PH Below Average IQ: Hold the Government Accountable PH Below Average IQ: Hold the Government Accountable

BY JEREMY PINGOL

According to a recent global survey by the World Population Review, the Philippines is positioned at 111th place out of 199 countries, scoring an average of 8164 out of 100 in terms of Intelligence Quotient (IQ) This score is, regrettably, deemed below average, highlighting the country's dismal performance in IQ compared to other nations. Who should be held accountable? Is it the children’s family or the governmentitself?

AsperCNN'sreport,MariaRosarioVergeire,the Health Officer-in-Charge at the Department of Health, stated that a child's Intelligence Quotient (IQ) could be influenced by malnutrition, which negatively impacts their development Vergeire alsohighlightedthatlowIQinchildrenisnotsolely attributed to nutrition but can also be influenced by their upbringing Specifically, she emphasized thatchildrenwhocomefromfamilieswithlimited educational attainment may experience adverse effects on their IQ. This revelation raises significant concernsandcausesgreatalarmamongFilipinos

However, it is crucial to emphasize the importance of establishing a systematic and rigorous process for conducting such tests

Clinical psychologist Jhon Carandang underscored the need to carefully consider the individuals who take or participate in IQ testing, such as considering if these individuals have received education or not, if they have access to education, and if they have been provided with comprehensiveandeffectiveinstruction.

Giventhisissue,Ibelievethattheeducational system also plays a significant role in the country’s depressing IQ It is my opinion that students are not inherently lacking in the potential for a high IQ Rather, this situation serves as an indicator to evaluate or assess the state of the educational system in the Philippines. What is the government doing? If malnutrition is being acknowledged as a primarycauseoflowIQinchildren, thenwhyis itnot receiving sufficient attention andalloca- tion of dedicated funds? As reported by ACN Digital and mentioned by Dr Olegario, an educational psychologist, only 6% of the current national budget has been allocated towards the educational system Additionally, Dr Olegario emphasizedthatifwetrulyaspiretoenhanceour educational system, it is imperative to allocate a significantlyhigherbudgetforitsdevelopment

The recent findings from the World Population Review not only indicate that Filipinos are perceived to have below-average IQ, but they should also serve as a call to the government to increase funding and allocate a larger budget to the educational system There is still ample time forthegovernmenttorespondtotheneedsofthe futuregeneration TheFilipinopeoplerelyontheir government, and in turn, the government dependsonthesupportofitscitizens.There’sstill achance,achanceforchangeanddevelopment