1
UNIVERSITY OF SANTO TOMAS
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ORAL PRESENTATION
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COLLEGE OF EDUCATION
Marcus Napoleon D. Aspacio and Patricia C. Tan
A Phenomenology of the Impact of Neoliberal Education among a Select
Group of UST Education High School Students
Assessment (Please Check) Signature of Examiner
Description Percentage Grade
*Thesis? Introduction? Main ideas? Conclusion?
*Coherence of argument; organization of ideas; 30%
overall development
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engagement with texts (theories/related sources)
*Details of analytical deductions *Substantiation of 30%
research insights
*Social Science ideas and originality
*Insightful?
*Grammar and syntax (subject-verb; pronoun antecedent; verb 10%
tense; possessive pronouns; demonstrative pronouns; etc.)
*Clarity and concision in sentence construction
(major errors: run-ons, fragments, comma splices)
*Creative expository prose (concrete
imagery, details, poetic license);
*Clarity of prose style
*Punctuation (commas; semicolons;
colons; apostrophes; Hyphens;
terminal punctuation; and quotation marks)
Total 100%
Signature of Examiner
Date
 2

UNIVERSITY OF SANTO TOMAS

College of Education
Teacher Education Department

A Phenomenology of the Impact of Neoliberal

Education among a Select Group of UST
Education High School Students

A Research Paper Submitted

To the College of Education
University of Santo Tomas

In Partial Fulfilment of the Requirements

for the Course SOCSTED 9, Research in Social Sciences

Submitted to Assoc. Prof. Marielyn C. Quintana

Course Facilitator

ASPACIO, Marcus Napoleon D.

TAN, Patricia C.

2017
 3

A Phenomenology of the Impact of Neoliberal Education among a Select

Group of UST Education High School Students

Marcus Napoleon D. Aspacio

Patricia C. Tan

ABSTRACT

This phenomenological study elucidates the socio-cultural impact of neoliberal

education among the Filipino youth through the lived experiences of a select group
of students in the UST Education High School. It is anchored on the entry of
neoliberal education in the Philippines which is evident in other Asian countries like
Korea. It is of firm belief that the youth is the hope of our nation and that they
expected to improve and innovate what we have today. However, due to
globalization students now a days, particularly the millennials, are put in so much
pressure by the older generation when it comes to education and the need to be
globally competitive, which is now a trend known as neoliberalism (Cogburn,1998).
Neoliberalism sees competition as the defining characteristic of human relation. It
redefines citizens as consumers, whose democratic choices are best exercised by
buying and selling, a process that rewards merit and punishes inefficiency (Monbiot,
2016). Qualitative phenomenological research method was used in this study. Seven
(7) students participated in a series of in-depth individual interviews. Findings of the
study captured the collective views and experiences of the select group of high
school students that revealed seven (7) themes as embodiment of neoliberal
education among Filipino students namely: inspiration driven, aspiration driven, work
driven, pressure driven, faith driven, leisure driven and reliance driven. These
embodiments of neoliberal culture among the students that emerged in this study
can serve as guideposts to teachers, administrators, researchers and policy makers
who are interested in educational development of the youth.

Keywords: aspiration, inspiration, leisure, lived experiences, neoliberal education

 4

INTRODUCTION

Majority of the population in the Philippines belong to the youth and according to Dr.

Jose Rizal, the youth are the hope of the nation (Soliven, 2014). He said this

because he believes that the children will eventually know more than the elders, will

be exposed to the inventions, innovations, and trends of the current period. The

youth are supposed to know what is right and wrong based from what they see and

experience around them. The bottom line is that students, or the youth, will

eventually lead and develop the country based on the lessons they’ve learned while

growing up. This is not always the case in neoliberal education which can be

observed among the youth at present time. Neoliberalism is a loosely demarcated

set of political beliefs which most prominently and prototypically include the

conviction that the only legitimate purpose of the state is to safeguard individual,

especially commercial, liberty, as well as from private property rights (Mises,1962).

For Thinnes (2013), neoliberalism is an ensemble of economic and social policies,

forms of governance, and discourses and ideologies that promote individual self-

interest, unrestricted flows of capital, deep reductions in the cost of labor, and sharp

retrenchment of the public sphere. This concept of neoliberal education is most

prominent in countries that belong to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and

Development or OECD like South Korea that is gradually eating up the Filipino

youth.

A lot of students now a days, particularly the millennials, are put in so much pressure

by the older generation when it comes to education due to globalization. The need to
 5

be globally competitive is also present now which is a trend known as neoliberalism

(Cogburn,1998). According to Hu (2015), neoliberal education should be prevented

because it causes the students to become depressed which could lead to suicide. It

causes the students to focus more on their grades rather than learn which

completely disregards Rizal’s belief. It is made to intentionally pressure students,

particularly in South Korea. As a result, Korean students today are more focused on

studying than learning. They are busy gathering ‘specs’ or specifications which refer

to the building blocks of resumes or an individual’s curriculum vitae (Levine, 2014).

Koreans devote most of their time in studying and one of the ways which they can

gather specs is through standardized tests (Hicks, 2016). These scenarios in South

Korea have brought tremendous effect in their society.

Suicide has been reported as the leading cause of death among the South Korean

youth (Levine, 2014). Neoliberal governing technology passes the responsibility for

social risks or problems, such as poverty and unemployment onto the individuals

(Abelmann et. al., 2009). As a consequence of this, Bowers (2006) stressed that

broad international movement against neoliberalism is needed to effectively

overcome the dark forces of capitalists controlling education. Controversies arise as

the mandate of neoliberal education is to produce productive and compliant workers

that will produce more money - value for appropriation by the ruling class (Noonan

and Coral, 2005). Other probable causes related to the problem are the following:

employment requirements (Mehic, 2015); high expectations from parents and

teachers (Pope, 2005 as cited by Palmer, 2005); globalization (Stewart, 2012); and

high-stakes testing (Pope, 2005 as cited by Palmer, 2005) which also has to be
 6

addressed.

As an East Asian Country, South Korea, like China and Japan, is widely influenced

by the ideals of Confucius. The history of Korean education can be traced back in

the Joseon Dynasty. According to Savada and Shaw (1990), during the Joseon

Dynasty, the central government provided secondary schools in Seoul and other

provinces which produced scholars who later on served the Korean government,

however, the quality of its education eventually declined. As a result, private

institutions were established which revived the ideals of Confucius in the 16th

century. Eventually, wars dominated the world which divided Korea into two. This

event in history is known as the Korean War. After the Korean War, South Koreans,

who were completely devastated after the war, worked hard to get back up on their

feet (Oh. 2010), and one of the results is the improvement and development of their

system of education to the point that they were ranked by education firm Pearson at

number 2 of the best educational systems (Clark and Park, 2013). Being one of the

best in the world can bring a lot of pressure to both those in the higher ups of the

educational system and all the way down to the learners. One cause of this pressure

is their want and need to be employed to a good-paying job, and to have a good-

paying job means they have to gather ‘specs’ (e.g. test scores, foreign languages,

and computer literacy) to improve their resumes and CVs (Children in South Korea

caught up in a spec and competition craze, 2009; Levine, 2014). According to Levine

(2014), students focus and spend so much energy on gathering specs that they end

up ignoring the news and become apathetic to politics. The demand for specs has

resulted in an environment of all-work and no-play for the students both in and out of
 7

school (Children in South Korea caught up in a spec and competition craze, 2009).

