An “Act” of Change

Lora Clavel Dela Cuadra

Under the inception of a new presidency, the Philippine government already had a lot of changes to its policies. However, we are yet to know if such changes did a significant good to us - or if it was an unnecessary act solely done for achievements.

One of the changes that left Filipinos questioning was the SIM Card Registration Act, which was previously vetoed by Former President Duterte. This was pushed into

ELCAC is as flawed as it can be. Given the fact that the accusations they publicize are lacking extensive research and mostly biased by targeting activists, volunteers, and leftists. Instead of maligning and harming people— especially the youth for using their constitutionally protected right to free expression, the government and its allies should strive to address valid criticism of its policies and practices. Aside from this, groups and individuals who propagate and patronize redtagging should be rightfully punished.

There is more to the impact of the youth’s political participation than simple social media campaigns, volunteerism, or activism. All the same, there is more to the youth’s aspiration for change than barriers and unsubstantiated— if not deadly claims. If we look close enough— away from the loyalist sight, we might see that these barriers are notso-invisible after all, they are painted blood-red.

Scribblers Pulse

implementation as lawmakers endorsed it as a way to curb scammers and trolls in spam text messages. The SIM Card Registration Act aimed to register all SIM card users with their personal information to telecommunication companies. The personal information will be uploaded to the database of the telcos and can be made available upon the request of a court. The act was implemented much faster thanks to the active support of the telcos and the National Privacy Commission (NPC).

The seemingly plausible promise of internet security really does seem tempting, but it has a lot of flaws underneath. Aside from being a honeypot for scammers and cybercriminals, the SIM Card Registration Act seems to disregard basic human rights. In place of our supposed security, the government risks our right to privacy. Our basic although most critical personal information is made accessible to anyone who appeals to the court. With our country’s corrupt system, people are bound to get their hands on any information they want. With the disregard for the right to privacy comes the disregard for the right of free expression. The SIM Card Registration Act puts an identity on our once-anonymous cellphone numbers.

In a way, it acts as a tracker of social media accounts that have used their phone number when registering. This makes state surveillance as easy as child’s play. Things get worse once you pair the SIM Card Registration Act with another previously signed law, the Anti-Terrorism Act. Journalists and activists will find it more difficult to speak out their criticisms without consequences.

Now, with all the flaws laid out, is the promise of internet security still tempting? Are we willing to disregard our rights to privacy and free expression just to achieve it?

Today, spam messages still pester our phones - a display of how the SIM Card Registration Act failed its goal. To others, this is but an act that guises the government’s attempts at state surveillance and to silence its critics. Disregarding our basic human rights for our internet safety is not an equal exchange. It is not fair to silence ourselves just to keep ourselves safe. We must not let the changes happening in this country be all an act.

The Scribblers team asked the residents of Alabel, Sarangani Province if they think that the management of the current administration in their province is satisfactory, and here’s how it went:

According to the survey’s findings,most of the residents are satisfied with the current trajectory of the government. Only 10% expressed their dissatisfaction.

90%

A significant majority of citizens, approximately 90%, express their satisfaction with the current trajectory of the government, indicating widespread support for its policies, actions, and overall governance.

10%

While a substantial number of citizens may be satisfied with the current trajectory of the government, it is important to recognize that a vocal segment of the population, constituting approximately 10%, has shown their dissatisfaction with various aspects of governance.

On Hindsight A Breadwinner’s Dilemma

Looking back, in a rose-colored sight, it was easy to passionately envision who or what we want to be when we were younger. This, however, is not until we grew up to know that there is more to survival in this candidly incompetent system than just mere passion.

Passion is overlooked. That is, within a toxic society that we live in— where a bias festers and appeals only to conventional and high-paying careers. It takes a lot of work to weave mere passion into success when it is chained to a system that lacks effort in supporting it. This is where practicality turns into a bitter pill to swallow, especially for those who turned into safety-nets and breadwinners.

Growing up, we have been taught how vital education is— not only because we needed it to be competent, but it also doubled as a lifebuoy to save a household from poverty. This is because, in reality, the cost of living in the modern-day world comes at an expense. 17.7 million Filipinos are caught in the poverty line in 2018, as reported by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA). In addition to this, the unemployment rate is high at 17.6% as of April 2020. This rate can be translated into roughly 7.2 million Filipinos unemployed.

Education is ironically a privilege even, for only seven out of ten kids will complete elementary school, according to figures from the Department of Education and the Statistical Coordination Board in the Philippines. In a country where education is still a privilege, a student born from a povertystricken family could only dream of making ends meet and being able to eat at least twice a day. Under this predicament, students could only forge the success of their dreams, and this opportunity— in our country at least, comes in the sense of attaining a degree. In cases like this, passion could no longer be a priority, it becomes a sacrifice instead.

Through the spectacles of the truth, there is more to survival than just mere passion in this system that is downright problematic. This can be reflected from the government’s incompetence in improving the state of education, poverty, and employment. Equally, this is evident from the society’s lack of support for Filipino learners on their passion. We should mould our system into a supportive, considerate, and efficient environment, where dreaming is not grounded as is. After all, it takes a nation to weave a dream into reality.