolic mentality of
the East; the subjectivism which, by regarding reason as the only source of
knowledge, becomes incapable of raising its ―gaze to the heights, not daring to
rise to the truth of being…‖ 12
9
The declaration ―Dominus Iesus: On the Unicity and Salvific Universality of Jesus Christ and the Church‖
(Vatican‘s Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith9 on August 5, 2000), #3
10
Edmund Chia Kee-Fook, Towards a Theology of Dialogue: Schillebeekx’s Method as Bridge Between Vatican’s
Dominus Iesus and Asia’s FABC Theology (Doctoral Thesis, November 19, 2003), 25-26
11
Religion in the News: Fall 2000, Vol.3,No. 3.
12
Ibid. #4
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3.0 On Religious Relativism
Conceivably, the document is a comment on John Hick‘s theory of
pluralism, which became a basic philosophy of the ecumenical council of the world
religions that regards all religions to be equal. This philosophical view is called
Religious pluralism, which upholds the principles that all religions have one
inmost core and one symbolic expression of Truth. John Hick developed this
pluralistic hypothesis to explain the theories set forth by the ancients like: Al
Farabi, a Turkish Muslim theologian-philosopher (870- 950), who became one of
the first Muslim critics of the doctrines of Plato and Aristotle and affirmed the
primacy of philosophical truth over religion. Accordingly, all philosophical truths
for him are universal; this also includes the truth in every religion. He
perceived the ideal of a universal truth of which all the other existing truth would
be symbolic expression of one truth. Hence, the various religious truth claims
pertain only to one and only truth.13 Consequently this view that all religions are
equally valid implies that no religion is inherently better or superior to any other
religions. There may be differences in rituals and beliefs among various religions,
but on the most important issues, there is great similarity. 14
The ancient beliefs on the plurality of religion were understood as the
―different human responses to one divine Reality.‖15 Following the principle of
anthropology, which is recognizing the significant differences in every society, the
hypothesis means that all religions are culturally conditioned.16 John Hick in
describing this phenomenon used the old Indian tale. The parable represents the
major religions of the world wherein each has an experience of the same reality
without realizing that the reality being experienced is a unity of many parts, that is,
a unity that they could not grasp in their ignorance. According to the pattern
suggested by this parable, it is often said that world religions form a unity, and
13
Al-Farabi thought that Islam was close to the true religion of philosophical insight and eternal wisdom, but he
admitted that there were others. He refused, however, to name them, for he wanted his point to be understood and
avoided engaging in sectarian squabbles. Furthermore, Al-Farabi asserted also that the ―true‖ Religion is nothing
other than the highest philosophy, conceived by every individual who has perfected his humanity. Al Farabi, The
Book of Religion, in lectures of Dr Peter Adamson on Arabic Philosophy
14
John Hick explains that Christianity is set "in a new and to some an alarming light in which there can no longer
be any a priori assumption of overall superiority."
15
John Hick, God Has Many Names (London: Macmillian, 1980), 2. Hick describes his spiritual pilgrimage in some
detail in the introduction to this work. p. 5
16
John Hick, An Interpretation of Religion (New Haven, Conn.: Yale University Press, 1989). p. 117-134
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only this unity provides the right perspective on ultimate truth.17 Hick‘s position in
this matter is so representative of a theological pluralism understood in the radical
sense because it advocates a ―Copernican Revolution.‖ This revolutionary
movement in the context of pluralism is the acknowledgement that the center of all
religious traditions revolves around God. This suggests that there is only one
source of ―Truth,‖18 which means the only surviving theology of religions will now
be that of theocentric pluralism, that accounts for all the phenomena, transcending
any religious claim to a privileged.19
Such attitude and perspective becomes the key element in the increase of
popular pluralistic claims about religions, that all beliefs of many religions are
equally valid expressions of faith, expressions that adherents of religion should be
allowed or even encouraged to maintain and that religious believers of all faiths
should identify and focus on what these religions have in common. These seem
reasonable to believe that widespread acceptance of the validity of diverse
religious perspectives and increased focus on the commonalities in diverse
religions well resulted in more peaceful, mutually beneficial interaction among
followers of diverse religions.20 Hence, people from different religions favor the
work of John Hick and presume that by this pluralistic hypothesis of John Hick it
answers the question of plurality of religions by concluding that all religions are
manifestations of the same ultimate reality. Likewise, it also promotes a mutually
beneficial interaction among followers of diverse religions.
4.0 Inter-religious Dialogue
From the outlook, John Hick‘s work contributes to the promotion of
ecumenical unity among different religions. And conceivably, Hick‘s work help to
shape the Catholic Church‘s concrete attitude and approach in relating with other
religious traditions, this is when the Church recognizes the mystery of salvation of
17
John Hick, Faith and Knowledge (Ithaca, N.Y.: Cornell University Press, 1957), 67-72; Hick, God Has Many
Names (Philadelphia: Westminster Press, 1980); Hick, A Christian Theology of Religions: The Rainbow of Faiths
(Louisville: Westminster John Knox, 1995) and S. Radhakrishnan, Eastern Religions and Western Thought (Oxford:
Clarendon, 1939) pp.34-38
18
Inclusivism Christology refers to the single universal and constitutive mediation of Jesus Christ. Jacques Dupuis,
S.J., Christianity and the Religions. Orbis Books (Maryknoll, Hew York 2000), p. 77
19
It is a revolution that specifically consist of a shift in paradigm from Inclusivism (Christocentric) to Pluralism
(Theocentric). Copernican revolution is derived from Capernicus, who made the theory that earth resolves around
the sun. Ibid. 78-79
20
http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/religious-pluralism/ Date Accessed: May 25, 2012
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God outside of her. As a result, the Church made her effort to promote ecumenical
unity with other religions, which gradually give way to the promotion of interreligious dialogue.21 The promotion of ecumenical unity produces a great impact to
the world that despite the complexity and diversity of religions, the Church still
manages to build a bridge of unity that the world religions recognized it as one of
her big mission achievements. The phenomenon of plurality of religions has finally
resolved its conflict when the Church put greater emphasize on dialogue and
calling each religion to dialogue with others. Accordingly, this movement started
during the incumbent of Pope Paul VI, who wrote an encyclical letter entitled
―Ecclesiam Suam‖22 that gives importance on inter-religious dialogue. But, it was
the document ―Nostra Aetate‖ (Declaration on the Relationship of the Church to
Non-Christian religions) that sets the stage for the beginning of genuine interreligious dialogue. Though the document is short, containing merely five articles, it
has significantly transformed the manner in which the Church relates with people
of other religions. Hence, the term ―inter-religious dialogue‖ was used to pertain to
a positive interaction between people of diverse religious belief systems23 and the
purpose of this dialogue, as being underscored in the ―Nostra Aetate‖ which is for
―promoting unity and love among men, indeed among nations, she considers above
all in this declaration what men have in common and what draws them to
fellowship.‖ Thus, this aim of deriving a common ground in belief through a
concentration on similarities between faiths, understanding of values, and
commitment to the world is the first step of the Catholic Church towards building
bridges with other religions. In this sense, ―The Church through dialogue and
collaboration with the followers of other religions, carried out with prudence and
love and in witness to the Christian faith and life, they recognize, preserve and
promote the good things, spiritual and moral, as well as the socio-cultural values
found among these men‖.
21
Inter-Religious Dialogue is an attempt to relate to the rest of the world in a meaningful and relevant way at the
level of inter-personal relationships and spiritual communion. Etymologically the word religion is derived from the
Latin word ―religare‖ meaning to bind. In a way the concept itself underlines the broader understanding of religion
itself, which when etymologically interpreted would mean the bond or the relationship that exists among the
believers. If the nature of religion is to bind together the believers of a particular community of faith, then interreligious dialogue in the wider sense strives to unite the believers of all religions in the common bond of human
brotherhood and universal peace. http://cccaprf.wordpress.com/2011/02/05/the-dynamics-of-interreligious-dialoguetowards-intellectual-formation-india-experience/ Date Accessed: August 9, 2011
22
Pope Paul VI, Ecclesiam Suam.
23
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interfaith_dialog. Date Accessed: Januray 14, 2012
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This process of dialogue between the Christian faith and other religious
traditions aims not to unite several religions into one but to start a journey in search
of the truth. This common ground of different religions engage them to share their
faith experience because each religion carries within them the echo of thousands of
years of searching for God, and simultaneously, this form of dialogue promotes
unity, that is, directed toward the ―mystery of unity‖ from which ―follows that all
men and women who are saved share, though differently, in the same mystery of
salvation in Jesus Christ through his Spirit.‖ 24 The same thought was shared by
the Dogmatic Constitution Lumen Gentium when it stated that the ―Church
subsists in the Catholic Church.‖25 Fundamentally, this statement explains that
non-catholics are also members of the Mystical Body and not merely ordered to it.
In fact Pius XII, in Mystici Corporis, teaches that the unique Church of Christ is
(est) the Catholic Church.26 Lumen Gentium, on the other hand, changes the ―est‖
to ―subsistit‖ because it no longer identifies (est) the Church of Christ with the
Catholic Church. This is to say that the Church founded by Christ exists in the
Catholic Church, without excluding the other ―separated churches.‖27 This new
perspective of the Church went from an attitude, which was predominantly
apologetic, and negative to one which were less defensive and tending towards the
positive. It is a change of perspective that recognizes the possibility of salvation of
other religious traditions28 and rejects nothing, which is true and holy in other
religions.29
5.0 The Dominus Iesus on Religious Pluralism
But the long years of ecumenical relationship of various religions started to
collapse when the document Dominus Iesus critizes such claim of religious
pluralism and condemns that it does not answer the main conflict rather it remains
within the shadow of problematic stance, because the hypothesis suggests that the
truth is as if packaged tightly in multiple traditions. If this is the case, all religious
traditions are constituted by partial and fallible human ways of relating to ―God‖
24
Declaration ― DOMINUS IESUS‖ on the unicity and salvific universality of Jesus Christ and the Chruch, 2000.
Henceforth cited as ― DOMINUS IESUS‖
25
Lument Gentium 8
26
Pius XII, Mystici Corporis.
27
Lument Gentium,
28
Edmund Chia Kee-Fook, Towards A Theology of Dialogue: Schillebeeckx’s Method as Bridge between Vatican’s
Dominus Iesus and Asia’s FABC (Theology. 2003), 38
29
Nostra Aetate, 2
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because the question of truth has to be posed as an empirical issue, which is to be
settled by examination of the facts.30 If there is such a thing as religious ―truth,‖ it
is purely private affair and this means truth for each religion might be true, but to
another a lie.31 When these complex individuals in different geographic centers
inter-associate in their religious experience, each group develops a different social
understanding of their religious experience. These characteristics of human nature
make diversity and conflict inevitable in all religious relationships. Since religion
deals with the central values in human experience, religious conflict is charged
with great importance and emotion.32 This raises now the question: How can all
religions be manifestations of the same ultimate reality when they contradict one
another?
In this regard, the context where there is no truth but only truths, all religious
affirmations is exclusive and relative claims. As each religion makes its own
distinctive truth-claims - claims that logically rival those of all other religions, is it
possible to reconcile these various truths? They are contraries of one another. Yet,
if this is so, at most only one religion can be wholly true, and all of the others must
contain beliefs that are false. Indeed, the question arises as to whether it is possible
that all are false. It is not possible either that there is any probability that all
religious claims are false. Under the law of non-contradiction, if two statements
about one particular issue contradict each other, then, only one of them is true, or
they are both false. They cannot both be true in the same sense and at the same
time. Hence, truth, by definition, is exclusive,33 and if truth is something
―exclusive,‖ what religion, then, is telling the truth? We understand how every
religion formulates competitive claims to truth and makes strong assertions
concerning God and his relation to the world and comes with the claim of being
true. This situation opens every religion to a new problem - the plurality of truth.
With this new situation, many scholars saw the necessity of studying this issue,
primarily for the purpose of understanding what is of the ultimate importance in
any religion, which is about the ―truth.‖ The attempt to think ―ecumenically‖ about
the plurality of religions fails to solve the problem of truth in religion. If one agrees
with John Hick‘s pluralistic hypothesis that all religions are having many paths to
30
Hick, John, and Paul L. Knitter, eds., The myth of Christian uniqueness (Maryknoll: Orbis Books, 1987), p. 27
John Hick edit. Truth and Dialogue in World Religion: Conflicting Truth-Claims (The Westminster Press,
Philadelphia 1974), p. 11- 13
32
http://urantiabook.org/archive/conftalk/religious_conflict.htm. Date Accessed: May 27, 2012
33
http://www.faithfacts.org/search-for-truth/questions-of-christians/arent-all-religions-the-same. Date Accessed:
June 5, 2012
31
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the same truth, one fails to define truth correctly and allows oneself to use the word
―truth‖ equivocally. It is only in taking religious truths for ―analogical‖ or
―metaphoric‖ truths that it makes sense to speak of a pluralism of religious truths.
If religion is true in the logical and factual sense, there can be one religious truth
and not multiple truths. Otherwise, our hunger for ultimate truth could not be
justified and all religions would be nothing but human fantasy. Therefore, the
critique made by the document Dominus Iesus on religious relativism characterized
by a religious pluralism, which leads to the belief that one religion is as good as
another, not only de facto but also de iure,34 is a theory that is being condemned
because it jeopardizes the truth of the Catholic faith, that is, it diminishes the
uniqueness of the revelation of Jesus Christ.
6.0 Ecumenical Reaction on Dominus Iesus’ Inclusivism
After the Vatican published the document Dominus Iesus upholding and
reaffirming the Lordship of Christ, and to reiterate the main tenets of Christian
faith it resulted into a catastrophe when other religions reacted vehemently to the
inclusivistic message of the document.35. Turning to Dominus Iesus, the following
statements may be understood as the cause of the problematic and difficult
representations in the document which manifest the position of the Church with
regard to her relationship and attitude with other religions:36
1. ―He who believes and is baptized will be saved; he who does not believe will
be condemned‖ (Mk 16:15-16)…1
2. ―… relativistic theories which seek to justify religious pluralism, not only de
facto but also de iure…3‖
3. ―… the distinction between theological faith and belief in the other religions
must be firmly held‖ (the fullness and definitiveness of the Revelation of
Jesus Christ…7)
4. ―No one can enter into communion with God except through Christ, by the
working of the Holy Spirit‖ (the Incarnate Logos and the Holy Spirit in the
Work of Salvation…12)
34
Dominus Iesus, 4, 22
Exclusivistic view is a classical medieval Christian theology that affirms the apostolic teaching that salvation,
although part of the universal plan of God, is only made available through the historical mediation of Jesus and His
Church. Ibid. #4
36
Steven Leonard Jacobs, Aaron Aronov, Dominus Iesus:Why This? Why Now? (SHOFAR Winter 2004 Vol. 22,
No. 2) 16
35
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5. ―…the fulfillment of salvation that went beyond the Law…(Unicity and
Universality of the Salvific mystery of Jesus Christ…13)
6. ―…we believe they suffer from defects…17‖
7. ―…some prayers and ritual of the other religious may assume a role of
preparation for the Gospel…21‖
8. ―…it is also certain that objectively speaking they ( That is, followers of
other religions)are in a grave deficient situation…22‖
When the document Dominus Iesus asserts unequivocally those statements,
it is not surprising that such statements will be sparked with a wave of criticism
because it dichotomizes the ecumenical unity of the world religions and it sounded
like it leaves no room for other religions to exist. Because of this, the Vatican is
labeled as arrogance in her statement, which is bound to create tension in
pluralistic societies and a declaration of war on other religions seems to have taken
place. The Vatican‘s Declaration fosters unnecessary animosity and irritations that
resulted to a language of antagonism. And for those inside the Church, who
engaged in the activity of inter-religious dialogue, vehemently expressed that the
document appears insulting to them and whereby put an end to the long years of
ecumenical dialogue of the Church with other religions.37 Many Catholic
theologians tried to downplay the meaning of the document by stressing its
inclusivistic language as not to cause further turmoil to the community of world
religions, but still, the text appears much less inclusivistic on the surface rather its
substance reverts back to pre-Vatican exclusivism. Exclusivistic view is a classical
medieval Christian theology that affirms the apostolic teaching that salvation,
although part of the universal plan of God, is only made available through the
historical mediation of Jesus and His Church.38 Furthermore, Religious
exclusivism is an idea that one's own group possesses the truth as God revealed it
to them and it teaches that salvation is available only to them. It also demonstrated
an inherent drive to claims of uniqueness and universality of one‘s own religion
that such attitude consolidates a serious problem since it limits the possibility for
positive interactions among people of different religious beliefs and making
various religions appear to be irreconcilable from the perspective of belief, and this
37
Edmond Chia, The Asian Church In Dialogue With Dominus Iesus, (Dialogue and Universalism 7 No. 11-12/
2002/) 85
38
Peter Haas, Church Faith and Religious Belief: A Reading of Dominus Iesus (SHOFAR Winter 2004 Vol.22, No.
2) 19
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could result to unanimity. 39Likewise, exclusivistic view consolidates the famous
dictum ―Extra Ecclesiam Nulla Salus‖, which means ―Outside the Church there is
no salvation,‖40 formulated by Origen and applied by St.Cyprian, which became
the traditional teaching and standard position of the Catholic Church until Vatican
II.41 Once more, in her document Dominus Iesus it is being emphasized and
reasserted the definitive and complete character of the revelation of Jesus Christ, who
is the only mediator and the fullness of all God‘s revelation.42
7.0 The Relative Purpose of Dominus Iesus
Apparently, the council of world religions, even by those inside the Church,
understood the document in such perspective that it diminishes and excludes the
truth claims of other religions. But the relative purpose of the document Dominus
Iesus is not to show that Catholicism is superior with the other religions rather it
looks for the way where ecumenical unity can be possible without jeopardizing the
truth claims of each religion. It can be recalled that from the outset the concern of
the document is to ―recall to Bishops, theologians, and all the Catholic faithful,
certain indispensable elements of Christian doctrine’ because the gospel of Christ
is being endangered by the ―relativistic theories‖43 and in paragraph four of the
document, it is held that ―today relativistic theories seek to justify religious
pluralism'' not simply as a fact of history, but as a necessary and inevitable
consequence of our human situation…religious pluralism, not only de facto but
also de jure.''44
The explicit and basic thinking underlying of the Dominus Iesus is to protect
the Church‘s boundary from any threat or pollution that may be incurred in its
39
Some theologians have objected to the term "exclusivism" because of its negative connotation. They prefer the
term "particularism" within Christianity, this belief system takes two main forms: Agnostic Particularism: Salvation
is attained through belief in Christ alone as Lord and Savior. However, it may be possible for those who have not
heard of Christianity, the Gospel or Jesus Christ to avoid Hell and be saved and attain Heaven after death.
Traditional Particularism: Salvation is attained only through an explicit knowledge and faith in Christ. The vast
majority of humans even those who have never heard of Jesus will spend eternity being tortured in the Hell.
http://www.religionfacts.com/christianity/ beliefs/other_religions.htm. Date Accessed: February 21, 2012
40
Gavin D‘Costa, ―Extra Ecclesiam Nulla Salus Revisited,‖ in Religious Pluralism and Unbelief, ed. I. Hamnett.
41
Joseph H. Wong, Anonymous Christian: Karl Rahner‘s Pneuma-Christocentrism and an East-West Dialogue (
Theological Studies 55, 1994), 611. Henceforth cited as, Wong, Anonymous Christian
42
Dominus Iesus, 5
43
(Vatican‘s Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith43 on August 5, 2000), #3
44
Dominus Iesus #4
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doctrines and beliefs, which the document stipulated thereof that the gospel of
Christ is being endangered by the ―relativistic theories and by the mentality of
indifferentism.‖45 The document intends to work upon on the truth of the Catholic
faith that must be firmly believed and embraced by her members as the definitive
truth, that is, Jesus Christ is the gift from God, the definitive and complete
revelation of the mystery of salvation.