Cram schools, or Hagwons, are in demand in Korea because it allows students to

gather specs even after school hours, usually until 11PM, resulting in a 14hr/day

class for the students (Levine, 2014; Hu, 2015). According to Se-Woong (2014),

forcing students to enter in hagwons would be unsustainable in the long run due to

the physical and psychological costs that they are forced to bear, and that this type

of workload and stress given to high school students results in them having to suffer

physical symptoms of academic stress. Another negative outcome of the stress that

students bear is the increasing number of teenage deaths due to suicide. Suicide

has been the leading cause of teenage deaths in Korea and most of these suicides

are caused by unbearable pressure from school (Rovnick, 2013; Levine, 2014; Se-

woong, 2014; Hu, 2015). The high suicide rate is a symptom of a society in stress

(McKinsey, 2013, as cited by Rovnick, 2013). The excessive amount of time spent

on education has resulted in students becoming “over-educated” and “overqualified”,

while still having difficulty finding a job (Park, 2013).

Even though the youth is given an abundant amount of opportunity to learn and

gather specs, a great number of the youth are still unable to get jobs. In 2015,

unemployment rate for the youth reached 10% (Chang, 2015). According to Park

(2013), 80% of high school graduates enter college which results to more college

graduates having difficulty to find a job, wherein only 55% were hired in 2010, down

from 74% in 2005. Most of the literature focused on the end results and are done in

South Korea, where education is already a priority for parents to the point that heavy
 8

spending on education as an investment is a normal thing to do (Parry and Shin,

2013).

These scenarios are starting to become evident in the Philippines. According to

Lumbera et. al. (2007), students in the University of the Philippines are over-

educating themselves due to the pressure of employment to elevate their families

from poverty. The Philippines’ change of educational system to the K-12 curriculum

shows the effort of the government to meet the requirements or demands and needs

of the people to become globally competitive (San Juan, 2016).

A different effect of neoliberalism on education can be seen in the Philippines. Aside

from the gradual increase in pressure for education similar to that in South Korea,

neoliberalism has caused Filipino students to focus more on achieving enough

credentials to be able to work instead of actually learning through the implementation

of K to 12 (San Juan, 2016). There have also been government policies that

mainstream the education system to lead students to be fit for the requirements of

global finance (Lumbera et al, 2007). While the most concerning effect of neoliberal

influence in education in South Korea is the damage to the socio-cultural aspect of

their youth, the most concerning effect here in the Philippines is the economic

aspect.

Previous studies on neoliberal education were only focused in Korea; however, no

study yet has been done that focus in the Philippine setting. The socio-cultural
 9

effects of neoliberal education in the Philippines have yet to be studied and given

importance. There is also a lack of student participation in these studies considering

that the main characters affected by neoliberal education are the students.

Henceforth, this study purports to investigate the socio-cultural impact of neoliberal

education among the Filipino youth through the lived experiences of a select group

of students in the UST Education High School. It also aims to show the similarities

and differences of neoliberal education in the Philippines and South Korea.

Moreover, this study also provides a deeper understanding on the embodiments of

neoliberal education among Filipino students using the neoliberal education as

practiced in Korea. Findings of the study will serve as guideposts for parents,

teachers, policy makers, other school stakeholders and researchers who are

interested in an educational system that preserve the very essence of education.

 10

METHOD

Research Design

The phenomenological approach was used in the study to characterize the impact of

neoliberal education among a select group of students in the Philippines.

Phenomenology, as defined by Merriam Webster dictionary, is the study of the

development of human consciousness and self-awareness as a preface to or a part

of philosophy. Likewise, a phenomenological research design is an inquiry to know

the lived experiences of people with regard to a phenomenon to understand their

perceptions, perspectives and understandings (Van Manen, 1990).

Phenomenological research method was used in the study since this study aims to

know the impact of neoliberal education among the millennials for they are the one

experiencing this phenomenon. The same research method was used in a study

conducted by Kholmi et. al. (2015); Gharibi and Gholizadeh (2011); as well as

Newbury and Hoskins (2011).

Study Site and Selection

Ten (10) respondents from the 10th grade of UST Education High School were

selected for the study. Only seven (7) out of ten (10) participated in the intensive

one-on-one interview. A heterogenous purposive sampling was done to select

participants with diverse characteristics who also fitted the inclusion criteria. The
 11

demographic profile of the participants shows that 57% (N=4) are male and 71%

(n=5) is between the age of 15-16. 100% of the respondents are Roman Catholic.

57 % (N=4) have been outstanding students for 10-12 years. Only 43% (N-3) have

extracurricular activities inside and/or outside the school, and the rest have no

extracurricular activities. 57% (N=4) of the respondents have received awards and

43% (N-3) are members of an organization in school as shown in Table 1.

Table 1.Demographic Profile of Participant

Profile Frequency %
Year level
Grade 10 7 100%
Gender of students
Male 4 57%
Female 3 43%
Age of student
16 5 71%
15 2 29%
Religion
Roman Catholic 7 100%
Others - 0%
Occupation of father
N/A 2 29%
Government employee 2 29%
Employee 1 14%
Quantity surveyor 1 14%
Self-employed 1 14%
Occupation of mother
Housewife 3 43%
Bank employee 1 14%
Employee 1 14%
Sales lady 1 14%
N/A 1 14%
Living with parents
Yes 7 100%
No - 0%
Number of siblings
3 1 14%
2 1 14%
1 1 14%
0 4 57%
Years as an outstanding student
10-12 4 57%
7-9 - 0%
4-6 1 14%
1-3 2 29%
Have extracurricular activities
Yes 3 43%
No 4 57%
Awards
With 4 57%
Without 3 43%
Affiliated with a school organization
Yes 3 43%
No 4 57%
 12

The participants of the study were chosen based on the following inclusion criteria

with the help of their junior class advisors: the student belongs to the list of

outstanding students; and they experience pressure from the parents.

Letters of request to the respondents were sent personally and those who expressed

willingness were scheduled for an interview based on their availability. Permission to

conduct and record the interview was requested from the respondents after

elucidating the purpose of the interview and the value of their participation.

