The Late Miriam Defensor's Quote on a True Teacher

Mechel T. Santiago

Right now, I think about some people who made an impact on my life. Yes, I didn't do well back then. I confess that one teacher who flunked me in high school economics was the same teacher who helped me understand it! Here's a quote from the late Miriam Defensor-Santiago. People may call her disrespectful, unreasonable, etc. However, behind Miriam's feisty demeanor was someone who was still willing to step aside when she was wrong. Miriam made a tactless comment about China and then apologized.

I thought about my situation between two teachers. One was an unreasonable math teacher who terrorized ignorant students. The other teacher was my MDS-style teacher. The MDS-style teacher helped me through when I failed economics. That's why I end up saying that I'd rather have my MDS-style teacher any day over that unreasonable mathematics teacher.

I still remember how MDS did her tirades during the Corona Impeachment Trial. Impeachment trials are so cumbersome; that's why I prefer shifting from presidential to parliamentary. Some people are just pro-economic charter change but don't understand the bigger picture. As I looked into the education system, I thought, "Why aren't we getting more teachers like MDS?" The answer lies with the system. MDS became an advocate for constitutional reform.

The Philippine education system's long-standing problems are many. One problem I'd like to highlight is that the Philippine education system cares more about grades than learning (read here). I might rephrase it by saying, "We grade our students based more on what they're able to memorize than what they're able to learn." Sure, we need to memorize basic arithmetic and basic concepts. However, the problem is that we're engaged with too much memorization and too little understanding. Rote memorization can be helpful, but it can also be stressful. In mathematics class, it's often the argument, "When am I going to use this?" Sadly, the problem isn't related to just mathematics class but also every subject!

The result is that teachers end up terrorizing ignorant students. I'd dare say that such teachers become ignorant themselves. In fact, my crazy mathematics teacher is still teaching elementary math even after more than 10 years! As I think about my MDS-style teacher, she explains really well. The problem is that the Philippine education system is this...

Sad to say, but this is a caricature that speaks volumes. When the education system cares more about grades than learning, grades will either drop or become nothing more than a decoration (read here). Honestly, I've been having difficulty recalling some basic historical facts. I even forgot Jose Rizal's birthday last June 19! It's easy to remember martial law (September 21) but not other dates. I might even talk about science. I even have to Google to understand why storms hit during the -ber months the most. This may be why we've got a lot of ignorant teachers (the type to become terrors) over true teachers who desire to cure ignorance. It's because terror teachers are ignorant themselves.

When I think about it, MDS may be the best president the nation never had. Sure, I didn't like how she reacted when the late Fidel V. Ramos won, or when she chose President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr., as her running mate. However, I always felt that the Philippines could've benefited from her Caring Tiger Mother persona.

Wanting Wealth WITHOUT Financial Discipline

Many people want to be rich, but not so many people want the discipline on how to be rich. Isn't that the plain hard truth ? As I do this sideline blog , I contemplated whether I should write another post after writing several posts years back, or when I wrote about Venezuela as a cautionary tale . Back on topic, I thought about how financial discipline is something often overlooked. It's easy to talk about Christmas since that's probably the most wonderful time of the year to be spendthrift , only to find out that one's broke by the New Year . The cycle of reckless financial habits tends to restart in January, even when January becomes that time of reckoning between debtors and creditors! January 2026 will end, February 2026 comes, and then the cycle of financial recklessness continues. It's the same cycle over and over! Last Christmas, I remember how DTI Secretary Christina Roque spoke about the PHP 500.00 noche buena, for a family of four . I called it tactless b...

Venezuela as a Cautionary Tale on #SahodItaasPresyoIbaba, Nationalistic Pride, Welfare State Economics

The Sunday Guardian Years ago, I wrote about Venezuela's pride and protectionism , under a more "formal" style of writing compared to my latest posts. I decided to use an even "less formal" and "less academic" tone since I'm not writing a term paper. Instead, it's like how a professor and a student discuss the thesis using first person over third person, using contractions, etc., while the thesis doesn't use such tones. Back on track, I thought about the arrest of Venezuelan President Maduro can spark debate. Was it a violation of sovereignty? I'm no expert on international law. However, Venezuelans can be seen celebrating Maduro's arrest. Right now, I'm using Gemini AI and Google search to help me find some sources for this blog. It's because I don't want my blog to become another gossip central, but a place to discuss facts with my own personal opinions (making sure they don't derail the facts). I used Venezuela ...

Communist Vietnam's Great Leap Forward in Agricultural Production

I remember reading through Third World to First by the late Lee Kuan Yew. It's very easy to use the book to badmouth the Marcoses but not to learn from the rest of it. The book also talks about Vietnam and LKY's encounter with the late Nguyen Duy Cong aka Do Muoi. It's often said that Singapore only opened because of its lack of natural resources. On the contrary, Do Muoi decided to learn from Singapore how to turn the Communist Party of Vietnam into a powerhouse. Do Muoi, though a communist , was impressed by Singapore during his October 1993 state visit. Vietnam, unlike Singapore, is a country rich in natural resources. The third-world mentality said that MNCs are there to rape the resources . A very huge misconception especially if you know Singapore's history Some Filipinos on social media even say that FDIs will destroy agriculture and nature. This is a meme by the Philippine Anti-Fascist League on Facebook. They say that FDIs equals environmental degradation. Yet...

Filipino Manufacturing's Golden Age ENDED Because of the Filipino First Policy

Here's a picture from the Dose of Disbelief Page on Facebook. Here's something that it wrote: Filipinos once trusted locally made products more than imports. Before World War II, the label "Made in the Philippines" carried prestige, not stigma, reflecting a strong sense of national confidence in domestic production. Local products such as shoes, cigars, textiles, furniture, and food were often preferred over imports. This preference was rooted in the belief that local goods were better adapted to local conditions, tastes, and were often of comparable, if not superior, quality. This period showcases a strong historical era of consumer nationalism and thriving local industries. We need to look into the context of Filipino history If we look at the Philippine history timeline , we must account for 1935-1940, during which the Philippines was under the Commonwealth government. Independence was declared from Spain on June 12, 1898. However, there was a transition period w...

The Saying "The Customer is Always Right" isn't Right

I remember being chastised and said, "The customer is always right!" It became hypocritical because the same person who told me that later chastised me for yelling at the service provider in public . I'd admit that I screamed at the phone or even in person because things didn't go my way. My favorite excuse would be, "You said the customer is always right, right?" Going by the logic that the customer is always right, I'm right in doing the wrong that I did to service providers. It also reminds me of some rude manager lady (who I believe got fired sometime later, not going to mention her name or the company) who's heard to be highly unreasonable . She would scream in public louder than the late Miriam Defensor-Santiago. I'd like to give an illustration of the fault of that phrase. The news of a raging customer who threw hot soup at the manager can create debate . Was she in the right when she threw the hot soup at the manager instead of talking t...

Business & Economics Perspective Blogger

Search This Blog