Furthermore, in the document Dominus Iesus, it can explicitly observe how
it stipulates in the idea of religious inclusivism; "Nevertheless, God, who desires
to call all peoples to himself in Christ and to communicate to them the fullness of
his revelation and love, "does not fail to make himself present in many ways, not
only to individuals, but also to entire peoples through their spiritual riches, of
which their religions are the main and essential expression even when they contain
gaps, insufficiencies and errors."46 By this statement, the document demonstrated
its negative view on other religions consider to be in the peril of error, while at the
same time acknowledging the possibility of salvation to these non-christians. Even
though, the document‘s statement is being suspected of monopolizing the truth, but
it is worth noting here that there is no tradition-respecting religious practitioner
chooses relativism, because if one does so, it would be worthless to set the venue
for any dialogue for there can be no point of dialogue from a relativistic
perspective. This will further clarify the relative purpose of the document as it
opposes the relativistic theories. It shows that the document feels compelled to
choose inclusivism, because it rejects relativism and sees no other alternative in
order to discard it.47 The religious inclusivism does not primarily hold that her own
religious truth claim is the only valid way; it primarily holds that there is only one
way to the truth and that our task is to discern for that way, thus for the Catholic
Church Jesus is the only way, the truth and the life, (Jn 4:6) and no one can come
to the Father through him. 48 By this statement it seems to imply that there is no
exception and the truth cannot be compromised in any way. Hence Dominus Iesus
is primarily a document about the doctrinal or cognitive dimension of Christianity.
45
(Vatican‘s Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith 45 on August 5, 2000), #3
46
Dominus Iesus
47
Matthew S. Lopresti, Inter-Religious Dialogue and Religious Pluralism: A Philosophical Critique of Pope
Benedict XVI and the Fall of Religious Absolutism.
48
The
distinction
that
Basinger
repeatedly
emphasizes
about
Exclusivism
and
Pluralism.
http://www.arsdisputandi.org/index.html?http://www.arsdisputandi.org/publish/articles/000107/index.html
Date
Accessed: June 26, 2012. See David Basinger. Religious diversity: A philosophical assessment
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8.0 The Biblical and Theological Foundation of Dominus Iesus
By thorough reading of the document Dominus Iesus one can understand its
position that it only resuscitates the pre-Vatican affirmation on the role of Jesus in the
economy of salvation, that is, the Vatican Declaration is citing the teaching of the
Fathers of the church or the apostolic kerygma that Christ is the Center of all
revelation and that he is the only possible way in attaining salvation. According to
this apostolic kergyma, the crucified Jesus has been resurrected by God and made
him ―both Lord and Christ‖ (Acts 2:36). The death and resurrection of Jesus opens
a new perspective of understanding to the early Christians that these events were
meant to offer salvation not only for their religious status but also to those who
belong to other religious traditions, because these events in the life of Jesus
represents the salvation effected in him by God for all of humankind. But while the
death of Jesus was an event contained within the limits of history, his resurrection
transcends history and is essentially a transcendent event, this means, having been
constituted by God ―the Christ,‖ Jesus has become ―transhistoric‖. Thus, for the
Catholic Church, Jesus is the key to understanding the mystery of Salvation for all.
This is the fundamental faith of the apostolic Church according to which Jesus is
the Mediator between God and man in the order of salvation (1 Tim 2:5). The early
community of Christians gradually begun to shape on the basis of paschal faith and
lives this relationship of salvation with God in Jesus Christ consciously and
explicitly; but they were also convinced of the saving importance of the paschal
event for all humankind.49
Although, the document draws heavily on the theology of the pre-Vatican II
but its contents are incomprehensible without the theology of Vatican II. This
simply means that the document seems to revert with the theology of pre-Vatican
II, but it certainly does not go back beyond it. The document strictly complies with
the teaching of the Vatican II and manifests its inclusivistic view that God wills all
humanity to be saved. Thus, this universality of salvation suggested by the
inclusivism can be understood based on three biblical axioms: the Universality of
God‘s Salvation, Salvation in Christ, and the necessity and mission of the Church
for Salvation. 50 One of the prominent and oft-disputed biblical axioms concerning
49
Jacques Dupuis, Trans. Philip Berryman, Christianity and the Religions (Orbis Boods. Maryknoll, New York,
2002), 31
50
Jospeh H. Wong, Anonymous Christian, 609-610
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the universality of God‘s salvific will can be found in the New Testament writings.
The biblical axiom in the letter of Paul to Timothy (1 Tim 2:4) explicitly expresses
the presupposition that God desire for all people to be saved. More so, in the
second epistle to Peter (3:9), is another example of this thread, it states: ― The Lord
is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to
repentance.‖ In view of such passages, the second biblical axiom: Salvation in
Christ, comes more clearly into center. Apart from the biblical motif of God‘s
universal salvific will, the particularity of Christ, the core of God‘s revelation, and
his reparation can be unnecessarily understood to be restrictive. However, when
merging it with the Scripture, it will certainly express that Christ is the particular
means to God‘s universal dream. More so, this God‘s salvific will through Jesus
Christ must be carried out and delivered, thus, this third biblical axiom must be
accounted for Salvation‘s necessity and mission that Daniel Strange calls the tenet
of evangelicalism. In the Great Commission, Jesus clearly commands his disciples
to spread and announce the Good News to all people and nations. For Strange, the
urgency and necessity of evangelism is due to the gravity of human sinfulness, not
the exquisiteness of union with God.51 However, this position is being criticized
and challenged by David Clark by giving emphasis on the positive urgency for
reaching the lost with the Gospel. Accordingly, this necessity and mission for
evangelism is a participation in the divine nature, being caught up together with
Christ in the triune love.52 Nevertheless, Far from merely fending off judgment or
insuring an individual against hellfire, salvation‘s urgent necessity emerges from
the exceedingly great news of God‘s love for all people demonstrated in Christ‘s
incarnation, ministry, death, resurrection, and inauguration of God‘s kingdom. As
Pinnock writes;
―It is a travesty to maintain that the primary motive of missions is to rescue
souls from hell. The purpose of the Christian missions is much broader, and its
motivations more far reaching. ... Missions are part of God’s strategy for
transforming the world and changing history. One goal of missions is quantitative,
to baptize and form congregations. The other goal is qualitative, to change life’s
atmosphere, to infect people with hope, love, and responsibility for the world…The
Gospel proclamation is not an announcement of terror, but news of God’s
boundless generosity. ...The fear of hell is not the primary motivation for missions.
51
Daniel Strange, The Possibility of Salvation Among the Unevangelized (Waynesboro, GA: Paternoster Press,
2001), 19-20.
52
David Clark, C. S. Lewis: A Guide to His Theology (Malden, MA: Blackwell, 2007), 142.
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The deepest motive of all is to see the kingdom come and God’s rule established.
Like the early Christians, we go in obedience to the Lord’s command, with a
concern for the glory of God, and in the power the Holy Spirit‖53
By these three biblical axioms it can be viewed that Christianity understands
itself as a religion that has a mission of bringing salvation to all people. As the
document Dominus Iesus states quoting the word of St. Paul; ― Preaching the
Gospel is not a reason for me to boast; it is a necessity laid on me: woe to me if I do
not preach the Gospel!‖ (1 Cor 9:16). Thus, as the document Dominus Iesus rightly
states, ―This explains the Magisterium's particular attention to giving reasons for and
supporting the evangelizing mission of the Church, above all in connection with the
religious traditions of the world.‖54 Essentially, the document‘s biblical and
theological underpinning is pointed on God's eternal plan, which is made clear in
Jesus Christ because it believes that the revelation of God in Christ is the
culmination of all revelation that took place at a specific time in history.55 This
implies that Christ is seen as the fulfillment of human history. He is the decisive
and highest revelation of God and of human existence. However, the mediation of
Christ is not constitutive for all. Salvation, always possible for all humanity even
apart from Christ, becomes normatively manifest in him. 56 As it can be recalled
from the document Lumen Gentium that the Catholic Church founded by Christ
does not exclude the other ―separated churches‖ rather she recognizes them also as
bearers of God‘s revelation. Likewise, the same idea has been reiterated by the
document Dominus Iesus;
―The hypothesis of the inspired value of the sacred writings of other religions is
also put forward. Certainly, it must be recognized that there are some elements in
these texts which may be de facto instruments by which countless people throughout
the centuries have been and still are able today to nourish and maintain their liferelationship with God. Thus, as noted above, the Second Vatican Council, in
considering the customs, precepts, and teachings of the other religions, teaches that
―although differing in many ways from her own teaching, these nevertheless often
reflect a ray of that truth which enlightens all men‖57
53
Clark Pinnock, A Wideness in God‘s Mercy (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1992), 13.
Dominus Iesus #2
55
Alister E. McGrath, ―Christianity and theWorld Religions,‖ Chapter 17 in: Christian Theology. An Introduction.
Third Edition (Blackwell Publishers, Oxford, 2001)
56
Jospeh H. Wong, Anonymous Christian, 611
57
Dominus Iesus, 8
54
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9.0 Synthesis
The assertion of the declaration on religious relativism can be viewed as a
denial that all religions are equally true. It has been mentioned before in Lumen
Gentium how the Catholic Church recognizes the truth in other religions. As each
religion is unique and singular, proper to particular faith community, it is
exclusive, universal and absolute. The Catholic Church acknowledges that this
divine revelation is not only revealed to her alone, thus, rejecting nothing that is
true and holy in other religions. Furthermore, the Church ―regards with sincere
reverence those ways of conduct and of life, those precepts and teachings which,
though differing in many aspects from the ones she holds and sets forth,
nonetheless often reflect a ray of that Truth which enlightens all men.‖58 The
recognition of the mystery of salvation in men and women of other religious
traditions shapes the concrete attitude of the Catholic Church in her approach in
inter-religious dialogue. However, the sentiment made by Dominus Iesus brought
forth an unequal treatment and antagonistic approach to other religions that led to
the withdrawal of alliance of other religions to the Catholic Church. It is from this
point I would like to review the argument of the document in order to understand
better how it interprets Christian faith in general, and the Church in particular with
regard to her relation with other religious traditions.
From the Aforementioned discussions, as what the Nostra Aetate asserted
thereof, the ―Church examines more closely her relationship to non-Christian
religions. In her task of promoting unity and love among men, indeed among
nations, she considers what men have in common and what draws them to
fellowship.‖59 With this task, the Church began to promote the culture of dialogue
where all religions will habitually gather together to explore their lives, their
differences, and to share their faith with other religions through inter-religious
dialogue. The Church sees herself as an instrument of God to be the light of the
nations by calling all people of different faith in one ecumenical gathering that
would promote ecumenical unity. This great endeavor of the Church to unite all
religions is gradually and continually progressing with her dialogue with other
religions. The success of this dialogue is greatly accounted due to the recognition
of the Catholic Church that God also reveals himself in other religions, which
58
59
Nostra Aetate, 2
Ibid. 1
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referring to religions are bounded by their own personal experiences and cultural
settings.
While, the claim of the Declaration Dominus Iesus that Jesus Christ is the
universal means of salvation, that Jesus is the incarnated word of the divine, that
the Christian revelation gives definitive access to the divine, is suspected of
threatening the brotherhood and unity of all religions must be understood in its
inclusivistic perspective as a neutral ground that the Church made in order not to
jeopardize the truth she holds. Because of the occurrence of religious pluralism that
leads to relativistic perspective, gradually penetrating the doctrines of faith and it
behooves the Church to make her defensive position. Although, the statement of
the declaration against religious relativism resulted to antagonistic approach
toward other religions, the Church stands firm on her conviction of protecting her
theology and faith. As much as we want to engage in dialogue with other religions
with openness and sincerity as possible, we cannot simply move from where we
are standing; we are always going to see, hear and understand the other religious
person from our own religious perspective and so we try to include the other in
what we hold to be true and valuable. In any discussion seeking common ground
among dissenting traditions, the person in dialogue does not have the right to
change the position of the tradition he or she represents.60 It can be recalled that the
document overtly states; ―The expository language of the Declaration corresponds to
its purpose, which is not to treat in a systematic manner the question of the unicity
and salvific universality of the mystery of Jesus Christ and the Church, nor to propose
solutions to questions that are matters of free theological debate, but rather to set
forth again the doctrine of the Catholic faith in these areas, pointing out some
fundamental questions that remain open to further development, and refuting specific
positions that are erroneous or ambiguous. For this reason, the Declaration takes up
what has been taught in previous Magisterial documents, in order to reiterate certain
truths that are part of the Church's faith.‖61Hence, the claim formulated by the
Catholic Church is a statement directly address to her members and to her alone as
the document itself reiterated.
Whereof, lines are drawn with considerable precision that the believer must
not cross over. This might sound very abstract but only until we view the document
in its concrete endeavor and purpose. Withal, we can understand that the document
60
61
Paul Knitter, Theologies of Religions (Orbis book Maryknoll, New York, 2002), p.216
Dominus Iesus, 3
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is not a contempt toward other religions but somewhat measured respect
acknowledging what is true, honoring those who live their religious traditions. The
point most likely to be misunderstood is the principle, although it is not quoted
directly in the document, ―Outside the Church there is no salvation‖. Once again it
does not mean that everyone must belong to the Church formally. No matter what
faith each one have, we are all saved by the grace of God made available to the
human race by Jesus Christ. This is how the document interprets the Catholic faith
and thus, this is how her members should live their faith.
As for the issue of Inter-religious dialogue, the document does not attempt to
change the previous teaching of Catholic Church regarding Ecumenism. It has no
intention to comment non-Christians and this was made clear in the document.
Likewise, the document must be a given a proper reading or interpretation because
by close reading of the document one can understand that it calls all the Catholics
to communicate the gospel anew, that is, Catholics, in dialogue, should boldly
proclaim the gospel, which neither despises nor rejects, but dialogues from the
identity of our faith. Furthermore, the Church position did not show arrogance
towards other religions, as many reactions asserted. The document indicated its
purpose as to clarify the essential Christians elements, which do not block
dialogue, rather it demonstrates its basis, because a dialogue without foundation is
destine to degenerate into empty verbosity. What is needed in order to maintain the
unity among religions is ecumenism and mutual trust without changing their
position but living with their own faith identity.62 In this way the religious
differences will no longer cause any conflict, rather it will promote sharing of
different religious traditions that will lead to the unity of truth, not for the
uniformity of it, and for the improvement of ecumenical dialogue.
10.0 Critique on Dominus Iesus
After presenting and analyzing the document and the challenges it posits
against religious relativism, which led to a language of antagonism and
controversy in the ecumenical community of world religions, I would like to throw
some comments on how the document Dominus Iesus dealt with the issue of
religious relativism.
62
http:/www.religoustolerance.org/rcc_othe5.htm. Date Accessed January 15, 2013
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The document Dominus Iesus identified the religious relativism as the gravest
threat facing the Church today and I see three reasons why such statement came
out from the Church: First, because the Church sees religious pluralism for
espousing religious relativism, second, religious pluralism jeopardizes the truth in
each religion, and third, religious relativism challenges the unique saving role of
Christ. I believe that the problems cited thereof are not just a concern of the
Catholic Church but of all religions, because the concern for truth against
relativism toward truth and the preservation of one‘s religious tradition are
theological concerns that the world religious traditions and their followers share. I
agree to what the document is concern about, however, I see some lapses on the
proceeding of the document when it vehemently characterized religious pluralism
as relativism, which actually rooted from the idea of the plurality of religion or
truth. Accordingly, relativism characterized by religious pluralism, resulted to a
false concept of religious tolerance that in turn caused the loss and renunciation of
the issue of Truth. This is what the document strongly opposed because it destroys
and jeopardizes the nature and meaning of ―Truth‖ not only the truth claim of the
Catholic Church, but likewise, the truth in each religion. And such view does not
do justice to the depth and persistence of religious truth claims because with the
understanding about pluralism it resulted to the promotion of religious tolerance.63
The position made by the document against pluralism as consorting relativism
that resulting to religious tolerance is an error to be corrected. In order to
demonstrate that pluralism does not pose a relativistic threat to Christianity and it
does not consolidating tolerance, it is worthwhile to distinguish the basic
assumptions about plurality of religion, religious pluralism and religious
relativism.
63
Religious tolerance is the recognition of the differences that requires the willingness of one religion to make other
religions feel accepted based upon an acknowledgement of the subjective value that other religions attribute to their
beliefs. Although, this tolerance proves useful as a standard because it is integral to inter-religious dialogue,63
however, in matters of truth, the ultimate goal to be sought is agreement, not diversity of opinion, and not just a
matter of expressing and acting on preferences and tastes but rather the truth about religion belongs to the sphere of
the intellect, because truth is the recognition of the reality. Ibid.
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11.0 CONCLUSION
The document alluded that religious tolerance occurs in view of religious
pluralism. This should not be the case. Tolerance of plurality is not pluralism
neither is diversity in itself considered pluralism. The plurality of religion is not the
same as religious pluralism. Plurality is a phenomenon while pluralism is a
movement that promotes philosophical thoughts. The document simply compared
plurality with pluralism and pluralism with relativism that resulted to tolerance,
which in paradox, one cannot think otherwise about the different perspectives far
different from each other. But in a close reading of the meaning of plurality,
pluralism and relativism one will able to see what draws the line between them.
Religious pluralism upholds that all religious traditions are equally true, but
likewise, equally false. Pluralism is not necessarily committed to accepting all
religious traditions rather acknowledging and respecting how other interpret
reality. On the other hand, religious relativism declares all religious traditions to be
right and there are no wrongs nor better right but all equally right. In this
distinction, relativism lacks any normal standard for the determination of a truth
claim, while pluralism allows criteria for endorsing or denying various traditions as
corresponding to reality.64 Thus, the middle ground that separates pluralism from
relativism is the adherence to the law of non-contradiction. 65
Moreover, it is also worthwhile to mention that the culture plays a very
important role in the development of religious truth claims, because culture covers
everything in life. This means it touches all the areas of life such as beliefs, values,
norms, and customs. Therefore, culture is simply understood as an integrated
system that serve as a pattern of perceptions of reality into conceptualizations of
what reality should be.66 The world we know is captured by the idea of cultural
differences, where conflict, disagreement and dilemma arise due to conventional
way of interpreting experience. Hence, the denial of the value of cultural
differences results to imbalance and bias recognition of the significant differences
among individuals and thus producing a wrong paradigm of understanding the
truth. By meditating on the differences of cultures, one may perceive that
64
Matthew S. Loprresti, Inter-Religious Dialogue and Religious Pluralism: A Philosphical Critique of Pope
Benedict XVI and the Fall of Religious Absolutism.
65
http://www.faithfacts.org/search-for-truth/questions-of-christians/arent-all-religions-the-same. Date Accessed:
June 5, 2012
66
Jose De Mesa, Why Theology is never far from home. p.15
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individual or society cannot monopolize the truth, but rather one can recognize the
uniqueness of each truth in different cultures. In this sense, religious pluralism is
not promoting religious tolerance and cannot be charged as endorsing relativism;
rather, it is the recognition of cultural differences that respects various religious
truth claims that exist independently of their own.
To sum up, every religious tradition is unique in its own way. Beyond this, if
a particular religious tradition claims a certain uniqueness in the context of the
whole, this can only be an affirmation of faith, not a comparative statement. As an
affirmation of faith, it is obviously not intelligible to the others. However, even this
faith must be made meaningful in a historical context, if it has to have any
significance for the life of the community and not remain an abstract a
priori statement. And such a search for meaning cannot be at the expense of other
religious communities.
References
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D‘Costa, Gavin. ―Extra Ecclesiam Nulla Salus Revisited,” in Religious
Pluralism and Unbelief, ed. I. Hamnett.
Declaration on the Relation of the Church To Non-Christian Religions. Vatican II,
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De Mesa, Jose. Why Theology is never far from home. Manila: De La Salle
University Press, Inc. 2003
Dupuis, Jacques. Trans. Philip Berryman, Christianity and the Religions. Orbis
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Flannery, Austin. Vatican II: Dogmatic Constitution Lumen Gentium
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Volume I Issue 1
January 2014
De La Salle Lipa
ISSN
UNPACKING TASK COMPONENTS OF DEPED’S
LEARNING PACKAGE IN ENGLISH FOR GRADE VII
Jose C. Macatangay
jose.macatangay@dlsl.edu.ph
ABSTRACT
Adopting David Nunan’s framework for task-based teaching and
using the directed content analysis design of qualitative research, this study
examines the task components in the first quarter of DepEd’s K to 12
Learning Package in English for Grade 7. Data consist of the tasks found in
the Initial, Discovery and Final Tasks of the Learning Package. The process
of analyzing the material results in the identification of the presence or
absence of some features/categories of task components in the recommended
module of the Department of Education. Likewise, analysis reveals Filipino
textbook writers’ perspectives when it comes to instructional materials
development in English. Indeed, a need to balance the content of any
learning material (textbook, module, learning package, etc.) that claims to
be task-based is encouraged.