Data Collection

Data was collected through an intensive one-one-one interview through the use of a

social networking website, Facebook. The interview was composed of a series of

open - ended questions which tackled the socio-cultural aspect of neoliberal

education in the Philippines. During the interview, the researchers introduced the

rationale of neoliberal education to the participants before proceeding to the

questions.

The questions given to the students pertained to their class standing, preparation for

examinations as well as academic pressure. Class standing is a traditional

designation used to define a student’s progress in school (University of Hawaii,

2014) and the questions asked in this topic were regarding their student life like

“How’s your student life in the Education High School?” as well as “What are the

subjects you enjoy and subjects you find difficult?”

 13

The second set of questions were about their preparation in school which is a

personal understanding of how to enrol in and successfully navigate the new

academic culture they aspire to join (Conley, 2005; Roderick et. al., 2009; Wise,

2008; Zhao, 2009a, 2009b as cited by Barnes et. al., 2010). Some of the questions

asked are “have you decided your strand in senior high school?”, “where are you

going to take your senior highs school and why?”, and “how did you prepare for the

examination?”

The last set of questions were about their academic pressure which Kaur (2013)

defined as the need to perfection, worry over grades, competition and parental

pressure. Some of the questions asked are “what are the challenges you face in

order to become an outstanding student?”, “do you experience competition among

your peers?”, and “do you feel pressured by your parents when it comes to your

academics and future?”

Mode of Analysis

After the interview with the participants, their responses were transcribed, read and

re-read. This process facilitated the emergence of significant statements. These

statements were group together which formed a meaning unit, categories and

themes as shown in the examples in dendrogram in Table 2.

 14

Table 2. Example of Dendrogram of the embodiments of neoliberal education among

the Filipino youth.
Significant Meaning Unit Categories Theme
Statement
There are stressful
moments especially
when approaching
the finals, since that Academic
is when our PETAs, requirements are the
homeworks, and source of stress for
other requirements the students
are given
simultaneously(R1) Work related
stressors
There are times that
it becomes stressful Load of work as a
and difficult cause of stress
especially during
when we have many
PETAs to submit
(R2)

It was stressful
because of the
PETA, tests, and Academic
homeworks (R3) requirement bring Work Driven
stressful feeling
I think the biggest
challenge we faced
was when group and
individual PETAs Simultaneous
were given deadline of
simultaneously, requirements seen
along with the time as a challenge
restraints (R1)

Strictly speaking, I
didn’t get a chance to Time related
prepare for the test Failure to do other stressors in school
because we were things because of
busy for some events workload
during that time of
the year (R2)

We have an event in
school that time and Knowing how to
we focused more on prioritize
that (R1)
 15

FINDINGS

Analysis of the interview transcript facilitated the emergence of seven (7) themes.

Three (3) themes revealed that there is still a lack of influence in the UST EHS from

neoliberal education, which are faith driven, leisure driven, and reliance driven,

wherein these traits are absent in South Korea. The other four (4) themes that was

revealed in the study shows the embodiments of the influence of neoliberal

education such as work driven, inspiration driven, aspiration driven, and pressure

driven. An interesting conceptual framework showing the embodiments of neoliberal

education on the lived experiences of UST EHS students emerged in the study as

shown in figure 1 below. The figure demonstrated the two groups of influence of

neoliberal education to the Education High School students. These two opposing

themes shows the strong and weak influence of neoliberal education that can be

compared to a yin and yang being on the two opposite sides yet provides balance to

the students life.

Figure 1: Embodiment of Neoliberal Education among Filipino Students

 16

Embodiments that are absent in Neoliberal Education

Faith Driven

The study revealed that most of the respondents were able to share their faith in God

and believed that He will help them. The findings also show that they usually go to

church with their parents every Sunday. This practice demonstrated their

religiousness which contributes to their faithfulness. These traits typically manifest

the students embodiment referred to in this study as faith driven. Students who are

faith driven are those who rely on their faith in God as well as in their schema as

some of the respondents shared:

I didn’t actually ‘prepare’ because I never study for an entrance test. I rely on
stock knowledge and God (R7).

We relied on luck and stock knowledge that time (R1).

I believe in my skills as a student. I love learning and understanding things on

my own (R5).

The students also believed in the knowledge and information that they’ve

accumulated from their previous lessons and year level. Faith driven is manifested in

the students who have faith that the lessons they have accumulated are enough to

get them through the exam as some the respondents expressed:

I prefer learning things myself and I can easily understand a certain subject or
lesson (R3).

I know that we are all capable of being top students knowing that we are all
scholars (R5).

I could consider the past years as my preparation though (R2).

 17

The findings of the study shows that the very nature of being faith driven is having

faith on their own skills and knowledge then letting God do the rest and credit Him for

their accomplishments. It is evident that being faith driven for the students are

manifesting confidence throughout the stresses that they experience and encounter

by having faith in God and self.

Reliance Driven

Another trait that was revealed in the study is referred to as reliance driven. Students

who are reliance driven depend on themselves and on luck. They don’t rely on

enrolling in tutorials or extra classes and review centers. They considered extra

classes and review centers are unpractical. They rely on luck, especially on the day

of their entrance examination. They referred their manner of answering the UST

entrance examination as “shotgun”, a term they use on multiple-choice tests where

you randomly pick an answer. As elaborated by the students:

I know I can improve my academic performance if I give it more time and

hiring a tutor only adds to our financial expenses (R5).

No I don't. I don’t think it’s practical. I mean, everything’s on the internet. We

only need perseverance and dedication to learn anything (R7).

We have an event in school that time and we focused more on that, but we
relied on luck and stock knowledge that time (R1).

Di po ako nagprepare, ate, shotgun lang po (I didn’t prepare, it was all hit and
miss) (R7).

Altogether, being reliance driven as reflected in the study shows the students’ trait of
 18

being graceful under pressure, or having order in chaos. The students are able to

rely on themselves even though they have life changing events (i.e. College

entrance exam) coming their way. They also have the gall to rely on luck through the

weight of their responsibilities.

Leisure Driven

Findings of the study shows that with all of the respondents still having time to spare

for their enjoyment they are leisure driven. Students who are leisure driven find time

to bond with their family and friends, and even manage to have some “me time”. As

they elaborated:

We usually bond on Sunday by going to the mall or travel somewhere (R1).

We’re always together every weekend. We go to church every Sunday and

we also watch movies at home together (R2).

Their family actually finds time to bond no matter the number of requirements she

needs to finish. Amidst the PETAs and other academic requirements, the students

still find time to bond with their peers, inside and outside school. They also prefer to

go out with friends when there is a lull in the number of requirements. The study

revealed that they have shown that whether or not they have numerous tasks, they

choose to find time to bond with their friends or families rather than missing out on

the experiences and memories. They shared respective experiences as follows:

We spend time together during Sundays no matter how packed my weekends

are when workloads are there (R4).