Keywords: content analysis, task components, learning package
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VII ● Jose C. Macatangay
151
1.0 INTRODUCTION
The school year 2012-2013 marked a significant milestone in the
Philippine educational system since it gave birth to K to 12 Basic Education
Program. Initiated by the Aquino Administration, the new system of
education requires that students undergo universal kindergarten, six years of
elementary, four years of junior high school, and two years of senior high
school. Because K to 12 is still in its infancy stage, analyzing its impact on
the country‘s educational system is still a gray area for research exploration;
however, the area on materials development can be a fertile ground to dwell
into.
Reforms in the curriculum are being done to respond to the 2010
Secondary Education Program which aims to develop a functionally literate
Filipino who can function in various communicative situations. Corollary to
this, the English Program aims at the development of communicative
competence with emphasis on Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency.
Since any learning material is the taught curriculum in school, the
Department of Education through its task force developed a learning
package in English for Grade VII.
The first objective of DepEd‘s K to 12 Learning Package for English
expects learners to ―explore real-life themes, tasks and situations.‖ Each
lesson with a thematic presentation identifies the goals, and then proceeds to
the tasks classified as: Initial, Discovery and Final. A text found under the
heading ―Your Text‖ serves as a take-off point for every lesson and is a
crucial component of the Learning Package. Various tasks are required of
the students for every part of the lesson. Even at a glance, it can be surmised
that the Learning Package adheres to task-based learning approach which is
linked to Communicative Language Teaching. It is in this light that this
paper is conceptualized. It aims to investigate/examine the Tasks in the First
Quarter of DepEd‘s K to 12 Learning Package in English for Grade VII in
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terms of their compliance to Nunan‘s Framework for Analyzing
Communicative Tasks. According to Nunan (2009), for a task to be truly
communicative, it must have goals, input, procedures, and setting and must
identify the roles of both teacher and learner. The study, likewise aims to
identify if the learning tasks designed by Filipino writers of Instructional
Materials are at par with international standards.
Tosun (2008) defined task as ―activities used by the learner for a
communicative purpose in order to achieve an outcome.‖ As identified by
Rubdy (1998) in an online article entitled ―Key Concepts in ELT,‖ there are
three recurrent features that stand out after varying literatures on tasks were
surveyed. These are tasks that consist of specific goals or outcomes like
making a hotel reservation; input data like oral instructions and one or more
related activities like deciding upon which hotel to reserve based on the
advertisements supplied. Nunan (2004) classified tasks as real world or
target tasks which refer to the uses of language beyond the classroom or
pedagogical tasks which just occur in the classroom. He went on to say that
pedagogical tasks ―involve learners to comprehend, manipulate, produce, or
interact in the target language while their attention is focused on mobilizing
their grammatical knowledge in order to express something.‖
Long (1985) cited a number of target tasks such as making an airline
reservation, filling out a form, making a hotel reservation, among others
which are the things that individual typically perform or accomplish in the
real world.
To shed light on what task-based teaching and learning is truly all
about, Oxford (2006) posited a series of questions in order to break it down
such as:
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What are optimal or at least relevant types of task-based teaching to
fulfill different learning goals or diverse students of different ages,
genders, L1 backgrounds, etc.?
What are the most relevant criteria for sequencing tasks in task-based
teaching?
With a focus on form, does a given sequence of tasks work better, or
should tasks be spontaneously determined based on evident learner
needs at the time?
How does the ordinary teacher find a task-based syllabus that fits the
authentic language needs of his or her students?
Can an off-the shelf task-based syllabus ever work for multiple age
groups in diverse settings in different parts of the world?
How much does cultural background influence the acceptability of
different task types, input and sequencing?
From the series of questions, Oxford (2006) concluded that task-based
teaching and learning being an exciting field of English Language Teaching
is a potential for exploration of teachers as they perform their dual roles as
instructors and action researchers.
Anchored on Nunan‘s definition of task as a ―piece of classroom work
which involves a learner in comprehending, manipulating and interacting in
the target language while their attention is principally focused on meaning
rather than the form,‖ Lingley (2006) offered in her paper a wider range of
language skills that are based on issues which she drew from very ―few
commercially prepared materials dealing with Canadian culture.‖ She
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concluded that using tasks for content based instruction can be helpful in
meeting the needs of divergent learners.
Guariento and Morley (2001) in an online article ―Text and Task
Authenticity in the EFL Classroom‖ identified the four broad schools of
thought on task authenticity. The first is authenticity through a genuine
purpose which takes into account whether the ―language has been used for a
genuine purpose.‖ The second is authenticity through real world targets such
as ―buying a train ticket, renting an apartment, reporting a chemistry
experiment, and so forth.‖ The third is authenticity through classroom
discussion which involves pair work and group activities where students
―discuss, evaluate, and report on the usefulness of various tasks.‖ The fourth
is authenticity through engagement which is considered to be the most
important since this set the tone for other types of authenticity.
Joy (2011) focused on the dual perspectives on authenticity in ELT
because of the ―contrasting perspectives that have emerged over the years on
this concept.‖ Some consider authenticity as integral to teaching since it
allows students with opportunities to expose themselves in reality even in
classroom setting, while others consider it ―an ambitious construct‖ that
needs extra caution in its use. A survey of literature was done to see the gap
on the issue and the researcher found that teachers need to have a ―balanced
outlook‖ on authenticity in order for them ―to promote better learning
experience.‖ She concluded that whether authentic or pedagogic, it still
depends on the expertise of the teachers to ―use ideas constructively than
blindly follow them.‖
Investigating the authenticity of a text material from the perspective of
learner and task along with textual authenticity, Baral (2009) studied the
Nepalese Secondary ESL Textbook and its Supplementation. He concluded
that a careful examination on authenticity of materials needs to be done as
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they should be in congruence with the ―demands, needs and interests‖ of the
learners who are the ―center of any educational program.‖
Using
Littlewood‘s
continuum
of
textbook
activity
communicativeness, Ogura (2008) examined ―10 authorized high school oral
communication textbooks from various publishing houses in Japan.‖ Sadly,
she learned that the textbooks studied failed to ―adequately provide
opportunities for students to develop their communicative competence.‖ She
suggested that the inadequacy of textbook should pave a way for teachers to
be creative in designing supplementary activities that will enable students to
―communicate more authentically.‖
Similarly, Deng and Carless (2009) analyzed the ―extent of
communicative activities in a Year Four primary school class in
Guangdong.‖ Using classroom observations and interviews, the researchers
obtained the result that based on Littlewood‘s (2004) continuum, classroom
activities were more focused on forms rather than on meanings.
An action research written by Ruso (2007) investigated students‘
opinions about task-based learning using a questionnaire, diaries and semistructured interviews as research instruments. Her findings revealed that
TBL ―enhances student learning since the tasks encourage student
involvement and lead to significant improvements regarding their language
performance. Likewise, it surfaced during the semi-structured interviews
that students do not want teacher-centered lessons since they could not
provide them opportunities for expressing themselves in the target language.
Since the classes studied required the use of a photocopy booklet, the
researcher recommended teachers to be careful when selecting materials for
a course for they might have a ―negative influence on student‘s academic
performance and motivation.‖ Ruso (2007) further revealed that ―learners
can switch off because they do not like the content of the course as presented
in the learning materials.‖
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Task negotiation where teacher and students arrived at an agreement
as to what ―tasks are to be done and how‖ became the focus of Tuan (2011)
in his study where he was able to prove that task negotiation can be a ―viable
approach in ELT‖ because it ―will enhance learner‘s motivation,
involvement and achievement as well as to build a close bonding between
teacher‘s and learners.‖
The issue on complexity or difficulty of task was investigated by Gan
(2011) on the lens of psycholinguistic models. She made a case that
―psycholinguistic approach to the investigation of task difficulty may
obscure the role of linguistic and social dimensions of a given task in
learners‘ processing of the task.‖
The literatures surveyed pertinent to the study point out at the
significance of considering the learners on the selection of tasks. One
variable considered important in the study is the role of the learners which
according to Nunan (2009) can be ―an interactor and negotiator who is
capable of giving as well as taking.‖
In their attempts to improve the teaching and materials development
in Iran, Riazi and Mosalanejad (2010) evaluated the learning objectives of
Iranian high school and pre-university English textbooks using Bloom‘s
Taxonomy. After the coding scheme done for the objectives of the textbooks
to find their occurrences in the tasks and exercises, results indicated that
there were more lower level cognitive skills than higher order ones. This
made the researcher arrived at a conclusion that the main objective of
textbooks in Iran is the development of lower-cognitive skills.
The author fully cognizant of the significance of a Learning Package
as a support curriculum, conceptualized the study. It aims to analyze the task
components in the first quarter of DepEd‘s K to 12 Learning Package in
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English for Grade7 in terms of David Nunan‘s framework. Specifically, it
purports answers to the following questions:
1. What are the classifications of goals in the Learning Package?
a. social,
b. service or
c. aesthetic?
2. What are the categories of input as gleaned from the Learning
Package?
a. genuinely authentic
b. minimally authentic?
3. In terms of procedures, are the tasks rehearsal or activation?
4. What roles do students play in the tasks:
a. passive
b. interactor and negotiator
c. listener and performer
d. involved in the process of personal growth
e. involved in a social activity
f. responsible for their own learning?
2.0 METHOD
2.1. Framework
Goals
Inputs
Procedures
Learner roles
TASK
Settings
Figure 1. Schematic diagram of Nunan’s Task Components
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As task elements, goals are defined by Nunan (2009) as ―the vague
general intentions behind any given learning task‖ In his book Introduction
to Task-Based Teaching, Nunan (2009), classified goals as general and
specific. General goals for him have three functions: social which is
establishing and maintaining interpersonal relationships, the exchange of
information, ideas, opinions, and feelings to get things done; service which
is acquiring information from more or less ‗public‖ sources in the target
language, and aesthetic which is listening to, reading, enjoying and
responding to creative and imaginative uses of the target language. Specific
goals, on the other hand, are those referred to as objectives which are
described in functional terms. Specific goals can be social or service.
The input or the data sources are authentic materials which are realworld texts that will prepare learners ―to cope with what they hear or read
outside the classroom.‖ For Nunan, input includes ―publicly available media
such as newspapers, magazines, television, public notices and the Internet.‖
Procedures specify what the learners will do with the input. Nunan
drew distinction between rehearsal and activation tasks where the former has
procedural authenticity because it mirrors the communicative use of
language outside the classroom while the latter is just concerned with the use
of language for class communication only.
Role refers to the part that learners and teachers are expected to play
in carrying out learning tasks as well as the social and interactional
relationships between the participants‖ Implicit in tasks are, therefore,
assumptions regarding the control and power in the classrooms. For
example, learners usually play a more active and powerful part in role-plays
and problem solving tasks than in drills and the like. The roles of teachers
and learners are closely related. In communicative approaches, for example,
the learner is ―an interactor and negotiator who is capable of giving as well
as taking‖ while the teacher play the role of ―facilitator‖, ―participant‖,
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―observer‖ and ―learner‖. A rich array of learner roles is identified by Nunan
(2009) which includes: the learner as a passive recipient of outside stimuli,
as an interactor and negotiator who is capable of giving as well as taking, as
a listener and performer who has little control over the content of learning,
the learner as involved in a process of social growth, in a social activity and
the learner as responsible for their own learning.
Setting refers to the classroom arrangements specified or implied in
the task, and it also requires consideration of whether the task is to be carried
out ―wholly or partly outside the classroom.‖ This component is also of great
importance in task selection and design as whether learners are going to
work individually, in pairs or in groups and where the task is going to be
done may influence the roles and relationships of the participants in the
classroom.
2.2 Research Design
The approach to qualitative content analysis known as directed
content analysis advanced by Hsieh and Shannon (2005) was used in the
study. In directed content analysis, initial coding starts with a theory or
relevant research findings. Then, during data analysis, the researcher
immersed himself in the data and allowed findings to emerge from the data.
The purpose of this approach usually is to validate or extend a conceptual
framework or theory.
Sources of data were the goals and tasks found in the first quarter of
DepEd‘s K to 12 Learning Package in English for Grade VII.
2.3 Method of Analysis
The initial step in the content analysis was to check if the components
of tasks such as goals, input, procedures and roles of learners were all
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present in the first quarter of the Learning Package. The presence of these
components served as the sources of data for the study.
The tasks in the Learning Package classified as Initial, Discovery and
Final were read and reduced to a more manageable set of data through a
process of reading and categorizing. Likewise, the goals that target English
communication skills such as reading, library, vocabulary, graphic
organizers, grammar and writing skills were identified in the tasks that
complement the goals of those skills.
This time, the unit of analysis or the coding unit was determined.
Since qualitative content analysis uses individual themes as a unit for
analysis, such were adopted for the study. This was also known as syntactic
coding or sampling units. The themes or the sampling units were expressed
in sentences found in the components of tasks such as goals, input,
procedures, and roles of learners. In other words, the analysis done in the
paper was more of the manifest contents of the material since it focused
mainly on what an author has written in sentences and paragraphs and not on
what he/she intends to say or write which is called as the latent meaning of
analysis.
Priori coding was used for the study wherein the categories which are
the components of tasks such as goals, input, procedures and learner roles
were established prior to the analysis. The paper investigated on how those
categories were operationalized in the varied English skills-based activities
in the Initial, Discovery and Final tasks of the Learning Package. Categories
were referred to professional colleagues in order to apply the coding for the
data. Revisions were made and when categories were tightened up to the
point that mutual exclusivity and exhaustiveness were reached, analysis of
results was done.
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3.0 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
The goals presented in the learning package can be classified into the
following English communication skills: reading, library, speaking, use of
graphic organizers, vocabulary, sentence skills, grammar, writing, and
literary.
3.1. Goals
For Nunan, goals can be categorized as general or specific. General
goals, on one hand can be classified as social, service or aesthetic. Social
goals are focused on establishing and maintaining interpersonal
relationships, the exchange of information, ideas, opinions, and feelings to
get things done. Service goals are aimed at acquiring information from more
or less ‗public‖ sources in the target language while aesthetic refers to
enjoying and responding to creative and imaginative uses of the target
language. Specific goals, on the other hand, are those referred to as
objectives which are described in functional terms. Specific goals can be
social or service.
Each lesson in the Learning Package starts with the general goal
followed by specific goals considered by Nunan as aims. These aims are
introduced by the phrase: You must aim to with subsequent target objectives
for every lesson. After analyzing the 10 general goals in the first quarter of
the Learning Package, it turned out that nine of them are aesthetic which are
merely focused on the creative and imaginative uses of English as a target
language. An example of aesthetic goal is found in the first lesson of the
package on the theme “Valuing our Elders’ Wisdom”:
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This lesson allows you to appreciate the wisdom of our ancestors that
continues to influence our experiences. Discover how their proverbs serve as
guideposts towards strengthening our values.
There is only one social goal which emerges on lesson 3 having the
theme: “Explaining our Beginnings”, thus the goal:
This lesson allows you to understand some forms of conflict in our
world. Discover a new perspective on how you can manage and help others
resolve a conflict.
The phrase ―how you can manage and help others resolve a conflict‖
makes it a social goal because as stated by Nunan (2009), a social goal aims
to establish interpersonal relationships on venue such as exchange of
information, opinions, attitudes and feelings.
Sometimes referred to as objectives, specific goals which are
described in functional terms are classified by Nunan (2009) as social like:
describe the family, arrange to meet for coffee, introduce a friend, etc. or
service: ask for directions, buy a magazine, change money, etc.
Examples of specific goals culled from the Learning Package are:
Express your awareness of diversity in our culture.
Express opinion concerning given scenarios.
Use colloquial
conversation.
and
informal
expressions
appropriately
in
Observe the right pitch, phrasing, and pacing when reading texts or
passages aloud or participating in conversations.
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Observe the right oral language conventions when inquiring about,
summarizing, or reacting to what has been listened to, read, or
observed.
Use appropriate idiomatic expressions in a variety of basic
interpersonal communicative situations
Analysis revealed that as far as general goals are concerned, there are
more aesthetic than social goals and there are no service goals because
obviously, there are no ―public sources‖ used in the Learning Package.
Meanwhile, in relation to specific goals, the Learning Package possesses
mainly social goals and was silent on service. Service goals are real-world
tasks that include asking for directions, changing money, etc. which do not
surface in the analyzed material.
3.2 Input
For Nunan, input data are media sources such as ―newspapers,
magazines, TV, public notices, and the Internet.‖ These are examples of
authentic materials produced for language teaching but for ordinary use in
everyday life. While Nunan argued that learners need to be exposed to
authentic data, he believed that there should be a right place for authenticity
especially for beginners ―who will have a great deal of difficulty in learning
the language if they are only exposed to authentic input data.‖ To determine
the ―genuinely authentic to minimally authentic,‖ Nunan placed the input
data in a continuum described as follows:
a. Genuine texts are created for the realm of real life but used as input
data source in the classroom.
b. Altered texts have been added visuals from their original form
c. Adapted texts are created for real life but vocabulary and grammar
are changed to simplify the text.
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d. Simulated texts are written for purposes of language teaching but
the author tries to make it look authentic by using characteristics of
genuine texts.
e. Minimal/incidental texts are created solely for the classroom with
no attempt to make the material appear genuine.
The reading lessons in the first quarter of the Learning Package
consist of one reading selection entitled: “Words of Wisdom,” six myths on
how the world was created, why the sky is high, the first rice and the first
monkey as well as three epics each from Bicol, Maranao and Iloko.
Obviously, the selections are all literary texts and not real-world or
authentic. They all belong to the minimal or incidental representation of text
authenticity since they were just created for classroom purposes. The point
of departure for task-based language teaching is a real world or target task
which means ―there is a need for learners to be exposed to a number of ways
to use language in a more applicable or real-life setting.‖
In the Learning Package analyzed, the input data came from literary
texts so they are minimally authentic texts created for classroom use. Plata
(2010) found in her study that the standards of the 2010 Secondary
curriculum targeted literature rather than authentic use of language. Indeed,
there is a need to move from minimal or incidental authenticity to genuinely
authentic as shown in the continuum of Nunan (2009).
3.3 Procedures
Procedures specify what the learners will do with the input. Nunan
clarified the distinction between rehearsal and activation tasks. Rehearsal tasks
have procedural authenticity because they mirror the communicative use of
language outside the classroom. Activation tasks are mainly concerned about
the use of language for class communication only.
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Of the four tasks under the aim: ―Use information presented in an
article to infer, to evaluate and to express critical ideas‖, two of them ask
students to ―locate, reflect and evaluate the statements as true or false by
referring to the text read.‖ One task requires the students to write the
paragraph number where the statement is found after determining its truth or
falsity while on the other task; students are expected to complete a table as
they read the selection. Students will identify the hero in the selection, his
enemies, how he won, what he did and what traits did he show. The tasks are
all under heading Discovery and can be classified as activation since they are
just designed for classroom purposes only.
There are nine lessons on library-related skills geared towards
students‘ understanding of the different parts of the library as well as the
uses of the different reference resources available in the library. Of the nine
goals related to library skills, eight of them have activation tasks while one
has a rehearsal task. The first task under the Final task of lesson 6 is a
rehearsal task since it requires students to make a visual presentation, make a
poster and create a menu. These tasks have ―procedural authenticity‖ since
they will be of use and significance to real-world setting.
Speaking skills are mostly focused on accuracy of pronunciation and
enunciation of segmentals and suprasegmentals as well as on platform
techniques and nonverbal cues essential for public speaking. The tasks are
all activation since they are more of drills and exercises on how to enunciate
words perfectly as they appear both in contextualize and de-contextualized
texts.
Graphic organizers (GOs) used in the learning package for specific
lessons were story map, Venn diagram and comparison-contrast chart. They
are all activation tasks since they are intended to organize understanding of
what will be read and what was read.