There are also instances where we have little to none PETAs so we go out
and see each other (R1).
 19

The respondents considered the times that they are studying together as a moment

where they bond. They would eat with their friends or stay a little longer with them in

campus after school hours. They also bond with their friends after school hours

through social media; and on some occasions, they are able to use their spare time

for themselves. This shows that the friends that accompanies each other, stays

together. They find time to bond inside and outside school hours like what was

shared by the students:

We eat together every break and sometimes stay around campus after class
hours (R2).

My friends and I are close and we help each other study (R3).

It would be during break times, eating after school and chatting through social
medias. I spend my remaining time for leisure (R4).

Being leisure driven shows that students prefer to socialize than stay secluded

inside their rooms, finishing their assigned tasks. They bond with their friends and

family in order to release stress and get some time away from their academic

responsibilities.

Embodiments that are present in Neoliberal Education

Work Driven

The study revealed that students who are work driven are those who give time and

effort in accomplishing school requirements to the point that they become pressured
 20

or stressed. These school requirements are their performance tasks (PETA),

homework and tests can get out of hand which causes their stress. These students’

academic burden made them suffer their time to rest as they mentioned:

There are stressful moments especially when approaching the finals, since
that is when our PETAs, home works, and other requirements are given
simultaneously” (R1).

There are times that it becomes stressful and difficult especially during when
we have many PETAs to submit (R2).

It was stressful because of the PETA, tests, and homeworks (R3).

I think the biggest challenge we faced was when group and individual PETAs
were given simultaneously, along with the time restraints (R1).

Along the way you'll face a lot of difficulties and challenges. I'll find myself
having no sleep at all just to finish all my requirements (R5).

As can be seen, students sacrifice much of their time and effort to accomplish their

work. This includes stressful moments and sleepless nights. They usually manifest

the drive to work when they are given many school works and are time pressured

which are manifestation of work driven student.

Inspiration Driven

Another embodiment of neoliberal education in the Philippines is inspiration driven

this is manifested among the students who see their friends and family as the reason

to perform their best in school. Their families serve as their inspiration due to the

sacrifices their parents do for them. Because of this, they study hard as a way for

giving back to their parents, as how a couple of the respondents shared:

My very motivation is my mother and my plans for the future. I see the
sacrifices that my mom goes through for me (R1).
 21

I’m doing my best for them anyway, not for me to receive rewards (R2).
My family and my future are the reasons why I have to work hard (R6).

Their friends also serve as an inspiration since they’ve been together from Grade 7

and they support and help each other through the tasks and lessons. They help each

other study as well as believe and trust in each other’s capabilities that shows

inspiration driven in them as they elaborated:

My friends and I are close and we help each other study (R3).

Sometimes we have more time to compare and ask each other about our
workloads since every one of us can help (R4).

Those who are inspiration driven get their strength from the motivation given to them

by their friends and families. Without them, there would be no one to support them to

push through the challenges, turning their efforts meaningless.

Aspiration Driven

During the interview, the students were how they see themselves years from now. All

of them shared that they already have plans for their future, their aspirations, and

use these as a motivation to study harder. Generally speaking, this typifies students

who are aspiration driven who strive to achieve their goals in life. They do not want

to see their efforts to achieve their dreams come to a waste, like what was

mentioned by the respondents:

I have a lot of plans for the future that I want to fulfil (R1)

My driving forces are my dreams and my hopes of doing well in order to

achieve them (R4).
 22

As early as junior high school, they have made plans to align their senior high school

strand with their desired program in college to be successful in their chosen path.

They believe that by doing so, they have a better chance of surpassing college. They

chose these strands because they believe that by being successful in college, they

are going to have a better chance of a secured future. As what the respondents said:

STeM because I want to be an engineer (R3).

I have chosen Health Allied. I am supposed to take Medical Technology as

my pre-med in college (R4).

I applied as a HUMSS student in UST SHS. In God's will, I plan on studying

Psychology and later become a Psychological Doctor (R5).

I hope I already have a decent job with a decent salary (R1).

My family and my future are the reasons why I have to work hard (R6).

I’ve already gone abroad with a successful job (R3).

These students who are aspiration driven have had high standards since their

childhood. They have been aspiring high for their future and have set their goals.

They see life to be meaningless without following a path to follow and it would be

great if you have a goal because you will be willing to do anything to achieve it.

Aspiration driven students have aligned their college life to their professional life to

achieve their personal aspirations.

Pressure Driven

Results unveiled that students who are pressure driven are burdened with

expectations from their parents and competition among their peers. Since the
 23

Education High School is a school of scholars, parents would expect nothing short of

an excellent performance from their children which carries over to their children.

Being a school for scholars would also mean that the students are of the same level

and there would be some competition between them. Some students are naturally

competitive while others actually set and recognize competitions with their peers as

some made mentioned:

There are times wherein I feel like competing with my peers because I'm a
competitive person (R5).

Yes (there is competition), by trying to have the highest grades (R3).

Some students feel and share their parents’ feelings when they fail their

expectations. To some students who are really outstanding, there are more

expectations from their parents as they shared:

I also feel sad because I failed to meet their expectations and I know that they
only want what’s best for me. I am pressured to fulfil their expectations (R2)

They (parents) only want me to do my best and they trust me to do so (R4).

There is so much pressure because my parents want me to be the top 1.

They fear that I might lose my rectors honorific scholar so they always tell me
to study well (R3).

Given these points, pressure driven students have dreams to attain and grades to

maintain. They exert effort when put under the pressure of their parents

‘expectations and competition among their peers. This can end up in two ways,

either they succumb to the pressure and perform less than what they are capable,

which is why some respondents opt to negate the competition; or they step up to the

challenge and perform even better which manifests their being pressure driven.
 24

DISCUSSION

Findings of this study have clearly elucidated the manifestation of neoliberal

education among the selected Filipino students of UST Education High School that

helped emerged the seven (7) traits that they embody. The first 3 traits, faith driven,

reliance driven, and leisure driven, are traits found in the University of Santo Tomas

Education High School (UST EHS) students that are mostly absent in students in

South Korea.

Although neoliberal education has negative connotations in Korean education (Koo,

2014), findings of the study show that Filipino students are not at all affected by this

trend negatively for they are faith driven. Since the respondents came from a

Catholic school and were raised in a religious family, the study shows that amidst the

hardships they’ve encountered, they remain steadfast to their faith and entrust the

rest to God after doing their part. While South Koreans too are known to pray for

their national test (France-Presse, 2016), Filipinos often call and trust God in the

popular and incorrect usage of the “Bahala na” term, which now denotes fatalism

and avoidance of responsibility (De Mesa, 1979; Andres, 1985; Jocano, 1999 as

cited by Menguito and Teng-Celleja, 2010). Belief in one’s capability is also one of

the factors for being faith driven as revealed in the study. The students believe that

they can learn a lesson on their own and considered their experiences in school as a

training for them.