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Vocabulary lessons are mostly on context clues and idiomatic expressions
with tasks that are all activation since the very nature of these skills are
highly for academic purposes. Exercise 3 of Task 2 under lesson 6, ―As a
homework, look for at least five idiomatic expressions and their meanings,‖
could have been a rehearsal task had clarity been made clear as to the source
of the assignment.
Sentence skills are focused on recognition, differences and
formulation of simple and compound sentences with activation tasks such as
transforming long to simple sentences,
expressing ideas in writing in
simple/compound sentences and deciding if the sentence is simple or
compound. The uses of simple and compound sentences outside of the
classroom could have been taken into account in order to have some
rehearsal tasks.
\
For both lessons 1 and 2, the objective is ―Observe rules on subject
verb agreement.‖ Of the five tasks focused on attaining the objective, four
are activation where students will determine the grammatical correctness of
a sentence and complete a text using the given verbs. Surprisingly, one task
asks students to write sentences that observe SVA based on the information
on a given chart which is about the ―Highlights of the Hornedo P. Sanlaksa
Foundation Proverbs Collection Project.‖ This can be considered a
rehearsal task since the student‘s output is based on a set of data which is
authentic and which has a bearing on real life.
Two tasks have been devoted to the objective ―Observe rules on
consistency of tense.‖ One activity titled, ―Practice makes perfect‖ is an
activation task which requires students to spot the correct sentence and
rewrite the wrong one in terms of tense consistency in the two given
paragraphs. The other task which indicates first the importance of tense
consistency in writing news reports before telling students what to do could
have been a very good rehearsal task had the activity not on revising the text
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to meet tense consistency. In other words, the text is authentic but the task is
still activation.
Gap fill activities are two of the tasks under the objective ―Observe rules
on pronoun antecedent agreement and is classified as activation.‖
Surprisingly, the task is writing sentences in the target grammar skill but the
situation goes this way:
―Imagine that you will invite an international tourist to any of the
famous spots on Samal Island. Use your notes in Task 3 in writing a five to
seven paragraph overview of this place. Make sure that you use correct
pronoun-antecedent agreement in your sentences. Underline the pronoun
once and underline its corresponding antecedent twice.‖
The authenticity of the situation makes it a rehearsal task. One might
venture in a tourism industry in the future and writing grammatically correct
sentences is an important skill that he/she needs to master in order to invite
international tourists to visit some scenic spots of the country.
One writing goal included in the Learning Package is found in both
lessons 6 and 7 with an aim for the students to: ―Write 5-7 sentence
paragraph on information gathered.‖ The tasks for the said objective are
found in the Final Task of the lessons. The task in lesson 6 is rehearsal
because it requires students to visit by groups their assigned sections of the
library to search about the topics to write about. One authenticity application
in this activity is the use of newspapers and magazines where students will
look for exotic dishes, determine if they appeal to Filipino taste buds and
then create a menu featuring these exotic dishes. In lesson 7, students will go
to the library to look for different versions of a legend or a myth and they
will respond through a well written paragraph the answer to the question:
―What have you realized about our ancestors as creators of myths and
legends, their values as a people and the richness of our culture?‖ The task
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is obviously activation since it is merely development of language skills and
has nothing to do with real-life skills.
Literary skills on elements of epic and on verse and prose versions of
a narrative poem call for activation tasks since they are just meant to
supplement and complement literature lessons which are far from being able
to mirror students‘ real world communication needs.
In as far as the first quarter of the Learning Package is concerned; the
activation tasks ruled the material while three tasks were found to be
combination of both activation and rehearsal.
3.4 Learner roles
Learners usually play a more active and powerful part in role-plays
and problem solving tasks than in drills and the like. A rich array of learner
roles is identified by Nunan (2009) which includes: the learner as a passive
recipient of outside stimuli, as an interactor and negotiator who is capable of
giving as well as taking, as a listener and performer who has little control
over the content of learning, the learner as involved in a process of social
growth, in a social activity and the learner as responsible for their own
learning.
Titled ―Locate, Reflect and Evaluate,‖ for lessons 1-3, the task on the
goal ―Use information in text read to infer, to evaluate and to express
critical ideas‖ requires students to go back to what they read in order to
decide if the given statement is true or false. In such instance, students play
the role of passive recipients. However, the task on the same goal somehow
elevates its difficulty in lesson 8 where students will fill in a table to
complete the headings where pieces of information are found in the text.
This task enables students to be responsible for their own learning.
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Under library skills where students are supposed to locate data using
library sources, recognize sections of the library, use library collections
among others, the tasks are all leading them to become autonomous learners
engaged in interaction and negotiation and promote social growth as they put
themselves in group and individual research activities that will enable them
to accomplish some writing and even creative outputs as shown on the Final
Task of lesson 6:
Group 1: Make a visual presentation of your answers.
Group 2: Make a poster promoting these dishes and the regions
where they are found
Group 3: Create a menu featuring these dishes.
The speaking skills appear to be the most holistic in terms of the role
of learners in accomplishing the tasks since a wide array of learner roles is
present in the speaking activities. Students are just passive recipients on
lessons about stress and intonation:
―Listen as your teacher models two intonation patterns. Listen to the
recording for the second time. Take note of the intonation patterns observed
by the speaker on the sentences. Identify the intonation pattern used for
every statement that your teacher will identify.‖
The learners are involved in the process of personal growth on tasks
such as practicing the given text before presenting it to the class, observing
the guidelines on sentence stress and intonation and on acting as judge in
group performance following a given rubric. These activities can enhance
students‘ personal growth since they will overcome stage fright and at the
same time, be critical on how their classmates conduct themselves in public
speaking.
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The pair work activity where students will read the poem ―Misery”
by Langston Hughes with appropriate stress and intonation promotes social
activity where the interpersonal roles of learners can be put to a test.
What dominates the speaking lessons as regards role of learners is
their being listeners and performers on lessons about voice, enunciation, and
sound production of critical vowels and consonants. Task 4 titled Loud and
Clear demonstrates this task:
―Enhance your pronunciation of a few critical vowel and consonant
sounds based on some parts of the article. You will be guided by your
teacher.‖
It is assumed that the guidance of the teacher here refers to the
modeling he/she is to perform where students are expected to listen, then
repeat after the teacher to be followed by the students own pronunciation
practices which is the performance aspect of the task.
There are two tasks that combine learner roles under the Vocabulary
Skills. Learners are both passive and autonomous in Task 1 of the Initial
Tasks of lesson 7‘s first goal which is to ―use pictures and context clues to
get meanings of words and phrases.‖ The learner is a passive recipient of an
outside stimulus in this activity:
―Underline the word synonymous to goddess. The goddess of the
mountain provided the people with all their needs. She was their (hostess,
patroness, priestess).‖
Found in the same task is the second activity where the students will
give the meaning of the words in bold letters in the given sentences. As an
opener for a lesson on context clues, task makes students responsible for
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their own learning since it will develop their vocabulary skill particularly on
deciphering meaning of words through context.
Another task that depicts dual roles of learners is on the goal of using
idiomatic expressions in different communication situations. Social activity
is apparent in the pair work exercise where the student will find somebody in
class to whom he/she will say the idiom from the list as well as the situation
that calls for it to be said. Likewise, the task is also developing learners to
become responsible in order to develop autonomy in the use of idiomatic
expressions with the person and the situation in mind.
The prevailing role of learners under vocabulary skills of the Learning
Package is focused on making them responsible for their own learning that
will enable them to become autonomous in the development of target skills.
Learners‘ autonomy is found on lessons about context clues, idiomatic
expressions, and word discrimination exercise. This can be illustrated in this
sample:
Below are examples of these idiomatic expressions and their meanings.
(table appears in the reference)
Use the given expressions in meaningful sentences.
As a homework, look for at least 5 idiomatic expressions and their
meanings. Also, use each expression in a sentence. Use a table for
your answer.
To develop learners who are responsible for learning is what the goals
and tasks are advocating under the skill of organizing ideas through the use
of different GOs. Both lessons 6 and 7 expect students to organize ideas in
the myths and legends using comparison and contrast chart respectively. The
first task titled ―The Illustrated Genesis‖ under the Discovery Tasks first
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explains what graphic organizers are and how they can be constructed
followed by this task:
―On a whole sheet of paper, design a graphic organizer that will
show the transformation involving the following: Adam, all elements and
living things, ball (God’s house), God, Nur (as man), and Nur (as light). Use
other appropriate materials to make your work unique and creative.‖
Differentiating and formulating simple and compound sentence
structure are the skills under sentence construction which target learners to
become responsible through the task hence, preparing them to achieve
autonomy in the use of sentences. The following are examples of tasks on
sentence skill:
―Choose a topic from the list. (list of topics provided). Write down
ideas you want to share about your chosen topic. To make these ideas clear,
use simple sentences.‖
‖After reading these texts, what have you realized about our
ancestors as creators of these myths and legends, our values as a people,
and the richness of Filipino culture? Write your answers in a well-written
five-to-seven sentence paragraph. You may use compound sentences in
expressing your ideas.
There are two interesting writing tasks that dwell on the role of
learners as responsible for their own learning. One is on writing a ―family
genesis‖ where students will ―write a family myth in a series of three-tofive-to-seven paragraphs‖ applying skills learned on pronoun-antecedent
agreement, graphic organizer, story elements, library sources and language
register while the other is on differentiating between literary and
academic writing where students will evaluate two texts in terms of their
tone, style, choice of words, organization of ideas, purpose and intended
audience.
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There are six literary skills found in the Learning Package as indicated
in the learning goals. Unfortunately, after further scrutiny, three of these
goals do not have learning tasks. One established goal has an identified task
but does not blend with each other. The two remaining tasks build up on
responsible learning: Task 4 of lesson 8 asks the students to ―fill in the table
to show similarities and differences‖ between the given text and the
previously read text while in Task 3 of lesson 10, students will compare and
contrast the verse and prose versions of a narrative poem.
Learners are supposed to be responsible for their own learning so
acquisition of grammar skills and their use of it need to be automatic. This is
probably what the developers of the Learning Package was in mind when
they conceptualized it as clearly manifested on grammar lessons on subjectverb agreement, pronoun-antecedent agreement and consistency of tense.
For two consecutive lessons (1 and 2), the objective ―Observe rules on
subject verb agreement‖ appears with exercises on analyzing sentences in
terms of their compliance to SVA rules. One very good task under this skill
is titled ―Extra, Extra‖ where students are given a student‘s draft of an
introduction for an article about diversity in the Philippines. The students
will rewrite the paragraph copying the grammatically correct sentences and
improving the ungrammatical ones. Somehow, this is an authentic task
because it uses student‘s composition and not just a de-contextualized
hypothetical sentence exercise.
In terms of compliance to role of learners, the tasks in the Learning
Package adhere holistically to Nunan‘s standpoints where learners are
passive recipients, interactors and negiotators, engage in social growth and
responsible for their own learning. Likewise, the Learning Package
challenge students to become responsible learners so they will attain
autonomy in the use and application of learned skills in communicative
situations. Traditionally, teachers were the ones in control of the classroom;
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in task-based teaching, students have a great deal of control. This thought
finds complement in Ruso‘s action research where she exposed that during
the semi-structured interviews she conducted with the respondents, it turned
out that the students did not want teacher-centered lessons since they
hindered them from being able to express themselves in the target language.
In the same vein, Baral (2009) underscored that the learners, being the
―center of any educational program need to be at the forefront in looking
into materials authenticity.
3.5 Settings
Settings are the classroom arrangements specified or implied in the
task, and how it is to be carried out ―wholly or partly outside the classroom.‖
This component is also of great importance in task selection and design as
whether learners are going to work individually, in pairs or in groups and
where the task is going to be done may influence the roles and relationships
of the participants in the classroom.
All in-class activities, three reading tasks are to be done individually
where students will go back to what they have read in order for them to
decide on whether the sentence is true or false and to find the paragraph
number where the sentence is found in the text. A pair work is expected for
students as they accomplish the given grid about the characters and their
story through their actions. The grid contains the character, his action, the
purpose of his action, the result of his action and his qualities as reflected by
the action. This task: ―Complete the table as you read the selection. Be
ready to explain your answers to your classmates,‖ is obviously to be done
on an individual basis, and at the same time it involves class members
because later on, they are to serve as audience as one explains his/her
answer.
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Only one group activity prevails among all seven tasks related to
library skills. In here, students are put in three groups where each group is
tasked to visit an assigned section of the library and submit some outputs
like visual presentation, poster and menu. The rest of the tasks are individual
activities relevant to library skills like recognizing its parts and using the
various reference sources available in it. Needless to say, the venue is the
library so it is outside of the classroom. Presumably, the doing of the tasks
after the library visits is in the confines of the classroom.
The setting that dominates the speaking skills is individual where
there are six tasks that require students to work alone. There are two tasks
for pair work and group activity on lessons like dramatic reading, intonation
pattern, choral reading and rules on proper speaking.
There are six instances where students need to apply the skill of using
graphic organizers in organizing their ideas. Two of the tasks have to be
done individually while the other two have to be shared to the class after
completing the table on the different versions of “The Origin of Rice”
(lesson 6) and “The First Monkey” (lesson 7). The guide questions as
bases for class sharing are focused on telling the similarities and differences
of the story‘s different versions, traits of characters and the relationship
between human beings and gods and goddesses. Discrepancies are found in
the course of the analysis. One specific goal is for students to “create a
story map” yet the task is to construct a Venn diagram to compare and
contrast Tungkung Langit and Alunsina. Students are asked to complete a
given semantic web related to ―The Story of Lam-Ang‖ yet this task has no
corresponding goal.
There are four lessons devoted to understanding idiomatic expressions
with goals such as ―Use appropriate idiomatic expressions in a variety of
basic interpersonal communication situations‖ and ―Decode and use
idiomatic expressions.‖ For the first goal, students are tasked to perform
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tasks individually (use the given idiomatic expressions in meaningful
sentences), by pair (with a partner, use each idiom in a sentence) and in
triad (in triad, complete the comic strips by supplying the speaking lines
with the following idiomatic expressions). As for the task performance of
the second goal on lesson about idiomatic expression, part of the direction
―Decide what each idiomatic expression means‖ is somehow vague because
it is not made clear as how it should be done: individually, by pair, or by
group. The rest of the vocabulary skills such as context clues, colloquial and
informal expressions are all to be carried out individually.
Individual carrying out of tasks is the mode of learning espoused for
the lessons on sentence skills found in the Learning Package. The ability to
craft grammatically correct sentences is a skill that needs to be mastered
alone that‘s why most of the tasks have to be done individually. However, a
small group activity is seen on a particular task. Students are told to choose a
topic from the list, write down their ideas about the chosen topic in simple
sentences and then share their ideas to the group. It is important to mention
here that the small group activity is just an offshoot of sentence writing
exercise which is done individually.
All the tasks covered for the grammar lesson require students to work
alone as they classify whether the sentence is grammatical or not and
rewrite/improve sentences to make them grammatically correct. This finding
is true to most textbooks where students are just manipulating grammar
exercises through controlled activities and practices which do not give them
opportunities to apply the grammar skill learned for real communicative
setting. The lack of pair work, triad and group activities in the learning
package make the grammar lesson as simply practice exercises with no
practical application at all. This was confirmed by Ogura (2008) in her
analysis of textbooks from publishing houses in Japan where her study
revealed that textbooks failed to provide opportunities for students to
enhance their communicative competence.
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There are two individual writing activities that are offshoots of a
library research in the Learning Package. The task which requires students to
write a family genesis somehow conforms to the process approach to writing
since students have to do an interview and library research before they write.
However, there is an absence of the post writing activity. The task for the
goal ―determine the use of precise words to create objectivity in written
language‖ has a task that needs students to explain their answer on a whole
sheet of paper which shows the individual nature of the task. Similarly, the
task which asks students to compare and contrast two texts in terms of
whether they are academic or literary needs to be done individually.
One task under literary skill requires individual students to fill in the
table to show the similarities and differences between two texts in response
to the goal ―Analyze the elements of epics, their intended purpose and the
setting during which they were produced.‖ Another vague task in relation to
settings is on how it will be done as featured in the following directions:
―Recall the events as narrated in the excerpted verse and compare them
with how they were told in the prose version. Explain why there are
differences.‖The second statement is questionable since it is not clear as to
how it will be explained: in writing or orally. Another obscure point of the
second statement is to whom it will be explained: to the class, to a group or
to a seatmate.
Except for the library skills which require students presence as they
look for sources, all the tasks are to be done in the confines of the classroom.
Most of the tasks are still to be carried out on individual basis as students
answer exercises. Lessons on idiomatic expressions have a happy balance of
individual, pair and triad as learners‘ way of applying what they have
learned. This is line with what Guariento and Morley (2001) called as
―authenticity through classroom discussion‖ which uses pair work and group
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activities which will enable students to ―discuss, evaluate and report on the
usefulness of various tasks.‖
In terms of setting, the Learning Package failed to include what
Nunan (2009) calls as ―the community outside of the classroom‖ which can
serve as an important venue for learning because the tasks in the material
were all to be done in the confines of the classroom. With the community as
a resource for learning, Strevens (1987) identified the following reasons as
beneficial for learners:
a. They provide learners with opportunities for genuine interactions
with a real-life purpose.
b. Learners can adopt communicative roles which bypass the teacher
as intermediary.
c. They can change the in-class role relationships between teacher
and pupils.
4.0 CONCLUSION
After a thorough analysis, it surfaced that the first quarter of DepEd‘s
K to12 Learning Package in English for Grade VII has more aesthetic than
social goals and was silent about service goals.
The input data came from literary texts so they are minimally
authentic texts created for classroom use only.
The activation tasks were found mostly in the Learning Package while
very few were devoted to rehearsal tasks.
What is gratifying is that the Learning Package is most holistic in
terms of students‘ roles which vary from being passive recipients of learning
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to becoming interactors to negotiators of meaning, with social engagement
until responsibility and autonomy are gained.
Except for the lessons on library skills, all the tasks were needed to be
done in the confines of the classroom. Most of the tasks were still to be
carried out on individual basis. Interestingly, lessons on idiomatic
expressions revealed a happy balance of individual, pair and triad
engagement of learners in applying what they have learned.
Although no conclusive claim can be made because only the first
quarter of the Learning Package was investigated, the study revealed some
trends on Filipino writers‘ perspectives of instructional materials design in
English. Indeed, if task-based approach were to be the paradigm, there is a
need to focus on service as goals, use authentic or real-world texts as input,
engage learners in rehearsal tasks as procedures and as for the setting, find
venues for learning aside from the four walls of the classroom.
The study can be expanded by studying the task components of the
remaining quarters of the Learning Package and see if the same results will
be generated. Likewise, it is interesting to know if commercially available
textbooks that claim to be ―task-based‖ adhere to components of tasks such
as: goals, input, procedures, setting and roles.
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FEATURE ARTICLE
The following article is the author’s thesis for his Masters
Degree in Business Administration major in HRM obtained from
St. Paul University Manila. The article is published with
permission from St. Paul University Manila.
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Volume I Issue 1
January 2014
De La Salle Lipa
ISSN
COMPETENCY REQUIREMENTS FOR ENTRY LEVEL
POSITIONS OF SELECTED DELUXE HOTELS IN METRO
MANILA: A GUIDE FOR EFFECTIVE EDUCATION
PROGRAM, TRAINING AND SKILLS ENHANCEMENT
Roy G. Aguba
rgaguba@yahoo.com.ph / roy.aguba@dlsl.edu.ph
ABSTRACT
The rapidly increasing demand of the hospitality and tourism
industry for qualified workforce in intensifying industry growth and
competition prodded the researcher to undertake this study to determine the
competency requirements of selected human resource managers of deluxe
hotels in Metro Manila for entry level positions. Respondents were
requested to identify the extent of importance for hospitality graduates’
competency with the aid of a modified survey tool adopted from the study of
Ying-Wei Lu (1999). Recommendations for curriculum reengineering of BS
Hotel and Restaurant Management programs were solicited from senior
academicians. Moreover, this study sought to bridge the gap between the
skills acquired by the graduates from the Higher Education Institutions
(HEIs) and the demands of the industry. The results showed that people
skills particularly communication and harmonious guest relations were
extremely important and shall be dealt with advanced concentration of
instruction. Findings explained that there is a gap between theory and work
application specifically in functional areas. Therefore, HEIs must be
receptive in providing a comprehensive blend of practical, theoretical and
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Competency Requirements for Entry Level Positions
of Selected Deluxe Hotels in Metro Manila: A Guide
for Effective Education Program, Training and Skills
Enhancement ● Roy G. Aguba
185
managerial training attuned to the global industry trends. Results of the
study were used for proposing guiding principles for effective learning
experience and competency building focusing on hospitality operations,
people and personal skills to improve the quality of graduates. This study
recommended that the students must be given sufficient practical training
(on-the-job) with the concentration in hospitality functional areas,
simulation, educational tours and seminars, course application, digestive
case studies and certification of proficiency in English and foreign language.
Keywords:
Competency Requirements, Deluxe Hotels, Entry Level
Positions, Skills and Training Programs
1.0 INTRODUCTION
The hospitality and tourism industries are considered as the world‘s biggest.
They offer various exciting and rewarding career opportunities locally and
abroad, hence, drawing a multitude of would-be restaurateurs, chefs, hospitality
entrepreneurs, and managers to enrol in hotel and restaurant management and
related courses. This made HRM an oversubscribed course not only in the
Philippines but also in other parts of the world. In the National Capital Region
(NCR) alone, the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) estimates that
more than 80% tertiary schools offer degree and short courses in line with
hospitality and tourism. A certain university in Metro Manila has a population
of about 8,000 HRM students.
While the hospitality and tourism industry has better prospects in the next
few years, job requirements have become more competitive than before.
Graduates must meet the expectations of the prospective companies as well as
recruiters‘ (Wood, 2003). This was also underscored in the research of
Reybould and Wilkins (2006) which stated that there is a need to ensure the
graduates not only educational expectations but also industry expectations
regarding skill sets needed in the workplace. Though there were several
researches that emphasized the need to meet the employer‘s expectations in
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terms of skills, there is still a growing mismatch of workers‘ skills and the need
of the industry that makes the issue more difficult to deal with. In research by
Whitelaw, et al. (2009), they stated that to reflect the need of the industry, it is
important to define the skills and competencies expected from any hospitality
graduate. The study further noted that there is a clear shift in hospitality
education where general management skills are introduced to complement the
practical components.
With the given concerns about skills mismatching, balance of theory and
practice through experiential learning between teachers and students shall be
instituted to make them prepared for employment sectors upon graduation. A
competency model has to be described and formulated immediately to hone the
Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) curricula. This was underscored in the
research handled by Chung-Herrera, Enz and Lankau (2007). They believed
that competency model can be important in building an effective human
resources system whereas this model can also help in educating future
generations of leaders by guiding university faculties in designing curricula to
meet the industry‘s future needs. Chung-Herrera, et.al. further noted that
students‘ competency development shall be supported by special modules
offered by faculty members to enhance key skill areas. These modules shall
contain both lecture and experiential components. If successfully implemented,
industry-specific competency models can also help students seek out
employment and career tracks that will give them ample opportunity to develop
needed skills.
Hospitality Management Education: Philippine Perspective
In the Philippines there are three governing bodies in the education sector—
the CHED for tertiary and graduate education, the DepEd for basic education,
and the TESDA for TVET and middle-level education. Academic programmes
are accredited by the Federation of Accrediting Agencies of the Philippines and
by the Accrediting Agency of Chartered Colleges and Universities in the
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Philippines (World Data on Education, 2011).
The Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) was
established through the enactment of Republic Act No. 7796 otherwise known
as the Technical Education and Skills Development Act of 1994. This Act aims
to encourage the full participation of and mobilize the industry, labour, local
government units and technical-vocational education and training (TVET)
institutions in the skills development and skills plans, sets appropriate skills
standards and tests, coordinates and monitors manpower policies and programs,
and provides policy directions and guidelines for resource allocation for the
TVET institutions in both the private and public sectors (World Data on
Education, 2011).
The Commission on Higher Education (CHED) is responsible for
formulating and implementing policies, plans and programmes for the
development and efficient operation of the system of higher education in the
country. Its coverage is both public and private higher education institutions as
well as degree-granting programmes in all post-secondary educational
institutions.
The enrolment statistics for higher education in the country revealed that
there is a significant average share of hospitality-related programs enrollment of
0.68 to the total courses for the years 2000-2008. After the 3-year decline of
hospitality graduates in 2003-2005 when nursing offered unbeatable
competition, there is a growing population of graduates in the succeeding years
with a significant increase of 14.5% in 2006. Hospitality graduates have an
average share of 0.59 to total courses for the years 2000 to 2007. With this
figure, therefore, hospitality programs have apparent market in the local Higher
Education Institutions (HEIs).
In 2008, there were already a total of 211 schools with enrollees of
hospitality programs based on the records of Commission on Higher Education
(CHED). Colleges and universities are the prime source of professionals and
practitioners. They are the immediate providers of knowledgeable and skillful
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human resources. Academic institutions are engaged in providing quality
learning, education and training relevant to their chosen field of expertise from
basic to technical aspects of the course.
In 2010, due to proliferation of HEIs offering Undergraduate and Graduate
Programs in Business Administration, Nursing, Teacher Education, Hotel and
Restaurant Management and Information Technology Education, CHED issued
the Memorandum Order No.32 series about the moratorium on the opening of
the mentioned programs effective school year 2011-2012. In the said CMO, it
was further mentioned that the moratorium was issued because of the problem
of mismatch that is currently being experienced by a significant number of hotel
and restaurant management. CHED is focused on ensuring that the Philippine
educational institutions are in tuned in producing competitive graduates not
only for local employment but also can go far in international deployment.
CHED is now persistent in developing a national qualifications framework to
improve tertiary education (Marcelo, retrieved October 2011). This only means
that there is a need of reengineering the programs that are offered in the
Philippine Higher Education Institutions (HEIs).
Changing Needs and Training Requirements of the Industry
As stipulated in the Commission on Higher Education (CHED)
Memorandum Order No. 30 Series of 2006, CHED underscored the need for
the curriculum to be more responsive to the needs of the industry, a new
program that emphasizes skills and competencies instead of just managerial
theory shall be instituted to the curriculum in such a way that it provides more
focused options for the students in terms of career paths. This could be
explained further by Reybould and Wilkins‘ research (2006) regarding generic
skills for hospitality management where they highlighted that it is essential for
education providers to have a clear understanding of industry and employer
expectations of the skills that graduates should have on completion of a degree
program.
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It was underscored by Soriano (2010) that most of the hospitality graduates
need additional skills training to be able to qualify for employment. Human
resources and labor recruitment specialists urge the government agencies and
the commission to undertake immediate reforms on the hospitality management
curricula and training courses (Milan, 2010). This concern is likewise
supported by Emmanuel Geslani, a senior recruitment consultant as he
challenged the colleges and universities and all the HEIs in the Philippines to
evaluate their current course offerings and make them relevant to the needs of
the local industry and tuned it to the demands of the global economy.
Therefore, academic hospitality institutions shall reengineer their training
programs to meet the demands of the industry not only within the local
employment but at par with the international standards.
Employment of Hospitality Graduates
In the Philippines, there is an average of 9.5% of over-all employment for
the tourism sector for the years 2000 to 2008. In an article in the Philippine
Daily Inquirer (Formoso, posted July 2010), it was pointed out that hospitality
programs can always export its culinary and food preparation students to
Canada where skilled tradespersons rank high as desirable employees because
Canada alone demands for more people to serve the hospitality industry.
However, the Philippines fails to send more because hospitality practitioners
and/or graduates fall short to pass competitive qualifying exams (Marcelo,
2011). In an article by Milan in 2010, it was pointed out that both government
and the private sector have failed to institute meaningful and concrete measures
to correct the mismatch between skills and jobs. Milan (2010) observed that
Philippine education is not well suited to the requirements of the global
economy...‖many overseas employment opportunities abound in sub-specialties
of various occupations but the Philippine Higher Education Institutions (HEIs)
is either ill-equipped and/or unprepared to offer corresponding courses to the
demand but rather do a ―one course fits all mentality‖.
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The insufficient level of technical expertise acquired from the training in
Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) which are deemed important in hospitality
operations brings the graduates into more difficult situation in securing a job
after graduation. These issues continuously increase the unemployment rate of
HRM graduates and numerous counts of unfilled job vacancies in the industry.
The country‘s education system continues to turn out college and universities
graduates‘ training and skills not attuned to the needs of the labor market both
at home and abroad and satisfy the expectations of the industry (Milan, 2010).
Hospitality Skills Mismatching and Issues
The concern on skills‘ mismatching is prevalent in the Philippine industry.
According to Lito B. Soriano (2010), President of LBS-E Recruitment and
Executive Director of the Federated Associations of Manpower Exporters, Inc.,
there has always been a ―serious gap‖ in the Higher Education Institutions
(HEIs) that persists in having curriculums that are ―unsuitable‖ in providing
their graduates with the possibility of employment. Soriano clearly described
that the Philippine industry is facing the concern on the growing mismatch of
workers‘ skills and the need of the industry which resulted in numerous
overseas job vacancies unfilled by OFWs and local employment specifically to
hospitality-related positions. He further noted that ―of one million college
graduates annually, only 5 to 10 percent are employed in jobs consistent to their
course while 30 to 40 percent got any employment‖. In an article by Marcelo
(online, retrieved October 2011), it was underscored that there is a mismatch
between the types of graduates that the Philippine Higher Education Institutions
produce and the kinds of skills that the labor market needs. Labor statistics
show that roughly half a million graduate are unable to get work in their chosen
field. Despite numerous vacancies, local and overseas employers often
complain about the lack of employable college graduates (Marcelo, 2011).
Phil-job.net, the official job search site of the Department of Labor and
Employmnet (DOLE), showed that some 125,000 local and overseas job
vacancies are still open and yet to be filled by qualified applicants.
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A recent study by the Bureau of Labor and Employment Statistics (BLES) of
DOLE shows that 1,052 million, or 39.1 percent of the unemployed, are college
graduates and undergraduates. The study further indicates that the large
proportion (50.6 percent) of the recorded 2.6 million unemployed Filipinos are
young workers aged 15 to 24 and are educated with a college diploma or are
undergraduates. Statistics show that graduates of business administration, hotel
and restaurant management and information technology are experiencing crisis
in securing jobs that only three out of every 100 new college graduates are hired
yearly because of their failure to pass competitive qualifying exams (Marcelo,
2011). According to Criselda Sy, Director of BLES, even if they are graduates
they are lacking to possess qualifications, competency and experience that the
job requires. The Director firmly affirms that the major concern is that the
Higher Education Institutions are not educationally at par with the standards of
the industry.
Labor Undersecretary Rozalinda Baldoz confirmed that Hospitality
Management programs posted the biggest number of graduates for the past
year. The government and the private sector through the consultation and
research managed by DOLE have identified Hotel Restaurant and Tourism as
one of the 12 Key Employment Generators (KEG), however the competency
level possessed by the graduates has become the serious concern of today‘s
market (Marcelo, 2011). The country generates more than 120,000 hotel and
restaurant management (HRM) graduates every year (Milan, 2010) which
intensify the concern on oversupply of employable manpower due to large
discrepancies between Higher Education Institution‘s (HEIs) training program
and the employer demands in the industry. Baldoz further noted that graduates
cannot immediately qualify for employment overseas due to lack of the
necessary experience required by foreign employers. Most of the hospitality
graduates were accepted for employment not related to their program and most
of them are found working in Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) particularly
in call center agencies, others are accepted as bank tellers and similar jobs that
require only three to six months training in developed countries (Marcelo,
2011).
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Skills and Competencies for Hospitality Graduates
It is vital to identify the generic skills that shall be possessed by the
hospitality graduates to eliminate the mismatching concerns on skill set and
competencies after undergoing series of training, courses and modules from
formal Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) and training and development
centers.
Practical and technical skills for operational and front-of-house competence
including finance, human resources and marketing can be acquired through
suitable courses. The article listed the general skills sought by a range of
hospitality employers as follows: (1) analytical, critical and problem-solving
skills, developed through researching, evaluating and presenting arguments and
data; (2) information technology skills to collect, analyze and present
information in spreadsheets and databases; (3) written communication skills,
gained from report and essay writing; (4) negotiation and teamwork skills,
developed through working both independently and on group projects; and (5)
leadership and delegation skills, gained through group work.
Tas (as cited by Assante et.al., 2010: 165), listed the six human relations
competencies regarded as most essential for hotel management trainees. These
six essential competencies were the following: (1) manages guest problems
with understanding and sensitivity, (2) maintains professional and ethical
standards in the work environment, (3) demonstrates professional appearance
and poise, (4) communicates effectively both in writing and orally, (5)
develops positive customer relations, and (6) strives to achieve positive working
relationships with employees based on perceptions of work interactions.
In the book authored by Robert Christie Mill about restaurant management
for customers, operations and employees (2007, 3rd Edition), she identified six
core competencies after asking selected hospitality managers of skills and
competencies for efficient employment. The six core competencies are as
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follows: (1) strategic planning; (2) interpersonal communication; (3) decision
making; (4) team building; (5) financial management; and (6) creative thinking.
The outcome of this study is deemed significant to various stakeholders of
the hospitality education:
In terms of addressing the hospitality skills gap, this paper can strengthen the
existing curriculum implemented by Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) under
the auspices of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), to respond to the
current and future demand for hospitality graduates for local and overseas
employment on a par with improving international standards.
Likewise, the findings and results of this study are beneficial to hospitality
educators through the proposed learning guiding principles. They can
appropriately develop a set of courses which will focus on developing and
enhancing relevant skills by factoring the immediate requirements and
qualifications for hospitality graduates based on the current and future needs of
the industry.
This study can be of help current students and graduates by receiving
valuable training with the aid of the identified suitable methods and more
focused skills training programs. This will improve the quality of graduates
with the necessary level of competency acquired from formal education and
supplementary training in preparation for employment. Furthermore, this will
prepare them to match the skills acquired from the academe with the needs and
demands of the industry.
The proposed learning guiding principles in this study will be helpful in
designing and implementing programs that will bridge the skills gap between
education training courses and the industry‘s expectations. In effect, employers
can immediately hire competent graduates to occupy positions in the hospitality
industry who will in turn make-up a progressive workforce. This eliminates
global issues concerning oversupply of graduates and unemployable manpower
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due to incompetent skills which worsen poverty in several countries most
importantly those that are developing like the Philippines. The industry
therefore, could immediately handle employees‘ acquisition from colleges and
universities upon graduation without conducting additional extensive in-house
training and development before formal deployment which serves as expense to
the organization.
This study aims to aid future researchers in hospitality research in terms of
conceptualization and completion of related research works.
The following are the study‘s objectives:
1. Identify the skills set such hospitality operations, people and personal
that are deemed important by the human resource managers of DOT
Accredited Deluxe Hotels in Metro Manila.
2. Determine the skills gap acquired by the hospitality graduates from a
formal education and training and the industry requirements and
expectations.
3. Propose intervention programs to further enhance the skill sets of the
graduates.
4. List the recommendations of the human resource managers for
curriculum reengineering to improve the skills and competency
5. Model guiding principles and set of courses to enhance the curricula of
the Philippine Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) and academic
hospitality institutions.
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2.0
METHOD
A. Subject of the Study
1. Research Site
This study focused on the operation skills, people skills and personal
skills required for entry level positions in the hospitality and tourism
industry. Other dimensions of competencies such as knowledge, values,
and attitude were not covered. The survey involved human resource
managers of selected DOT accredited deluxe hotels in Metro Manila.
2. Sampling Technique
The population of this study was composed of 22 human resources
managers of Department of Tourism-accredited deluxe hotels in Metro
Manila. The 15 selected human resources managers of deluxe hotels were
identified based on the size of the operation specifically the number of
rooms available. This was used to eliminate bias selection among the
DOT accredited deluxe hotels.
This particular study utilized the response of 14 out of 15 human
resources managers of selected deluxe hotels in Metro Manila as
accredited by the Department of Tourism.
As compliance to the
established qualifications and criteria of the said department for hotel
category, these lodging properties were able to follow and implement
acceptable and superior standard operating procedures for deluxe hotels.
Since human resources managers are the individuals who are directly and
highly involved in managing the human resources related to recruiting,
hiring and training, they were identified to be the participants of this
research study.
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Likewise, this study was participated in by selected seven (7)
hospitality educators and senior academicians. The comments and
recommendations from the academe were solicited to support the
researcher‘s recommendations for curriculum reengineering. This also
validated the proposed formulated guiding for an effective education
program, training and skills enhancement drawn from the gathered
program intervention of this study.
B. Conceptual Framework
This study is posited on the work of Diamante and Ledesma-Tan (2007)
whose book on Human Resource Management is widely used in the country
and other relevant works of some foreign authors.
Training and development is an attempt to improve current and future
employee‘s performance and abilities to perform his job through sets of
courses and learning inputs. The goal is to ensure that the skills, knowledge,
abilities and performance of participants meet current and future
organizational and industry needs. The need for training and development is
determined by employee performance deficiencies and future competency
requirements (Diamante & Ledesma-Tan, 2007). Training must be a
dynamic process and shall be influenced by multiple variables such as sociocultural, technological, economic, and political pressures.
A diagram on development of training program was presented in Human
Resources Management for the Hospitality Industry 2nd Edition by Mary L
Tanke (2001). It explains the needs assessment to determine the ―gaps‖
between what is currently in place in the hospitality operation and what is
needed. Needs assessment is a process designed to determine whether
training is necessary or not. The gap that exists between what is expected of
the employee and what skills and attitudes he currently possess may be
addressed through proper training program (Medina, 2006). The main
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concern of this study is to identify the gap to a difference between the skills
expected from a newly-hired human resource and the ones that a fresh
graduate actually have upon completion of his degree. In the said
illustration, the training objectives are being driven by the knowledge and
skills required for effective work performance. They, in turn, drive the
content of the training program which also impacts the training process that
is implemented and the tactics that are used for training evaluation (Hayes &
Ninemeier, 2009). The training plan shall be instituted by appropriate
instructional methods and training media within the suitable environment
that is facilitated by the experienced and knowledgeable trainer. They
further noted that the diagram can be used when training recently hired staff
members in all tasks required for their new position, and for training
experienced employees in revised job tasks, for ongoing training, and for
problem resolution purposes.
Figure 1 shows the conceptual framework of the study. The degree
courses related to hospitality and tourism is governed by Commission on
Higher Education Memorandum Order (CMO) No. 30, series of 2006. It
prescribes the course of study and the minimum requirements for students to
be granted a degree. Schools provide an appropriate learning environment,
facilities, competent faculty members, extra-curricular and co-curricular
activities, and on-the-job training to develop operation skills, people skills,
and personal skills of hospitality graduates. These skills sets were matched
with the requirements of the industry through the assessment and inputs of
human resource managers of deluxe hotels. The results of the study were
used as basis in crafting a framework for an effective hospitality training and
education program. The framework can strengthen the learning environment
and appropriate learning experience that will develop the skills required by
the industry.
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 CMO30, s.
2006
 BSHM,
BSHRM,
BSTM,
Culinary Arts
Curricula
 School/
Learning
Environment
 Facilities
 Faculty
 Extra-Curricular
Activities
 Co- Curricular
Activities
 On-the-Job
Training
 Hospitality
Operations
Skills
 People Skills
 Personal
Skills
Industry
requirement
s
Guide for effective education
program, training and skills
enhancement
Figure 1
Conceptual Framework of the Study
Assumptions
This study was conducted in the light of underlying assumptions. It was
assumed that the respondents answered the provided questionnaire objectively
by critically analyzing the importance of each set of skills. It was also assumed
that the open-ended questions were answered comprehensively to solicit the
valuable recommendation for curriculum reengineering. Likewise, all controls,
survey and methods utilized in this research were assumed that it was managed
with appropriate measures and treatment.