 25

Aside from being faith driven, they are also reliance driven for they depend on not

just themselves but also luck. Unlike South Korean students who enrol in a cram

schools (Levine, 2014; Hu, 2015), Filipino students prefers to learn on their own

because enrolling in extra classes would only add to their family’s expenses which

they consider impractical. This shows the independence and hard work of Filipino

students to help in their family financially. On the other hand, Koreans are known to

spend huge amounts of money for the education of their youth (Parry and Shin,

2013; ICEF Monitor, 2014).

Filipino students are also leisure driven for they still find time to bond with their family

and their peers. They are willing to let go of school works for some time to catch up

with family gatherings. This shows that the all - work - no - play culture in South

Korea and other countries (Children in South Korea caught up in a spec and

competition craze, 2009; Levine, 2014; Hu, 2015) is not yet present in the Philippine

setting. Even if Filipino students are bombarded with requirements, they decide to

enjoy doing it especially with the help of their friends who shares the same

workloads. Filipino students can also still afford to use their free time to relax and

enjoy, while South Koreans opt to use it to gather more specs (Sang-Hun, 2008;

Levine, 2014; Hu, 2015).

Although there is the presence of the three (3) traits above, there are four (4) traits

that show that neoliberal education is present in the Philippines. The UST EHS

students embody a pressure driven, work driven, aspiration driven, and inspiration

driven life in their school. The findings of the study unveil that we can deduce that
 26

academic requirements are mostly the source of stress for the respondents because

it is mostly given at the same time. As a result, they had to sacrifice sleep for them to

finish the assigned tasks which is similar to what the South Korean students are

experiencing (Children in South Korea caught up in a spec and competition craze,

2009; Levine, 2014; Se-Woong, 2014; Hu 2015), although not to the same extent

and frequency. One of the factors to consider why the students are work driven is

due to the Philippine’s current curriculum.

With the implementation of the Outcomes - Based Education (OBE) Curriculum in

the Philippines, as introduced by W. Spady (1994), teachers have been requiring

students to submit more requirements or projects like PETA, or performance tasks,

which serve as the application of what the students have learned. These PETAs

bear heavy percentage in the grading system of the UST Education High School

which is why students dedicate much of their time in crafting it. At the same time,

these students are still given written tests which add to their academic burden

especially when both of these classroom assessments are done simultaneously.

The second source of stress, and the second trait that EHS students embody, is the

fact that they live pressure driven lives. The pressure comes from the competition

between them and their peers and the expectations that come from their parents.

The competition pressure in South Korea becomes evident from their spec gathering

(Children in South Korea caught up in a spec and competition craze, 2009; Levine,

2014; Hu, 2015). Competition between peers in South Korea would usually bear fruit

after their graduation from college, a crucial part for everyone, because of the many
 27

“overqualified” graduates that are applying for the same job (Park, 2013) which only

results to an increasing unemployment rate (Chang, 2015). Filipino students would

usually only compete inside the classroom; beyond the walls, they are all friends. No

one competes with who goes to a better school. Some EHS students, however, still

compete for the number 1 rank, due to some pressure from their parents.

Parents of South Koreans are usually the ones who enrol their kids to crams

schools, with or without the interest of their child (Sang-Hun, 2008; Koo, 2014). This

produces more pressure to the children for trying to do their best to meet their

parents’ expectations with the addition of the physical and mental stress that they go

through (Se-Woong, 2014). Most of the students in the EHS are currently

experiencing the pressure of trying to meet their parents’ expectations, with some of

them being expected to retain their awards and ranks.

The study shows that students’ inspirations help them push through the hardships

and motivate them to do their best. The very inspiration of the level of education

South Korea is currently at could very well be their friends and family where, after the

Korean War, they saw education as a way to recover from the damage they have

been dealt with (State University, 2015). Koreans are known to support their youth

while in high school (Sang-Hun, 2008) and especially during the day of their national

exam, the Suneung (Diamond, 2016; France-Presse), which inspires the students to

do better. South Koreans are also known to help their peers through their shared

hardships (Barr and Ha, 2016), similar to what EHS students do.
 28

As can be seen in the findings of the study, the students are aspiration driven

because of their goals in life for them to have a brighter future. After the Korean War,

South Koreans aspired to get up from the ashes of that war (Oh, 2010). Up to this

day, they have high aspirations for themselves, often dreaming big to make the most

out of all the cram schools they attended throughout the years (Par, 2013; Cain,

2015), similar to the respondents who are working and studying hard for their future

with some wanting to work abroad and most, if not all of them, wanting professions

that are held in high regards.

South Koreans are also known for their dream to “reach for the SKY” when entering

college, which is the nickname given to the top 3 universities: Seoul National

University, Korea University, and Yonsei University (The Economist, 2013;

Matthews, 2015). Their aspiration to enter these universities or land a good

bachelor's program also aspire them to study hard up to their national entrance test

(Bachelor Studies, 2017). Especially with the implementation of the K-12 Curriculum

in the Philippines (Rappler, 2013), Filipino students are now quicker to aspire for a

college program because of the alignments of their strand to their programs to their

chosen profession. This is why the respondents would often explain that they chose

that certain strand for their dream college program, which is what it is really designed

for (Banal-Formoso, 2016).

 29

CONCLUSION

This phenomenological study attempted to examine the influence of neoliberal

education among the selected students of UST Education High School as Related to

the Neoliberal Education in Korea. The study surfaced seven (7) traits of neoliberal

education as embodied by the students as presented in the conceptual model

referred to as faith driven, reliance driven, leisure driven, work driven, inspiration

driven, aspiration driven, and pressure driven.

The sharing and verbalizations made by the students proved that there is the

presence of neoliberal influence in the Philippine Educational System and there are

socio-cultural impacts on the students. However, it is not yet of the same intensity

compared to South Korea. With the yin and yang figure in the conceptual framework

it shows that neoliberal education encircles in the lived experiences of the Filipino

students. The traits that are within the white area are the traits that the EHS students

embody that are found in students in countries that are heavily influenced by

neoliberalism; the traits inside the black area are the traits that the EHS students

have that are absent from students that belong in countries that are heavily

influenced by neoliberalism.

The study revealed that the EHS students have not yet come to the point that they

are consumed in studying to the point that they continue to study even during their

free time. There are also no signs of depression coming from the students, which

would translate to having no threat of suicidal tendencies resulting from intolerable

 30

stress levels from school works and pressure from parents.

Filipino students have a positive view when it comes to education. School serves as

a training ground for the students in preparation for the real world. Likewise, they

believe that the school they will enter will help them develop their knowledge, skills

and values which will help them to become better individuals. Thus, Even if they are

struggling with their requirements and tests, they know that these challenges in

school will help them as would be professionals. Also, one of the reasons why

Filipino students have positive view about education is because of their parents.

Unlike Korean parents who push their children to the limit, Filipino parents

understand that there’s more for their children than studying. They allow their

children to enjoy their teenage life by doing what they love. Still, with the

generational echo, Filipino parents never forget to remind their children that with

proper education, they can confidently face the uncertainties in our society. They

would constantly remind their child that the only legacy they can give to them is

education which the youth should treasure because they are indeed, the hope of our

nation.

This study can serve as a platform for studies using other respondents that is

influenced by neoliberalism. Future studies can also be done focusing on the

economic aspect of neoliberal education as the banking system of education in the

Philippines and the high stakes testing which are closely related to neoliberalism.
 31

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 39

APPENDIX A- DENDOGRAM OF THE EMBODIMENTS OF NEOLIBERALIS

AMONG THE UST EHS STUDENTS
Significant Statement Meaning Unit Categories Theme
There are stressful Academic
moments especially requirements are the
when approaching source of stress for
the finals, since that the students
is when our PETAs,
homeworks, and
other requirements
are given
simultaneously(R1)

There are times that Load of work as a

it becomes stressful cause of stress Work related
and difficult stressors in school
especially during
when we have many
PETAs to submit
(R2)

It was stressful Academic

because of the requirement bring
PETA, tests, and stressful feeling
homeworks (R3)
Work Driven
I think the biggest Simultaneous
challenge we faced deadline of
was when group and requirements seen as
individual PETAs a challenge
were given
simultaneously, along
with the time
restraints (R1)

Strictly speaking, I Failure to do other

didn’t get a chance to things because of Time related
prepare for the test workload stressors in school
because we were
busy for some events
during that time of
the year (R2)

We have an event in
school that time and Knowing how to
we focused more on prioritize
that (R1)
 40

Significant Statement Meaning Unit Categories Theme

My very motivation is Mother as a source
my mother and my of inspiration
plans for the future. I
see the sacrifices
that my mom goes
through for me (R1)

My parents push me Parents motivation

to do my best Family related
because they want to inspiration
see me succeed in
life later on and I do
not want to fail them
(R2)

My parents and Getting inspiration

friends, as well as my from parents and
dreams and goals in friends
life (R5)
Inspiration Driven

I’m doing my best for Working hard for

them anyway, not for parents
me to receive
rewards (R2)

My family and my Inspiration from the

future are the family
reasons why I have
to work hard (R6)
Peer related
inspiration
My friends and I are Inspiration from
close and we help peers
each other study (R3)

Sometimes we have Motivated from peers

more time to
compare and ask
each other about our
workloads since
every one of us can
help (R4)
 41

Significant Statement Meaning Unit Categories Theme

I have a lot of plans Aspired to
for the future that I accomplish plans
want to fulfil (R1)
Personal related
My driving forces are Aspires to achieve aspiration
my dreams and my dreams
hopes of doing well in
order to achieve
them (R4)

I’ll be taking Hums Prime path to college

because every
program I can take is
covered (R1)

I have chosen Health Compatible subject

Allied. I am supposed for pre-med
to take Medical
Technology as my
pre-med in college College Program
(R4) related aspiration
Aspiration Driven
I applied as a Aspires for a
HUMSS student. I doctorate degree
plan on studying
Psychology and later
become a
Psychological Doctor
(R5)

Yes, I’m going to take Strand is aligned to

HUMSS since I want desired profession
to be a lawyer (R6)

I hope I already have

a decent job with a Aspires to have good
decent salary (R1) paying profession
Profession
I’ve already gone related aspiration
abroad with a Aspires to work and
successful job (R3) live abroad

I see myself happy

with my family and Aspires to have
having a stable job stable job
(R4)
 42

Significant Statement Meaning Unit Categories Theme

Yes (there is Peer induced
competition), by competition
trying to have the
highest grades.(R3)

There are times Competition

wherein I feel like Personally related pressure
competing with my competitive
peers because I'm a
competitive person
(R5)

I am pressured to Pressure brought by

fulfil their expectation
expectations (R2)
Pressure Driven

They (parents) only Parents’

want me to do my encouragement
best and they trust
me to do so (R4)

There is so much Expected to maintain

pressure because my standing
parents want me to Expectations
be the top 1 (R3) related pressure

They fear that I might Expected to maintain

lose my rectors awards
honorific scholar so
they always tell me to
study well (R3)

I also feel sad Failed expectations

because I failed to
meet their
expectations and I
know that they only
want what’s best for
me (R2)
 43

Significant Statement Meaning Unit Categories Theme

I didn’t actually Confidence on self
“prepare” because I and God
never study for an God related faith
entrance test. I rely
on stock knowledge
and God (R7)

I have been self- Self-reliance ‘

studying since 5th
Grade (R1)

I know I can improve Awareness on

my academic potential to improve
performance if I give
it more time (R2)

I believe in my skills Faith in one’s

as a student. I love capabilities
learning and
understanding things Capability related
on my own (R5) faith

We have an event in Reliance on schema

Faith Driven
school that time and
we focused more on
that, but we relied on
luck and stock
knowledge that time
(R1)

I prefer learning Independent learning

things myself and I
can easily
understand a certain
subject or lesson
(R3)

I know that we are all Accumulation of

capable of being top knowledge
students knowing
that we are all
scholars (R5)
Knowledge
I could consider the Previous years as related faith
past years as my preparations
preparation though
(R2)
 44

Significant Statement Meaning Unit Categories Theme

I know I can improve Improve academic
my academic performance on their
performance if I give own
it more time and
hiring a tutor only
adds to our financial
expenses (R5)
Self-Reliance
I know I can improve Believe in one’s
my academic capacity to improve
performance if I give
it more time and
hiring a tutor only
adds to our financial
expenses (R7)
Reliance Driven
We have an event in Luck and stock
school that time and knowledge
we focused more on
that, but we relied on
luck and stock
knowledge that time
(R1) Reliance Luck

I didn’t prepare, it Dependent on luck

was all hit and miss
(R7)
 45

Significant Statement Meaning Unit Categories Theme

We usually bond on Family bonding out
Sunday by going to of town
the mall or travel
somewhere (R1)

We’re always Family bonding on

together every weekends
weekend. We go to
church every Sunday
and we also watch
movies at home
together (R2)
Family Bonding
We go to church Family activities held
every Sunday and we on Sundays
also watch movies at
home together. (R3)

We spend time
together during Family bonding
Sundays no matter amidst busy schedule
how packed my
weekends are when
workloads are there
(R4)

There are also Bonding with peers if

instances where we there are less school
have little to none works
PETAs so we go out
and see each other
(R1) Leisure Driven

My friends and I are Help each other with

close and we help studies
each other study (R3)
Peer Bonding
We eat together
every break and Bonding during break
sometimes stay time
around campus after
class hours (R2)

It would be during
break times, eating Bonding inside and
after school and outside school
chatting through
social medias (R4)

I spend my remaining Spare time for

time for leisure (R4) themselves Personal Time
 46

APPENDIX B -PERMIT TO CONDUCT INTERVIEW

UNIVERSITY OF SANTO TOMAS

College of Education
Teacher – Education Department

7 APRIL 2017

Asst. Prof. LORETO S. SAUZ, MEd

Principal
Education High School

Thru: Fr. WINSTON F. CABADING, O.P.