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C. Research Design
This study applied a quantitative research approach and utilized a descriptive
method with the aid of a modified survey questionnaire. The research
instrument covered a list of generic skills that participants were asked to rate
according to the extent of importance. Participants were also given space
wherein they could provide additional skills that were deemed important in the
workplace which were not mentioned or listed in the given survey
questionnaire. At the end of the questionnaire, there was an open-ended
question regarding the skills which were identified to be lacking in dealing with
the fresh graduates. Recommendations and suggestions were solicited from the
participants to further enhance the current Higher Education Institutions (HEIs),
curricula and training programs in terms of skill sets.
This method was suitable for this study to measure the gaps between the
effective use of instructional practices in the Higher Education Institutions
(HEIs), curricula and training programs for hospitality graduates and the needs
of the industry as perceived by the identified human resource managers of
selected deluxe hotels in Metro Manila.
D. Instrument Used
The researcher created a modified version of the research instrument used by
Ying-Wei Lu in 1999 to assess the important skills for hospitality and tourism
graduates. The questionnaire was modified and developed to identify the skill
sets and competencies needed for entry level positions and provided
intervention programs to enhance the said competencies. The instrument
consisted of four sections, the skill sets in terms of extent of importance; openended questions and comments for the identified skills gap; program
intervention to enhance the skill sets; and recommendations for curriculum
reengineering of BS Hotel and Restaurant Management and Hospitality
Management.
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The first two sections were rated by the respondents using the following 4Likert scale:
4-Likert Scale for Nominal and Descriptive Rating
Descriptive
Rating
(Extent
Nominal Rating
importance)
4
Extremely important
3
Very important
2
Somewhat important
1
Not important
of
The first section was about the necessity of skill sets in the workplace. The
Likert scale was utilized in this part where the participants were asked to rate its
importance on a scale of the following: ―1‖ as not important and ―4‖ as
extremely important. The survey questionnaire has three categories for skill
sets namely hospitality operations, people skills and personal skills. Hospitality
operations skills include lodging administration, restaurant operational
management, food and beverage management, hospitality facility planning and
development, hospitality finance and accounting, marketing in hospitality
industry, front office operational ability, and housekeeping operational ability.
People skills include leadership, communication, cooperative team building,
negotiating skills, harmonious guest relations, handling difficult people,
employee relations, public relations skills and professional analysis. Personal
skills include critical thinking ability, problem solving and identification,
decision making skills, analytical skills, computer applications, multilingual
skills or need of second language, research skills, professionalism and hands-on
experience. Since the focus of this study was to identify the skills requirements
for entry level positions, the researcher did not include conceptual skills which
were reflected in the instrument used by Ying-Wei Lu (1999). However, in
order to gather additional specific skills which were not listed on the give
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questionnaire, the option of ―Others‖ was provided to enlist the respondent‘s
opinion.
The second section was an open-ended question regarding the identified
skills gap in terms of hospitality operations skills, people skills and personal
skills. This was used to specifically determine the skills gap among fresh
hospitality graduates which are commonly observed and identified by the
respondents in dealing with a new hire.
The third section was another open-ended question where the respondents
were asked about the programs and interventions that can be provided to further
enhance the skills particularly on the skill set. This question was asked to
solicit suggestions from the participants in creating an intervention program to
further enhance the skills honed from the Higher Education Institutions (HEIs).
The last section was an open-ended question which was deemed to gather
recommendations and suggestions for curriculum reengineering of the BS
Hospitality Management/Hotel and Restaurant Management curricula to
enhance the skills of graduates in the Philippines in terms of the skill sets. This
question was addressed to gather valuable recommendations from the industry
on improving the current curricula for hospitality-related programs used in the
country since they are the ones who are employing the students after
graduation.
The survey questionnaire used number codes that were specifically assigned
to particular participants. A cover letter was utilized to explain the significance
of this study in creating a competency model to prepare the graduates to
employment sector. This modified version of questionnaire was assumed to
provide the researcher with the needed data relevant in making conclusions and
findings of the study.
A structured questionnaire was used to gather comments and
recommendations for curriculum reengineering from some selected educators.
The educator‘s point of view was maximized to match with the identified needs
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of the industry. It assisted the researcher to strengthen the proposed framework
for curriculum reengineering for hospitality-related programs.
3.0 RESULTS, DISCUSSION AND IMPLICATION
Response Rate
Fifteen (15) selected human resources managers participated in the study. The
questionnaires were distributed to the identified respondents through personal
appointment and submission of the survey questionnaires. After a month, the
researcher gathered an over-all response rate of 93.33%, or a total of 14 human
resource managers answered the research instrument.
Rank of Importance of Hospitality
The results of this study were statistically treated with appropriate measures.
The data illustrating the important skills for hospitality operations, people and
personal skills are shown on the three tables (Tables 1.1, 1.2, and 1.3,
respectively). The said tables showed the mean scores tabulated for each skill sets
together with the frequency percentages of the responses of the human resources
managers. The tables were used to analyze the data related to relevant skills and
determine the extent of importance of each skill. The skills were rated on their
importance by using a four-point scale where 1=not important and 4=extremely
important. The importance of these skills was determined by the human resources
managers and shows how important are the skills for the entry level positions in
the industry where N=14.
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Extent of Importance: Hospitality Operations Skills
Table 1.1. The Rank Order of Important Skills for Hospitality Operations
as Perceived by Over-all Respondents
Frequency Percentage
Over-all
HOSPITALITY
Mean DR
1
2
3
4
Rank
OPERATIONS SKILLS
Restaurant Operational
3.21 V.I. 7.14 21.43 50.00 21.43
Management
Food and Beverage
3.14 V.I. 7.14
0.00 64.29 28.57
Management
Marketing in Hospitality
3.14 V.I. 0.00 14.29 57.14 28.57
Industry
Front Office Operational
3.14 V.I. 0.00 14.29 57.14 28.57
Ability
Housekeeping Operational
3.14 V.I. 0.00 14.29 57.14 28.57
Ability
Hospitality Facility Planning
3.00 V.I. 7.14 14.29 50.00 28.57
and Development
2.86 V.I. 7.14 21.43 50.00 21.43
Lodging Administration
Hospitality Finance /
2.43 S.I.
7.14 50.00 35.71 7.14
Accounting
Weighted Mean Score
3.01 Very Important
Note: Extent of important was made on 4-point scale (1=Not Important; 4=Extremely
Important); DR=Descriptive Rating (V.I.=Very Important and S.I.=Somewhat
Important; N=14)
Table 1.1 displays the mean score and frequency percentage for hospitality
operations skills. Restaurant operational management ranked 1 with 3.21 mean
score where half of the respondents rated it as very important. On the other
hand, the least skill under hospitality operations is the hospitality finance /
accounting with 2.43 mean score and the only skill that received a descriptive
rating of somewhat important. Generally, the hospitality operations skills was
rated as very important with 3.01 weighted mean score.
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Extent of Importance: People Skills
Table 1.2. The Rank Order of Important Skills for People as
Perceived by Over-all Respondents
1
2
3
4
PEOPLE SKILLS
Mean DR
Communication
Harmonious Guest Relations
Cooperative Team Building
Public Relations Skills
Leadership
Employee Relations
Professional Analysis
Handling Difficult People
Negotiating Skills
Weighted Mean Score
4.00
E.I.
0.00
0.00
0.00
100.0
3.86
E.I.
0.00
0.00
14.29
85.71
3.79
E.I.
0.00
0.00
21.43
78.57
3.79
E.I.
0.00
0.00
21.43
78.57
3.71
E.I.
0.00
0.00
28.57
71.43
3.64
E.I.
0.00
7.14
21.43
71.43
3.57
E.I.
7.14
0.00
21.43
71.43
3.50
E.I.
0.00
21.43
7.14
71.43
3.36
E.I.
0.00
21.43
21.43
57.14
3.69
Over-all
Rank
1
2
4
4
6
8
9
10
Extremely Important
Important; N=14)
Table 1.2 presents the mean score and frequency percentage for people skill
sets. Impressively communication was rated by the respondents with 4.00
where 100% of them marked this as extremely important. Harmonious guest
relations ranked 2 with 3.86 mean score where almost eighty seven percent
(86.71%) marked this as extremely important. Even though the negotiating
skill was the least skill under people, it has a mean score of 3.36 and was still
marked as extremely important. Slightly over fifty-seven percent (57.14%) of
respondents rated this as extremely important while ―very important‖ and
―somewhat important‖ were marked by 21.43% of the respondents. Generally,
the people skill set was marked with 3.69 weighted mean score and verbally
interpreted as extremely important.
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Extent of Importance: Personal Skills
Table 1.3. The Rank Order of Important Skills for Personal as
Perceived by Over-all Respondents
PERSONAL SKILLS
Mean DR
1
2
3
4
Professionalism
Hands-on Experience
Critical Thinking Ability
Problem Solving and
Identification
Analytical Skills
Decision Making Skills
Computer Application
Multilingual Skills / Need of
Second Language
Research Skills
Weighted Mean Score
3.86
E.I.
0.00
0.00
14.29
85.71
3.71
E.I.
0.00
0.00
28.57
71.43
3.43
E.I.
7.14
0.00
35.71
57.14
3.21
V.I.
7.14
7.14
42.86
42.86
3.21
V.I.
0.00
21.43
35.71
42.86
3.14
V.I.
7.14
0.00
64.29
28.57
2.93
V.I.
0.00
28.57
50.00
21.43
2.57
V.I.
14.29
28.57
42.86
14.29
2.21
S.I.
14.29
57.14
21.43
7.14
3.14
Over-all
Rank
2
6
Very Important
Important; N=14)
Table 1.3 shows the mean score and frequency percentage for personal skill
sets. Professionalism ranked 1 with 3.86 mean score where almost eighty-six
percent (85.71%) agreed that this skill is extremely important. Hands-on
experience got the second rank with 3.71 mean score while critical thinking
ability has 3.43. Both were marked as extremely important. Other skills were
marked as very important except research skills with 2.21 mean score where
slightly over fifty-seven percent (57.12%) assessed this as somewhat important
which made this skill as the least among the skills listed under personal.
Generally, the personal skill set was rated as very important with 3.14 weighted
mean score.
Over-all, based on the mean score tabulated in Tables 1.1, 1.2, and 1.3 for the
important skill sets for the hospitality graduates to fill in entry level positions, the
respondents agreed that the top ten skills were stated as follows: communication,
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harmonious guest relations, professionalism, cooperative team building, public
relations skills, leadership, hands-on experience, employee relations, professional
analysis and handling difficult people. These skills were rated with extremely
important as perceived by the human resources managers.
The skill of communication with an average rating of 4.00 was the top one
important skill where 100% respondents perceived this as extremely important. It
was followed by harmonious guest relations and professionalism with 3.86 rating
from the 4-point Likert-scale where 85.71% of the respondents perceived these
skills as extremely important and slightly over 14% percent viewed these as very
important.
The skills of cooperative team building and public relations were both ranked 4
with 3.79 rating where these skills were perceived by 78.57% of respondents as
extremely important. Following the rank, leadership and hands-on experience tied
in number 6 with 3.71 mean score where 71.43% of respondents agreed that these
skills are ―extremely important‖.
The skills of employee relations, professional analysis and handling difficult
people gained a consensus of 71.43% of respondents as extremely important.
However, 21.43% of respondents marked employee relations as very important
which gave a mean score of 3.64 and placed it to number 8. Professional analysis
with the mean score of 3.57 where 21.43% and 7.14% of respondents rated this as
very important and not important, respectively ranked 9. On the other hand,
21.43% of the human resources managers rated the skill on handling difficult
people as ―somewhat important‖ while 7.14% of them believed that it is very
important, concluded a mean score of M=3.50. This completed the top ten
important skills for hospitality graduates. Critical thinking and negotiating ability
were marked as extremely important with a mean score of 3.43 and 3.36,
respectively but were not able to be in the top 10 important skills.
On the other hand, hospitality finance / accounting (hospitality operations) and
research skills (personal) were the only skills that were perceived as somewhat
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important with the mean scores of 2.43 and 2.21, respectively. Only 7.14% of
respondents believed that these skills are extremely important.
Other remaining skills were marked as ―very important‖ such as critical
thinking ability with mean score of 3.43; restaurant operational management,
problem solving and identification and analytical all received a rating of 3.21;
food and beverage management, marketing in hospitality industry, front office
operational ability, housekeeping operational ability, and decision making were
marked with 3.14 mean scores; hospitality facility planning and development has
3.00 rating; computer applications with 2.93; lodging administration has a mean
score of 2.86; and multilingual skills / need of second language with 2.57 mean
score.
The study revealed that the human resource managers perceived people skills as
extremely important (M=3.69) while personal and hospitality operations skills
were believed to be very important with weighted means of 3.14 and 3.01,
respectively (where 4=extremely important).
The survey questionnaire provided a space for other skills that were perceived
by the respondents as important but not listed in the given skill sets. One
respondent added crisis management and was noted to be extremely important.
Another comment was background in culinary arts (Asian and International
cuisines) and was viewed as extremely important.
Skills Gap
In the open-ended question in the survey questionnaire relevant to answer the
skills gap between the training and education received by the hospitality graduates
and the demand and expectations of the industry from them, the following were
identified by the respondents.
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Skills Gap: Hospitality Operations
The students are having difficulty converting theory to work application
specifically in front office operational ability, food and beverage management,
housekeeping operational ability, marketing in hospitality industry, restaurant
operational management and hospitality facility planning and development.
Hospitality graduates are experts in only a certain field but not in all relevant
operational skills. There is an obvious difficulty among the graduates to adapt
immediately to operational activities such as banquet and events, reservations and
housekeeping and other areas of assignment. This brought the hotels and other
related businesses in the industry in a challenge to hire applicants with relevant
skills relating to hospitality operations. It was noted that the following basic
expectations from the graduates are not met by the applicant upon hiring.
Front Office Operational Ability. Half of the respondents affirmed that front
office operational ability is lacking in most of the graduates. The new hires are not
equipped with sufficient knowledge in reservation basics or most of the time the
graduates are not oriented with updated reservations systems as explained by one
of the respondents; also they have difficulty in providing competitive
communication skills in dealing with guests including customer complaints. It was
confirmed by one of the respondents that not all schools teach the use of Opera to
their students, while this is not really used by all hotels, it is the most widely-used
standard system.
Food and Beverage Management. Nearly thirty-six percent (35.71%) of the
respondents identified food and beverage management as another skills gap. The
graduates are lacking in competitive and practical skills in food and beverage
management especially in terms of food service. There is observable practice
among newly graduates that they seemed to be not confident to be in the service
industry even if they went through on-the-job training before finishing the degree
program.
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Housekeeping Operational Ability. More than twenty-eight percent (28.57%)
of the respondents noted that the skill on housekeeping operational is missing
among the hospitality graduates. There is a gap identified when the students have
to be employed in tasks relating to housekeeping operational ability. Most of the
time they are not prepared in terms of basics in housekeeping including the tasks
and work assignments given to them such as cleaning the guestrooms, bathroom,
public areas, restrooms and using proper cleaning agents. Proper orientation and
discussion are missing to let the students be aware of technical preparedness that
they must possess when they are placed in this department.
Marketing in Hospitality Industry.
Fourteen percent (14.29%) of the
respondents identified marketing as another missing skill that should be possessed
by the graduates. The most apparent skill lacking related to marketing is the ability
to concretely participate in planning for marketing and promotional strategies; the
graduates are not kept updated with trends in marketing where most of the times
they are not able to propose vivid action plans to further establish the business in
the industry. This is in relation to deployment of OJT students in sales and
marketing department where they are not concise in the theory to improve sales
and quota.
Restaurant Operational Management. One respondent pointed out that
restaurant operational management is missing among the graduates. As explained
by the respondent many of the graduates have limited or little practical knowledge
on planning and inventory.
Hospitality Facility Planning and Development. Another respondent confirmed
that there is a gap in the skill related to facility planning and development. The
graduates have a limited or are lacking knowledge in facility planning and
development specifically building requirement and construction and other related
concerns.
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2.2. Skills Gap: People
Slightly over fifty-seven percent (57.14%) of the respondents strongly noted
that there are missing training preparations to enhance the skills of cooperative
team building, public relations and harmonious guest relations to make the
hospitality graduates competitive upon taking entry level positions in the industry.
Furthermore, there were obvious cultural communication barriers and difficulties
among students as observed by almost ninety-three percent (92.86%) of the
respondents. Majority of the hospitality graduates are not confident talking to
guests to provide quality service. Many students even at the on-the-job training
level failed to pass the hotel‘s fairly simple English test of proficiency as explained
by a respondent. Moreover, many of them also fail at oral communication where
students and new graduates have a difficulty expressing themselves in straight and
proper English as explained by another respondent. Graduates are lacking selfconfidence in dealing and communication with people as explained by a
respondent. One hotel noted that currently, they are providing further extensive
training sessions upon hiring before the new hires‘ proper deployment to the
position especially for front-line personnel. The hotels are really expecting to
acquire graduates who are highly competitive and able to adjust to job
requirements.
Skills Gap: Personal
In personal skills, twenty-eight percent (28.57%) of the respondents identified
analytical skills and hands-on experience to be lacking while twenty-one percent
(21.43%) of them believed that critical thinking ability and foreign language
proficiency is missing among the graduates and fourteen percent (14.29%) of the
respondents confirmed that there is a skills gap in terms of professionalism. A
respondent added that graduates today are lacking in initiative particularly in
taking personal involvement in understanding the company‘s day to day operations
in relation to analytical and critical thinking ability development. Another
respondent shared that there is lacking in terms of technical preparedness where
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the students failed to adapt on the challenging work environment due to lacking or
missing significant practical knowledge related to functional and operational areas.
There were three respondents who strongly noted that hands-on experience given
to the students is weak and less competitive which brought the graduates in
difficult circumstances to immediately immerse themselves into work practices.
Hands-on experience is significant to programs that are categorized as skills-based
degree like BS Hotel and Restaurant Management and BS Hospitality Management
as noted by one of the interviewed educators. In addition, another respondent
noted that it would be good for the students to learn a third language and acquire at
least the lowest level of certification.
Program intervention to further enhance the skills sets
The third section of the survey questionnaire was another open-ended question
which gathered the comments on possible programs interventions to further
enhance the skills in terms of the three identified skill sets (i.e. hospitality
operations, people and personal). The respondents strongly noted the following
comments on how to enhance the skill sets.
Program Interventions: Hospitality Operations Skills
On-site Training with Practical Examination. Eight out of 14 respondents
(57.14%) shared that on-site training could be used to improve hospitality
operations skills. Exposure to different hotels, resorts, restaurants, and other
related hospitality establishments shall be handled by the training providers. The
academic institutions should have computer applications specifically for
operational skills such as front office and food and beverage (e.g. reservation
systems and point-of-sale and inventory systems) if possible. This includes some
of the computer-based training programs (CBT) for an actual encounter of the
students to the hotel operational systems which therefore prepare the graduates for
their job placement after completion of the training courses and degree in college.
In the book by M. Tanke in 2001, computer-based training programs were defined
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as a system that allows the trainee to advance through the training at his or her own
pace.
The respondents noted that the program shall cover extensive simulation
training in some of the hotel operational departments. A certification will be given
after passing practical examinations in several areas of expertise relating to
hospitality management. Simulation is a training method that represents a real-life
situation, with trainees‘ decisions resulting in outcomes that mirror what would
happen if the trainees were on the job (Payos, 2010). It was further discussed that
simulators need to have identical elements found in the actual workforce.
Relevant Educational Tours and Seminars. As affirmed by six respondents
tours and seminars can be maximized to enhance skills. Study / Educational tours
such as on background and basics in culinary arts and food and preparations, and
hotel operations can assist the graduates to further develop critical thinking with
relevant understanding of the industry. A respondent noted that educational tour is
important for the students to be more exposed to the industry. However, as
explained by one interviewed educator, activities (e.g. tours and seminars) that
should be injected must be congruent with the course/s that the students are taking.
Internship Training with Job Rotation. The students who are undergoing onthe-job training and practicum must have the possibility of being swivelled to
different departments and not just to be assigned in one department as explained by
three respondents. It was further explained by a respondent that job rotation is
significant in contributing towards individual progress. This can help the
graduates acquire more comprehensive training courses involving hotel operations
and functional areas.