Regent
College of Education

Dear Asst. Prof. Sauz:

Greetings in the name of St. Thomas Aquinas!

The following undersigned are junior students from the Teacher – Education Department of
the College of Education taking up Bachelor of Secondary Education Major in Social
Studies, who are conducting a study, entitled “A Phenomenology of the Impact of
Neoliberal Education among Select Group of Students at the Education High School.”
In line with this, we would like to request for the participation of selected Grade 10 students
by answering our interview questions. Their active participation is crucial in providing
necessary information for our objectives stated below which is also beneficial to the
Education High School:
● Gather the perception of Filipino students in the UST EHS with regards to neoliberal
education
● Compare the Philippines’ current educational system with South Korea’s and see its
differences or similarities
Your response and time is greatly appreciated. Thank you for your interest and assistance
with this research.

Respectfully,

MARCUS NAPOLEON D. ASPACIO PATRICIA C. TAN

3E3/ 3SSM 3E3/ 3SSM

Noted by:

Assoc. Prof. MARIELYN C. QUINTANA

SOCST 9 Professor/ Research Adviser

Endorsed by:

Prof. ALLAN B. DE GUZMAN, Ph.D.

Dean
College of Education
 47

APPENDIX C- INFORMED CONSENT

PARENTAL CONSENT

RE: “A Phenomenology on the Impact of Neoliberal Education among Selected

Education High School Students on Neoliberal Education in the Philippines.”

I/We are allowing my son/ daughter, to participate in the research entitled “A

Phenomenology on the Impact of Neoliberal Education among Selected Education
High School Students on Neoliberal Education in the Philippines.”

_____________________________
________________________________
Student’s Signature over Printed Parent’s Signature over Printed Name
Name / Grade and Section
 48

APPENDIX D-ROBOTFOTO/RESPONDENTS PROFILE FORM

PROFILE OF THE PARTICIPANTS

General Profile:
1. Name (Optional) 3. Gender:
_______________________ Male
2. Age: Female
• 12 – 13 4. Religion: _____________
• 14 - 15
• 16 - 17
• 17 – 18
Family Background:
1. Occupation of Father: ___________________________
2. Occupation of Mother: ___________________________
3. Living with the Parents: • Yes • No
4. Number of Siblings: __________

Educational Background:
1. Years as an outstanding student: _________

Please answer the following about yourself:

1. What are your hobbies?
___________________________________________________________________
2. Do have extracurricular activities?
___________________________________________________________________
3. Awards Received
___________________________________________________________________
4. Organization affiliation
___________________________________________________________________

APPENDIX F- AID MEMOIRE
INTERVIEW QUESTIONS
Constructs
Class standing
- A traditional designation
used to define a student’s
progress toward their
graduation goal (University of
Hawaii, 2014).
Preparation
- The students’ development
of college knowledge, which
is a personal understanding
of how to enrol in and
successfully navigate the
new academic culture they
aspire to join (Conley, 2005;
Roderick et. al., 2009; Wise,
2008; Zhao, 2009a, 2009b as
cited by Barnes et. al., 2010).
Academic Pressure
- The need for perfection,
worry over grades, parental
pressure, competition,
sports, or a tough class load
(Kaur, 2013).
49
Interview Questions
1. How’s your student life in Education High
School?
2. What are the subjects you enjoy and why?
3. Which subject/s do you find difficult and
why?
4. Do you take extra classes? Why or Why
not?
1. Have you decided your strand in senior high
school and why did you choose that strand?
2. Where are you going to take senior high
school and why?
3. How did you prepare for the examination?
4. Did you enrol in a review center? Why or why
not?
1. How does it feel to be a student achiever?
2. What are the driving forces for you to excel in
academics?
3. What are the challenges that you face in order
to become an outstanding student?
4. How’s your relationship with your friends?
5. Do you still find time to bond with your friends
amidst the workloads in school and how?
6. Do you experience competition among your
peers to gain the top spot and in what way?
7. Amidst the workloads in school, do you still
find time to be with your family? How do you
spend your time together?
8. Do you feel pressured by your parents when it
 50

comes to your academics and future? How?

9. Do you tell your parents what happens in
school especially if you have a problem?
10. Let’s say that you ranked higher than your
current standing in class, do you receive
rewards from your parents? Why or why not?
How does it feel?
11. What if you ranked below your current
standing in class, do your parents get
disappointed with your performance? Why or
why not? How do you feel?
12. How do you see yourself in 10 years?
 51

APPENDIX F - TRANSCRIPT OF INTERVIEW

Respondent 1 Respondent 2 Respondent 3 Respondent 4

Question It’s fun, although there “It is fun because I It was a lot of fun “It was full of
1. How’s are stressful moments have been with my because of the challenges and
your especially when friends and many events that I tiring but it was a
student life approaching the finals, classmates since experienced for the great high school
in since that is when our grade 7. There are first time and experience.”
Education PETAs, homeworks, times that it although it was
High and other becomes stressful stressful because of
School? requirements are and difficult the PETA, tests,
given simultaneously. especially during and homeworks, it
But in general, it is fun when we have was still fun
and you get to learn many PETAs to because I was with
many things along the submit.” my friends and my
way. For example, in supportive section.
our PETAs, we learn It was a rough
different ways to journey and
become creative and because of EHS, I
resourceful in our became more
outputs, like using responsible and
different designs and disciplined in my
materials to save studies and I
money and time. In experienced being a
written projects, we student leader and
learned that the an independent
reading materials that person.
we were asked to read
are useful to create
better essays, like
writing styles.