As defined by Payos (2010), practicum is a requirement by schools for
graduating college students to undertake in companies for a certain number of
hours before they can graduate. The problem of the students are assigned in one
department is, students taking practicum are usually reduced into doing jobs like
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acting as messengers, typing, filling or sorting clerks or other jobs that are not
related to the course.
Partnership with Deluxe Hotels in the Philippines and Abroad. On-the-job
training programs can be absolutely enhanced if the academic institutions and
training providers are able to establish tie-ups with selected deluxe hotels as
affirmed by two respondents. This program is an effective tool to be employed if
the academic institutions cannot acquire relevant operating systems for practical
and hands-on experience. The industry partners will provide the training site with
available facilities for a more actual and consistent experience. The hotels, on the
other hand, will provide manageable training courses.
Developing linkages by the academic institutions with the established industry
partners can elaborately enhance the on-the-job training, coaching and practicum.
The tie-up is almost similar to Dual Training supervised by TESDA where a
company will strike a partnership with a technical school in which the trainee
undergoes 50% classroom training and another 50% on-the-job training with the
sponsoring company as explained by Payos in his book (2010).
Program Interventions: People Skills
English Communication Proficiency Training with Certification. Nearly thirtysix percent of the respondents (35.71%) noted that students should pass English
examinations in writing, speaking and listening before officially taking on-the-job
training. It was also affirmed by another respondent that there must be intense
English classes to promote a competitive job matching. There must be training
preparations to strengthen conversant speaking or ability to communicate to an
international audience.
Career Counseling, Training and Seminars. Half of the respondents noted that
the academic institutions shall incorporate counselling, training and educational
seminars by local and foreign hoteliers and guest speakers. Understanding other
nations‘ cultures will enable the graduates to be internationally competitive.
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In the book of Tanke (2001) counselling occurs when there is a deficiency in
performance standards. Problem solving techniques are instituted that provide the
opportunity for the students to get his or her skills on the right track. Academic
counselling as explained by one of the educators is part of disciplinary actions
geared at saving a student from failing.
Cross Cultural Programs. Exposure to different nationalities, types of guests
and cultures can enhance the cross cultural orientation of the graduates as
confirmed by two of the respondents. Communication can also be improved
through understanding cultural diversity and interacting with people of different
nationalities (e.g. interaction with foreign students) being affirmed by another
respondent.
School-based Organizations Involvement.
A respondent shared that
encouraging the students to participate in some extra-curricular activities or joining
an organization can develop leadership skills to produce competitive graduates
with relevant skills. As highlighted by one of the human resources managers, team
building and leadership seminars in some organizations can provide learning
experience and real scenarios to develop one‘s skills as effective team player.
Team building is an organizational intervention usually away from work for
several days where the employees are organized into teams and solve common
problems related to relationships (Pereda, 2008). The focus is on human relation
issues and poor teamwork to increase trust and openness among team members.
Community-based Outreach Programs. It was affirmed by a respondent that
encouraging the students to get involved in some community-based projects (both
local and national organizations) can develop a deeper sense of taking
responsibility and defining job as a personal commitment to success. This program
can be utilized to further hone positive attitude among graduates with a wider
understanding of challenges and difficulties.
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Program Interventions: Personal Skills
Advanced Personality Development Training. Schools shall provide an
extensive personality development to students which means that it is not only a
course to be taken in a semester but implementing policies and procedures to be
abided by the students as shared by half of the respondents. There must be
personal grooming and styling where the students are taught on how to dress
appropriately for all occasions including practicum and job interviews. It was
further noted that students should already learn to be warm and customer-oriented.
According to one of the interviewed educators, it was noted that practicing is
necessary to develop a vivid understanding of the impacts of compliance to rules
and regulations and further guarantee that graduates possess professional and work
ethics.
Case Analyses in Major Courses. Almost half of the respondents (42.86%)
answered that digestive case studies are deemed necessary to further enhance the
soft skills of the students. Soft skills as described by the educator, account for
one‘s positive attitude more of behavioural aspect of a personality. Also, constant
case study exercises and reviews can increase the students‘ skills on critical
thinking ability, analytical, problem solving and sound decision making.
Case studies are classroom type of training techniques that provide a medium
through the application of management behaviour concepts and analyses (Pereda,
2008). It was further explained that cases either through the use of multi-media or
case problems are developed similar to those existing in the work environment. As
affirmed by the educators, group case analysis can facilitate the learning
experience.
Comprehensive Course Exercises. It was strongly noted by two of the
respondents that the training programs available in both higher education and
vocational institutions shall employ relevant course exercises. Well-planned
module guides and lectures with demonstration can competitively develop
graduates with advance hands-on experience.
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Competitive Hands-on Projects through Course Application. Major projects
and other course requirements shall incorporate concrete practical learning and
first-hand experience as noted by one of the respondents. This can be done
through holding projects like big events and functions run primarily by the students
(e.g. catering some of the major school events and public gathering) and strong
marketing campaign which could be enhanced through linking with other programs
with specialization in the field (e.g.
marketing, entrepreneurship and
management).
Values Integration in Course Requirement. Value integration must be part and
parcel in the curriculum as affirmed by two respondents. The graduates shall
develop work ethics with solid foundation of positive attitude.
Foreign Language Proficiency. It was suggested by three respondents that the
academic institution must offer third language courses that lead to certification or
at least the lowest level of proficiency. This helps the graduates to lessen some
cultural barriers.
BS Hospitality Management/Hotel and Restaurant Management curricula
reengineering to improve the skills sets
This section of the research instrument was another open-ended question which
gathered the recommendations for the curriculum reengineering to further enhance
the skills in terms of the three identified skill sets (e.i. hospitality operations,
people and personal). In general perspective, the respondents strongly noted the
following recommendations:
Industry Practitioners‘ Involvement in Developing Curricula. It was noted by
the respondents that CHED together with the Higher Education Institutions,
Training Providers and Vocational Training Centers must involve industry
practitioners in their curriculum consultation in order to see the whole picture of
the diagram. The academe should be in touch with the industry. Schools should
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take the opportunity to liaise and coordinate with the hotels and restaurants where
their students can take practicum to learn more about the requirements and
movements of the industry. This can help the training providers keep abreast with
the current trends and demands of local and international market. As suggested by
another respondent, curricula and training courses should concentrate to innovative
skills of students which strengthen the skills for application to work environment.
Study Tours and Simulations must be Integrated in the Curriculum. One
respondent noted that tours and simulations are the activities that must be
integrated in the curriculum of HRM to further improve the skills of students
particularly for the functional areas (e.g. front office, housekeeping and food and
beverage). Tours and simulations assist the students to be exposed to different
advanced computer applications used by different department that are commonly
available in first class or deluxe hotels due to high cost of acquisition (e.g.
reservation system, inventory and point-of-sale).
School-run Hotel Laboratory. It was strongly confirmed by one of the
respondents that availability of school laboratory (mini-hotel) with guests is
significant so the student can receive immediate actual experience. The
respondents believed that mini-hotel laboratory can provide hands-on experience
as simulators in operational abilities in terms of front office, housekeeping and
food and beverage.
Extensive Internship Program. Another suggestion that was placed by the
respondents was providing longer practicum training / OJT of at least 600 hours in
actual workforce where the students receive valuable training and exposure to
several departments. It was further explained by the respondents that job rotation
to functional areas is significant in allowing the students to acquire the important
hospitality skills as perceived by the industry partners. Currently, majority of the
academic institutions has an average of 400 hours for practicum and OJT.
On-the-job training (OJT) is learning while actually working on the job which
makes the worker acquire skills and learn new techniques by doing the job himself
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under the direction and instruction of a training instructor or supervisor with
sufficient knowledge related to skills needed for interaction (Sison.et.al, 2003)
Faculty Immersion Programs and Industry Exposure. It was significantly
recommended by the respondents that the teachers must undergo several faculty
immersion programs so they can acquire skills enhancement particularly in
functional areas such as hands-on experience in front-office, housekeeping, and
food and beverage. This is important so the teachers are credible to hand down
theories and principles related to hotel operations as affirmed by one respondent.
This also makes the learning process more relevant and attuned to industry updates
and trends.
Certification for Specialization and Proficiency. Certification for specialization
for both technical skills for hospitality and English proficiency can be integrated in
the curriculum as confirmed by half of the respondents. It was noted that the
school must encourage the students to get TESDA NCII certification to further
hone the skills in terms of technical level of the students. English proficiency
certification, on the other hand, can explicitly challenge the students to improve
their communication skills as affirmed by one of the respondents.
Guide framework for an effective hospitality skills training and education
program
After analyzing the data in terms of importance and level of sophistication,
comments related to observed skills gap, programs interventions as suggested by
the respondents to further enhance the skill sets and the recommendation for
curricula reengineering of BS Hotel and Restaurant Management / Hospitality
Management, this model intends to begin filling the lacking and/or missing
methods to improve and develop the required skills expected from the graduates.
This model takes the important skills and gives the hospitality educators the
perspective of understanding the perceived important skills of the industry so the
Higher Education Institutions can produce well-rounded graduates.
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The skill sets can be further enhanced by maximizing the available resources
through solid integration of four important learning factors identified by this study:
school (academic institutions / training centers); person (instructors and trainers);
curriculum (media and course reference); and industry (training site facility
extension). These learning factors have the vital role in making the over-all
learning process worthwhile in response to what the industry demands.
Schools or the academic institutions are the training venue for formal education.
The students were taught of both theories and practical knowledge to obtain the
foundation of learning and development. They served as the training centers to
acquire valuable skills that are considered relevant to hone well-rounded
hospitality graduates. Schools are expected to offer available facilities such as
laboratory for on-site training and examinations, simulators and computer
application programs for proficiency certification to some functional areas that can
be maximized by the students to develop a certain level of competency with
apposite personal traits and values. The academe must also offer wider learning
opportunities related to English communication and foreign language proficiency
as to produce graduates who are conversant speakers and uses proper English.
Likewise, this learning factor should take the opportunity to liaise and coordinate
with the hotels and restaurants (partnership) where their students can take their
practicum with extensive internship program to learn more about the requirements
and movements of the industry. In short, schools the centers of learning must
guarantee that they are able to adapt with the industry trends.
The second learning factor is the curriculum such as the media, course
references, training modules and education programs. Curricula must be in
congruent to the industry‘s expectations by maximizing the most valid, correct and
feasible training courses and modules. This must be aligned to honing wellrounded graduates with significant acquired skills and competencies to meet the
fast changing demands of the industry. In short, curriculum must be integrated
with appropriate methods such as practical training with examination, certification
for proficiency, well-planned relevant educational tours and seminars, extensive
simulations, extra-curricular activities, organizational and community involvement,
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comprehensive course exercises, digestive case analyses in major courses,
personality enhancement training, competitive hands-on projects and recognized
on-the-job or practicum training procedures and sites.
The learning process shall be supervised by a qualified trainer or instructor.
The person, as one of the learning factors in this framework, can make the over-all
learning process sophisticated by injecting appropriate individual approach of
teaching methodologies to guide the students of what must be the important skills
as perceived by the human resources managers of deluxe hotels. Faculty
immersion and industry exposure help the instructors and trainers to acquire
valuable personal experience which aid the learning process into being more
consequential because hospitality programs are considered to be skill-based. With
this point, the trainers are urged to possess a certain level of advanced skills and
competencies to make them credible and qualified. This learning factor has a vital
role in conveying the most proper training courses to firmly develop competitive
graduates with solid hands-on experience and practical knowledge which are being
guided by suitable teaching principles.
The industry as the fourth learning factor must be integrated to serve as the
training site facility extension. This learning factor is expected to provide the
training preparations where the academe has limited capacity to input the necessary
methods. The industry can fill in the lacking and/or missing training courses that
cannot be provided by the schools due to the absence of appropriate facility
encounter such as reservation systems and some operational computer programs
that are typically with high acquisition cost. Seminars and simulations particularly
in having real encounter in some computer systems in functional areas (e.g. front
office and food and beverage) can be implicitly offered by the players of the
industry from the restaurants, hotels and other related businesses. However, these
businesses as possible training sites for practicum and on-the-job training must be
qualified to impart important learning preparations by establishing endorsed
procedures. This can only be possible if the academe can develop a partnership
with the industry to review the current hotels‘ internship / training plans.
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Guiding Principles
Based on the results of the study, the researcher was able to establish five
guiding principles to enhance the learning experience and competency building of
students. As such, Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) shall:
1. Enhance students’ specific skill sets relating to people. With the
significant response in the people skills in terms of importance, the
researcher deemed this principle as an urgent concern to be considered by
the academe in producing competitive hospitality graduates. People skills
particularly on communication shall be strongly enhanced by concerned
educational institutions. It was observed by the respondents that many
students, even at the on-the-job level do not pass in the hotel‘s fairly simple
English test of proficiency. Moreover, it was affirmed by another
respondent that some students also fail at oral communication where both
students and new graduates have a difficulty expressing themselves in
straight and proper English.
2. Create measurable training plan and modules. Training plan and modules
used by the academic institutions particularly for practicum and on-the-job
training must be measurable and can offer an opportunity of extensive
learning experience with hands-on and practical course applications. It was
affirmed by one respondent that longer practicum period with job rotations
shall be employed to maximize the learning outcomes gained by students
and/or graduates.
3. Offer as many options for learning as possible. This principle tackles the
wider learning opportunities that must be offered by the schools. It further
emphasizes that there are varied theories and learning requirements that
cannot be solely acquired within classroom meetings due to some technicalrelated matters. The learning experience of the hospitality graduates is the
combination of the greater perspective of relating theories, practices,
application and examinations all together to have a solid integration of all
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the learning factors. Likewise, this principle covers some of the effective
and efficient teaching methodologies to enhance the acquired important
skills for hospitality graduates including educational tours and seminars,
extensive simulations, extra-curricular activities, organizational and
community involvement, course exercises, digestive case studies and
personal grooming and personality enhancement.
4. Provide a simulator or training site. Due to strong note regarding handson experience and practical knowledge possessed by the graduates, a
simulator and training site must be provided. This directly offers vivid
learning outcomes related to technical proficiency and can be utilized for
proper certification and specialization on skills and competency level.
Simulations can offer wider learning opportunity through providing a reallife situation where trainees‘ decisions are highly involved and tested
resulting to outcomes that mirror what would happen if the trainees are on
the job. It identically illustrates the elements found in the actual workforce
that would encourage the students to receive advanced preparations related
to significant identified skills.
5. Employ competitive instructors and facilitators in response to the needs
of the learners. Qualified instructors and facilitators must be employed by
the Higher Education Institutions because this learning factor is the one that
would manage the learning process through some of the identified
educational principles and personal teaching methodologies. Qualified
means that the trainers are equipped with sufficient knowledge related to
theories and principles combined with advanced level of technical
proficiency specializing in certain skill sets. In fact, the learning outcomes
are greatly affected by the trainer because he or she has the direct
involvement on how to impart the important skills to be learned by the
graduates. These individuals are challenged to integrate several aspects such
as skills, competencies, personal traits, and values into one inter-related
learning experience.
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The following tables present the guiding principles and their appropriate
activities and methods of assessment. Expected results and outcomes were also
shown in the tables.
Table 4.1.
Guiding Principles for Learning Experience and Competency Building
No. Principle
Activities & Assessment Expected Result
Methods
1
HEIs shall
enhance
students‘
specific skill
sets relating
to people.
 On-site training with
 Certification will be
practical examination can be
granted only to the
used to develop particular
students who
skill that requires
demonstrated mastery
demonstration and intensive
on the skills and
hands-on experience toward a competencies needed
certification (TESDA NCII & for a particular
English fluency), thus,
procedural or facility
providing evidence of
interaction.
expertise and competitive
acquired hospitality skills.
 Digestive case analyses
together with comprehensive
course exercises can
determine the student‘s
ability to apply knowledge in
appropriate situations.
 This can increase the
students‘ skills on
critical thinking ability,
analytical, problem
solving and sound
decision making.
 Competitive hands-on
projects (e.g. catering
functions) through course
application can enhance
technical proficiency of a
student. Also, this can
develop students‘ skills
related to guest relations,
teamwork, public relations
 Proficiency in a
particular skill in certain
level shall be identified
at the end of the handson activities and
learning courses.
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and leadership. Hands-on
activities and learning
experience can be a tool to
measure competencies and
outcomes of students‘ skill
development.
 Advanced personality
development training with
values integration in course
requirement can explicitly
enhance students‘ soft skills
that are significant in forming
positive attitude toward
people skills development.
2
HEIs shall
create
measurable
training plan
and modules.
 Practicum or on-the-job
training is a pre-designed
activity to obtain certain
outcomes from a student to
demonstrate skills,
competencies, knowledge
and abilities related to
hospitality management.
 The students are able
to develop and
practice impressive
work and professional
ethics.
 The students acquired
sufficient preparations
for skill sets‘
enhancement before
receiving a diploma or
certification of finishing
a degree, program or
course.
 Training in different
 Work assignment and
departments during practicum duty workloads are
learning experience is
aligned with the
significant to develop several
expected result (skills
important skills related to
acquired) of the
hospitality. Job rotation must
students‘ performance
be identical to one‘s objective through industry
of providing students‘
attachment (OJT).
competencies. This must
prevent the student trainees to
be deployed in work
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assignments that are
irrelevant to the skills needed
by hospitality graduates (e.g.
filing, encoding and typing)
 Industry practitioners‘
involvement in curriculum
consultation can assist
educational institutions to
keep abreast with the
demands of the local and
international market.
 Validated training
courses, program and
curricula that are
attuned to the industry
trends, updates and
requirements.
 Practicum duration shall be
 The students are able to
reviewed for a longer period
receive greater
with job rotation to functional opportunities to
areas to strengthen students‘
enhance the skill sets
acquired hospitality
through considerable
important skills in the field
experience in actual
encounter.
workforce.
3
HEIs shall
 Creating linkages and
offer as many partnership with deluxe
options for
hotels in the Philippines and
learning as
abroad can be employed by
possible.
several academic institutions
to ensure that there would be
feasible training venues
especially to acquire skills
related to some operating
systems (e.g. reservations in
the front office that are
typically with high initial
cost).
 Educational tours and
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 There is an available
training facility that
would accommodate
students to provide
valuable training to
some operational
systems that are
important in hotel
industry.
 Students are exposed to
226
4
HEIs shall
provide a
simulator or
training site.
seminars can be tools to
receive learning experience
that is limited within the
isolation of classroom
meetings. There must be
multiple modes to deliver
instruction to students.
the industry and have
received wider
understanding towards
hospitality functional
areas.
 In-house or school-based
organizations involvement
and other extra-curricular
activities can provide
students the opportunity to
enhance the skills of
leadership, volunteerism and
cooperative team building.
 Students are able to
increase human
relations, teamwork,
trust and openness to
development and other
important people and
personal skills.
 Community-based outreach
program is instituted to
further hone students‘
positive attitude with a wider
understanding of challenges.
This can gather meaningful
feedback from reflecting to
some societal issues.
 Students have
developed a sense of
taking responsibility
and defining job as a
personal commitment to
success and deepened
the graduates‘
perception toward job.
 Simulator like school-run
hotel laboratory with guests
can provide a more extensive
training similar to a real-life
situation with trainees‘
decisions resulting in
outcomes will mirror what
would happen if the trainees
were on the job.
 Students acquired actual
experience and have
developed critical
thinking ability through
engaging in a more
interactive approach of
learning.
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5
HEIs shall
employ
competitive
instructors
and
facilitators in
response to
the needs of
the learners.
 Trainers and teachers can
 Facilitators (trainers and
undergo further training,
teachers) are kept
seminars and immersion
updated on industry
programs related to areas of
advancement and are
concentration in functional
able to convey
areas. Practical knowledge
significant points to
pertaining to one skill or
enhance students‘ skill
competency requirement of
sets.
the trainers can strengthen the
over-all learning experience
of the students.
4.0 SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
4.1 Summary
Hospitality Management has been one of the oversubscribed programs in the
Philippines. In fact, the number of hospitality-related programs‘ graduates in the
country has been recognizable in the past five years. It gained popularity when
tourism started to be in the spotlight. As a result, the purpose of this study was to
identify and discuss the management skill sets and competencies needed by
hospitality graduates based on the perception of the human resources managers of
selected deluxe hotels in Metro Manila. Likewise, this aimed to determine the
degree of sophistication needed to hone particular skill sets.
In addition to identifying those competencies needed by the industry, this
research formed a model that can bridge the gap between the training program
offered by the Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) and the demand of the
industry. This model can be used to further develop and modify the current
curriculum to meet the needs of the fast growing industry. It further aids the
Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) to measure if their curricula is providing
significant training programs that assist the graduates at the employment sector
most importantly for the entry level position.
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4.2 Findings
The first objective of the study was to identify the extent of importance to be
given to each skill as perceived by the human resources managers. The study
revealed that the respondents strongly perceived people skill set as extremely
important while personal and hospitality operations skill sets were deemed to be
very important. Skills on communication under people skill set impressively
ranked first among the twenty-six (26) listed skills with a perfect rating from the
respondents. It was followed by harmonious guest relations, cooperative team
building and public relations. In fact, these skills were also deemed to be the top
most important skills in the study of Ying-Wei Lu in 1999.
Although people skill sets were marked as extremely important, only
negotiating skills received a rating within very important which made it not to be
in the top ten skills. In this study, human resources managers‘ perception showed
that professionalism and hands-on experience under personal skill sets shall be
deemed as extremely important. These two skills were also within the top ten
important skills. Restaurant operational management was perceived as the most
important skill among the eight listed skills under hospitality operations. On the
other hand, the least important skills were hospitality finance / accounting and
research skills consistent with the study conducted by Ying-Wei Lu (1999).
In general, the results showed that it is important for the students to acquire
relevant training courses that would encourage them to develop strongly the people
skill sets. The findings of this study particularly confirmed that people skills shall
be drawn side by side with professionalism and hands-on experience.
The second objective was to identify the skills gap between the training and
education received by the hospitality graduates and the demand and expectations of
the industry. Results revealed that in general context the students are having
difficulty converting theory to work applications specifically in some hospitality
operational areas such as marketing, front office, facility planning and
development, food and beverage, restaurant management and housekeeping. On
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229
the other hand, the study revealed that there were missing training preparations to
enhance some important people skills including cooperative team building, public
and guest relations and most significantly to communication. The findings
explained that graduates are not confident talking to guests because of some
cultural communication barriers. In personal skills, the respondents confirmed that
they were lacking in technical preparedness in terms of analytical skills, hands-on
experience and professionalism. The human resources managers have observed
that graduates were given weak and less competitive hands-on experience that
would enhance students‘ analytical and critical thinking with the emphasis in
taking significant view towards developing professionalism. The possible
explanation of this observation is that the education institution is providing
practical learning experience but lacking in terms of degree of sophistication.
The third objective aimed to gather some possible program interventions to
further enhance the skill sets. The study revealed that training on-site with
practical examination specifically to some computer applications for certification
can be used to validate proficiency of a graduate. It was further explained that
English fluency test shall be added to eliminate some of the cultural
communication difficulty which was identified as one of the most lacking skills.
Partnership with different deluxe hotels in the Philippines and abroad can be
maximized to be a possible extension for training venue. To offer as many options
of learning as possible to convey skills and experience that cannot be acquired
within the classroom meetings, educational tours and seminars can be employed.
It was strongly affirmed that industry exposure of the students is explicitly an aid
to sustainable learning by means of observational methods. Another, the
respondents suggested that school and community-based organizations‘
involvement can measure outcomes in terms of enhancing graduates‘ skills related
to people and personal such as leadership, teamwork, critical and analytical, and
hands-on experience. These involvements are proven to provide a wider scope of
learning opportunities because of practical hands-on experience. In addition,
digestive case study with comprehensive course exercises can critically develop
students‘ ability to apply knowledge in appropriate situations with relevant soft
skills pertaining to attitude and values possessed by the graduates.
DLSL JMR
230
The finishing section of this research study was to discuss the recommendation
for curriculum reengineering of the BS Hotel and Restaurant Management and
Hospitality Management. The respondents shared the it is significant to include
industry practitioners in the Higher Education Institutions‘ curriculum consultation
so it is attuned to what are the demands and expectations of the industry from
hospitality graduates. Likewise, it is important for the academic institutions to
offer a simulator like the school-run hotel laboratory with guests. Simulators
accounted to provide real-life situation where skills and competencies can be
developed through practical assessment of what would happen if the trainees were
on the job (Payos, 2010). The respondents also noted that practicum and on-thejob training (OJT) programs shall be taken by the students in a longer span of at
least 600 hours where job rotation or training in different departments should be
monitored. Finally, the human resources managers recommended that teachers and
trainers must undergo faculty immersion and industry exposure or skills
enhancement programs to acquire significant hands-on experience. As discussed
by Sison, Payos and Zorilla in their book (2003), OJT and immersion are learning
while actually working on the job which made the trainee acquire a certain
competency level.
4.3 Conclusions
1. People skills set is deemed to be extremely important and generally needs to
be dealt with advance level of concentration. Relevant training related to
hospitality operations skills but with a strong ability to communicate
effectively with customers and colleagues can produce competitive
graduates.
2. Among the listed skills, communication was identified to be the most
important. This can be explained that there should be an advanced and
superior level of tests and examinations to fully enhance students‘
communication skills and further eliminate several cultural communication
barriers.
DLSL JMR
231
3. Majority of the respondents feel the need to have more training and
hospitality skills enhancement. Consistent hands-on learning experience is
relevant to hone the important skill sets acquired by the students from the
Higher Education Institutions. This can produce more well-rounded
graduates with at least an intermediate level of proficiency to a certain
functional area position competency.
4. The results showed that in relation to skills gap, students are having
difficulty converting theory to work application specifically in front office,
food and beverage and housekeeping. Likewise, there is missing training
preparations that would enhance students‘ collaborative teamwork and
harmonious guests and public relations which in effect, made the students
less competitive to be immediately emerged in the job market after the
completion of the degree program. On the other hand, some personal skills
including the ability to critically think and analyze practical knowledge with
the emphasis on work and professional ethics was strongly identified in this
study to be lacking and/or missing in some points of training preparations.
5. Extensive training programs and modules such as alignment of on-the-job,
practicum, simulation, examinations with proficiency certification, relevant
educational tours and seminars, course application/exercises, organization‘s
involvement (both local and national), digestive case studies, values
integration to course requirements and intense foreign language proficiency
are believed to be some of the program interventions to eradicate the skills
mismatching of hospitality graduates.
6. As suggested by half of the respondents, involvement of industry
practitioners in developing curricula, integrated course requirements such as
study tours and simulations, available school-run hotel laboratory as
simulators and certification of proficiency (National Certificate or NCII)
from Technical Education and Skills Development (TESDA) can be
considered for curriculum reengineering and program enhancement.
DLSL JMR
232
7. Extensive internship program through longer duration of practicum of at
least 600 hours with job rotation in functional areas such as front office,
housekeeping and food and beverage can be used to broaden the practical
knowledge and hands-on experience of the students before receiving the
diploma or at least a proficiency certification of program completion and
training courses in specific Higher Education Institution or Training Center.
This can be explained that industry attachment is an effective measure to
produce well-rounded graduates.
8. One noticeable recommendation gathered from this study is that trainers and
teachers must undergo specific faculty immersion and enhancement
programs in function areas for industry updates. This was strongly noted to
strengthen the over-all learning experience of the students because they are
being trained by experts or trainers with considerable amount of proficiency
on specific skill and competency.
4.4 Recommendations
1. Higher Education Institutions shall offer wider learning opportunities to
enhance people skills. As suggested, academic institutions can utilize the
use of cross-cultural experience for exposure to different nationalities and
different types of guests where activities and course requirements have the
emphasis on interacting with foreign guests like creating projects with direct
involvement of some other foreign students.
2. With the high response received by communication among all the given
skills, it is recommended to consider the English proficiency examinations in
writing, speaking and listening before the deployment of students on their
on-the-job training and some industry attachments. Intense English class
offerings may also be maximized to advance the acquired skills of students
pertaining to conversant speaking.
DLSL JMR
233
3. A training program must be offered to enhance the hospitality background
and competencies of BSHRM graduates. To produce well-rounded
graduates with proficiency to a certain functional area, hands-on experience
is suggested to be utilized. There must be practical application in some
operational departments such as close encounter in front office reservation
system, manner of food service in food and beverage management, and the
basics of cleaning approach in public area and guestrooms in housekeeping.
4. Due to observable results on gaps in some operational and functional areas,
TESDA National Certification II can bridge the gap on the lacking
preparations related to technical proficiency. On the other hand, students‘
participation in some extra-curricular activities such as joining school and
community-based organizations can contribute to further enhance other
people and personal skills.
5. Review of the training modules and programs in terms of teaching
methodologies, coverage and content, course requirements, course
integration, application and evaluation is suggested to be managed by the
Higher Education Institutions to guarantee that the missing and/or lacking
aspects in learning process may be resolved.
6. Academic institutions are recommended to invite some industry practitioners
when doing the curriculum consultation for validation of a consistent
curricula and courses. This can make the curriculum attuned to the industry
requirements.
7. The duration of the students‘ OJT and its procedures are recommended to be
reviewed by academic institutions. There must be an assurance that students
are receiving valuable training through measurable methods and procedures
where the students are assigned to relevant work assignments significant
only in the field of specialization. The OJT is expected to provide the
trainees or students the needed exposure to different departments to acquire
important skills sets.
DLSL JMR
234
8. Training for teachers, faculty immersion and other related enhancement
programs are recommended to be used by the Higher Education Institutions
to further enhance the proficiency of the trainers.
4.5 Recommendations for further studies
1. In this study, the researcher used a very vague term referring to entry level
positions and did not concentrate on specific functional area which made it
difficult for the respondents to answer some specific skills. As a result, a
similar study can be handled to determine skills requirements to make a
graduate competitive in one specific hospitality functional area/position.
2. The researcher focused on reengineering the curriculum in general. For
further research, a study can be conducted to evaluate a specific curriculum
used by an identified Higher Education Institution to match if they are
providing measurable training programs to enhance hospitality management
students‘ skill sets.
3. The respondents of this study were composed of human resources managers
of deluxe hotels. A similar study can be conducted with the educators are
the respondents to compare and examine the salient points of skills gap
between the education system training (educators‘ perception towards
important skills) and industry demand (industry‘s perception towards
important skills) in the Philippines.
4. One of the recommendations that was identified is to provide practicum and
on-the-job training programs more congruent and aligned with the
requirements to hone relevant skills of hospitality graduates. Therefore,
further study can be managed to evaluate the practicum and on-the-job
training programs utilized by a group of identified Higher Education
Institutions.
DLSL JMR
235
5. In this study, it was recommended that Higher Education Institutions shall
employ simulators (e.g. School-run hotels). The researcher suggests that a
further study can be conducted by assessing academic institutions with hotel
laboratory in school if they are providing competitive graduates with
relevant skills.
References
Assante, L.M., Huffman L., Harp S.S. (2010, May). A taxonomy of academic
quality indicators for U.S.-based 4-year undergraduate hospitality
programs. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Research. (Volume 34 Number
2) pp.164-184.
Bach, S.A. & Milman, A. (1996). A novel technique for reviewing a hospitality
management curriculum. Hospitality and Tourism Educator, 8(1), 37-40.
Banal-Formoso, Chelo. (2010, July). What’s hot, what’s not in college courses.
Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved from
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/learning/view/20100718281886/Whats-hot-whats-not-in-college-courses (Accessed on October 2011).
CHED Memorandum No.30 series of 2006 and CHED Memorandum No.32 series
of 2010. (Accessed on October 2011). Website: http://www.ched.gv.ph
Chung-Herrera, B. G., Enz, C. A., & Lankan, L. J. (2003). Grooming future
hospitality leaders: A competencies model. General Managers: A view at the
top. Cornell Hotel and Restaurant Administration Quarterly.
Citrinot, Luc. (2010, February). Tourism arrival statistics: Philippines twist
tourist data for elections. Retrieved from
http://www.eturbonews.com/14372/philippines-twist-tourist-data-elections.
(Accessed on October 2011).
Diamante, M. M. & Ledesma-Tan, G. (2007). Human resource management:
local and global perspectives. Philippines: C&E Publishing. p.165-170.
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Hayes D.K., and Ninemeier, J.D. (2009). Human resources management in the
hospitality industry. New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
List of DOT Accredited Hotels. (2011. September) Retrieved from
http://www.tourism.gov.ph/Downloadable%20Files/HOTEL.pdf
Marcelo, Pepper. (2011, March). Article: after college, now what. Retrieved from
http://planetphilippines.com/current-affairs/after-college-now-what/
(Accessed on October 2011).
Medina, R.G. (2006). Personnel and human resources management.
Philippines: Rex Book Store. p.74-80.
Milan, L. (2010, January). Oversupply of unemployable graduates. Retrieved
from http://planetphilippines.com/tag/unemployment/ (Accessed on October
2011).
Mill, R.C. (2007). An introduction to restaurant management: customers,
operations, and employees 3rd edition. Singapore: Pearson Prentice Hall.
Official job search site of the Department of Labor and Employmnet (DOLE).
Website: http://www.phil-job.net
Payos, R. (2010). Human resource management. Philippines: Rex Book Store.
p.82-90.
Pereda, P. & Pereda, P. (2008). Human resource management. Manila
Philippines: Mindshapers Co., Inc. p.90-96.
Philippines Travel and Tourism Statistics 2007. Publication of Tourism Research
and Statistics Division. (Accessed on May 2010).
Precision Consultancy. (2006). Employability skills from framework to practice:
An introductory guide for trainers and assessors. Austalian Government,
Department of Education Science and Training.
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Raybould, M., & Wilkins, H. (2006, August). Generic skills for hospitality
management: A comparative study of management expectations and student
perceptions. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management (Volume 13
Number 2) pp.177-188.
Sison, P., Payos, R. & Zorilla, O. (2003). Personnel management in the 21st
century. Philippines: Rex Book Store. p.95-106.
Tanke, M. (2001). Human resources management for the hospitality industry.
2nd Edition. New York: Delmar.
Technical Education Skills Development Authority website. (Accessed on October
2011). Website: http://www.tesda.gov.ph/page.aspx?page_id=10
Whitelaw, P.A., Barron, P., Buultjens, J., Cairncross, G., & Davidson, M. (2009).
Training needs of the hospitality industry. Gold Coast, Australia: STCRC.
Wood, D. (2003). Hospitality management skills: An educational and
workplace comparative analysis. Published thesis, University of Wisconsin,
Menomonie, WI. American Psychological Association, 5th Edition.
World Data on Education 7th Edition. (May 2010). Compilation of UNESCO-IBE
Ying-Wei-Lu (1999). Important skills for Taiwanese hospitality and tourism
graduates as perceived by hospitality educators and human resource
managers. Published thesis. The Graduate College University of WisconsinStout. Menomonie, Wisconsin
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238
A snapshot of the researchers in their own words
YOLANDA D. AFRICA holds a Ph.D. in Educational Management obtained
from the University of Batangas in 2004. In 2005, her research work titled Peace
Education Program for the Languages and Literature Department of De La Salle
Lipa won the Best Paper Award in a research forum held at DLSL. The same paper
was presented during the Comparative and International Education Society Annual
Conference held at Columbia University, New York in 2008. She also co-authored
two research papers presented in Hawaii and South Korea. Dr. Africa served as
principal at the Canossa Academy and St. Francis de Sales Minor Seminary. Prior
to her present appointment as Accreditation and Research Consultant at DLSL, she
was Area Chairperson of the Languages and Literature Area, Department
Chairperson for Education and Vice-Dean of the College of Education, Arts and
Sciences. She considers school management and consultation as her expertise in
the field of education.
AMELITO M. CASTILLO is an Associate Professor of the College of Business,
Economics, Accountancy and Management (CBEAM). He served in various
administrative positions in his more than 20 years in the institution including
Associate Dean of Student Services, Dean of CBEAM and Director for Academic
Services. He is a graduate of BS in Commerce major in Accountancy at the
University of Santo Tomas and Master in Management Technology at De La Salle
Lipa. He is currently enrolled in the Ph.D. in BA program of De La Salle
University Dasmariñas.
ELDRICK S. PEÑA served De La Salle Lipa as head of the Communication
Department for a number of years before he decided to join the Holy Apostles
Senior Seminary (HASS) where he is now studying to pursue his dream of
becoming a priest.
VIVIAN TITULAR, PH.D. is an Associate Professor at the College of
Education, Arts and Sciences at De La Salle Lipa. She took
her masters in Religious and Values Education at De La Salle
University-Manila. She has a doctorate in Applied Cosmic Anthropology
(Asian Social Institute-Manila). Her researches have focused on social
development, empowerment and spirituality.
DLSL JMR
BERNARDO C. LUNAR is currently pursuing Ph.D. in Biology at De la Salle
University- Manila. He holds a Master of Education in Science Education Degree
from the Philippine Normal University and Bachelor of Science in Physical
Therapy from the Lyceum of the Philippines University-Batangas. He has been
awarded as the Outstanding Asian Researcher 2012 in Science Education, the
outstanding Filipino Research Leader 2013, and the Outstanding World Research
Leader 2013 by the International Association of Multidisciplinary Research
(IAMURE). At present, he is a faculty member of the Biology Department and
Science Area. Prior to his designation as a Junior Research Faculty of the College
of Education, Arts and Sciences, he served as a Program Coordinator for
Certificate in Medical Transcription, Head of the Center for the Environment and
CEAS Coordinator for Community Involvement. He has authored and co-authored
several workbooks and laboratory manuals on Physical and Biological Sciences.
His research interests are on the areas of biodiversity, environment, science
education, and classroom action research.
MICHAEL M. RAMOS is currently writing his dissertation leading to a Ph.D. in
Applied Theology at DLSU-Taft. He finished his MA in Religious Studies at
Maryhill School of Theology. Being a prolific researcher that he is, he has
presented various papers in international, national and regional conferences.
JOSE C. MACATANGAY serves as the Publications Officer of the Office of
Research and Publications (ORP) at DLSL and at the same time, he teaches
Professional and Major courses in the Education Department of the College of
Education Arts and Sciences (CEAS). He has served the institution in his capacity
as area chairperson, department head, research coordinator, and student publication
adviser. At present, he is pursuing a Ph.D. in Education major in English at the
University of Batangas. Recently, he presented a paper in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
and participated in an international conference on quality assurance in Bali,
Indonesia. He has given various seminars on English teaching, test construction,
campus journalism, functional grammar, academic writing and research writing.
His research interests include analysis of discourse/genre/content, stylistics, ELT
pedagogy and literary criticism. At present, he is working on a paper on Genre
Analysis of Philippine Presidents‘ Inaugural Speeches.
DLSL JMR
ROY G. AGUBA finished his Masters Degree in Business Administration major
in HRM from St. Paul University Manila. He has been connected as faculty
instructor for HRM and Tourism Departments of the College of International
Hospitality & Tourism Management of De La Salle Lipa (DLSL) since 2008 where
he taught major courses and acted as the training and practicum coordinator.
Driven by his serious curiosity about employment, training and hospitality human
resources issues in the industry including job mismatch and hiring practices, he
conducted a research that tries to answer how hospitality students can be better
equipped for employment. At present, he is the adviser of the DLSL school-based
organization for hospitality management program.
DLSL JMR
Editorial Board
Aim and Scope
Joy D. Talens, Ph.D.
The DLSL Journal of
Multidisciplinary Research (DLSLJMR) aims to publish discoveries that
will teach minds, touch hearts and
transform lives.
Editor-in-Chief
Jose C. Macatangay
Associate Editor
DLSL-JMR is a local refereed journal
Edgar Allan G. Castro, Ph.D.M. that enables the members of the La
Lay-out Artist
Sallian Community to share their
scholarly works on Education and La
Mark Gerard C. Austria
Sallian Studies, Health, Safety,
Cover Design Artist
Security and Environment,
Information Technology, Culture and
Humanities and Community
Engagement and Social Development.
About the Cover
The charism of St. John Baptist De La Salle is every researcher’s shield in his/her
quest for research excellence.
DLSL JMR
Volume I, Issue 1, January 2014

Pdf - De La Salle Lipa

Transcription

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