“Masaya naman po “Sobrang saya po

siya. Although dahil maraming mga
stressful po lalo na events na nangyari
kapag malapit ang na first ko lang po
finals, since dun na experience and
nagsasabay-sabay although it was
ang petas, stressful dahil po sa
homeworks, and mga PETA, tests
requirements, pero in and homeworks,
general, masaya po masaya pa rin po
and marami kang siya dahil kasama
matututunan na rin ko naman po mga
along the way. kaibigan ko and
Kunyari po sa mga yung section ko po
peta, may mga na nagtutulungan. It
natututunan po was a rough journey
kaming ways kung po and dahil po sa
paano maging EHS, mas natuto po
 52

creative and ako na maging

resourceful sa mga responsible and
output na kailangang disciplined po sa
gawin, like iba't ibang studies ko and
mga designs and naranasan ko pa
materials na maging isang
magagamit para student leader and
maging matipid sa maging isang
pera and oras yung independent na
gagawin, and kung tao.”
written naman po,
nakakatulong yung
mga reading materials
na pinapabasa para
mapaayos yung mga
ginagawa naming
essays, like writing
styles.”

Question CL and AP, “I love history a lot Math and Science “I enjoy Science,
#2 sometimes English is because learning because I love AP, English and
okay too. I am in AP isn’t stressful solving and the Math since
What are interested in history unlike Math, concepts involved in there's always
the because we always Science and both subjects. something new to
subjects had a reporting in English where learn when it
you enjoy HEKASI during my there are always comes to Science
and why? elementary years, and some processes, and it's a subject
I got more interested formulas, or that I would focus
while studying for our technicalities you on in the future.
reports. European have to remember. AP intrigues me
History is my favorite In history, it’s just because of
because of the huge like discovering knowing about
role of the church in new characters history. English
their history. The and settings in a and Math are
concepts that story.” both essential
Christianity teaches is which makes me
also beautiful which is focus on it more
why I found it and try to
interesting, along with understand it
my mom being more despite
religious. I am also having difficulties
interested in English with them at
since I dream of going times.”
to the United Kingdom
someday, and so that
I won’t look lost once I
get there. I also want
to learn even just the
basic grammar rules
and slangs that they
use there.
 53

“CL po and AP. Pero “Math and Science

minsan okay din po kasi po mahilig po
yung English. ako sa solving and
Interesado po ako sa sa mga concepts
history since nung po.”
Elem po, lagi po
kaming may reporting
sa HEKASI namin.
Kaya nung inaaral po
namin yung irereport
namin, unti-unti po
akong naging
interesado sa history.
And favorite ko po is
European History kasi
ang laki po ng role ng
church sa history ng
Europe. And ang
ganda po ng concepts
ng mga tinuturo ng
Christianity so naging
interesting po siya
para sa akin, and
siguro na rin po kasi
since religious po si
mama. Interesado rin
po ako sa English
since gusto ko pong
pumunta sa U.K.
someday. And para
hindi naman po ako
magmukhang ewan
pagdating doon.
Gusto ko na rin po
matutunan kahit basic
grammal rules and
yung mga slangs na
ginagamit nila roon.”

Question Science, Math, and “I find Math and English. I am poor “Computer
#3 PE. I find it difficult to Science difficult with words. I don’t because I am not
understand the because I get know why but I fast to pick up
concepts of Math, confused with really find English with everything
especially Algebra and many numbers. I difficult. that they have
Which Calculus where also tend to forget taught us.”
subject/s everything that’s the formulas and
do you find happening is like get more confused
difficult magic. In Science, when there are
and why? they teach us a lot letters involved.”
every quarter so I find
it difficult to study
 54

during finals. PE
because I’m not
athletic.

“Science, Math, and “English. Mahina po

PE po. Nahihirapan ako sa mga words
lang po akong ganun po. Di ko po
maintindihan yung alam yung main
concepts ng Math lalo reason pero
na po yung sa Algeb nahihirapan po
and Calculus na talaga ako sa
parang magic na po English.”
yung nangyayari. Sa
Science naman po,
ang dami lang pong
tinuturo sa amin every
quarter kaya po siguro
nahihirapan po akong
mag-aral kapag finals
na. PE po since hindi
po ako athletic.”

Question I have no extra “No. I know I can No. No, because I “No because I
#4 classes. My mom improve my prefer learning spend my
used to teach me in academic things myself and I remaining time for
elementary, but I have performance if I can easily leisure. But if I am
been self-studying give it more time understand a certain given an
Do you since 5th Grade. One and hiring a tutor subject or lesson. opportunity to
take extra reason is that my mom only adds to our take these
classes? got busy with work. financial classes, I would
Why or Maybe. I’m a little expenses.” grab it so I can
Why not? picky when it comes to enhance myself.”
people I work with. It
depends on the tutor
because if I dislike the
teacher, I really show
it. But if the teacher is
chill and is a good
educator, I’d take
extra classes.

“Wala naman po. “Di po. No, because

Tinuturuan lang po I prefer learning
ako ni mama noong things myself and I
elem, pero since can easily
Grade 5 more on self- understand a certain
study na lang po. subject or lesson.”
Since naging busy na
rin po si mama sa
work. Siguro po? Kasi
medyo mapili po kasi
ako lalo na sa mga
 55

makakatrabaho ko. So
baka depende po sa
magtuturo kasi po
minsan kapag ayaw
ko, pinapakita ko po
talaga. Pero kung chill
naman po pero
magaling magturo,
okay po.”

Question I’ll be taking Hums “Yes. I want to take STeM because I “Yes, I have
#5 because every up Hums because want to be an chosen Health
program I can take is it is aligned with engineer and in that Allied. I am
covered and I believe the programs that strand, that is where supposed to take
it is where I can I’d like to take in the necessities in Medical
Have you graduate alive. college.” the job I want will be Technology as
decided focused on. my pre-med in
your strand college so HA will
in senior definitely help me
high more.”
school and
why did
you
choose
that
strand?

“Hums po kasi lahat “STeM kasi po

po ng naisip kong gusto ko po maging
pwedeng kunin na engineer and sa
program is covered po strand na yun, dun
nun and sa tingin ko po magfofocus yung
po doon po ako mga kailangan sa
makakagraduate nang gusto kong job.”
buhay.”

Question Here in UST. I think it “UST SHS. UST In UST. It is easier “I am going to
#6 would be difficult to has been my to enter in UST SHS UST SHS for my
adjust if I transfer to a school for 4 years if you finished junior senior high
different school and I believe that it high there. It is also school. I think
because my mom would be best if I hard to adjust. UST can provide
Where are wants me to enter stay here because the best when it
you going college here. it is easy to enter comes to
to take and I am anything related
senior high comfortable here, I to Medicine and I
school and would only make it like to stay in the
why? difficult for me if I campus until I
look for other graduate.”
schools. My
parents also want
me to study here
for college, and I
do too.”
 56

“Dito rin po sa UST. “Sa UST po. Mas

Kasi parang ang hirap madali po kasi
pong mag-adjust makapasok sa SHS
kapag lumipat po ako ng UST pag dun ka
sa ibang school kasi rin po nag junior
balak po ni mama is high, and di mahirap
sa UST na rin po ako mag adjust.”
mag-college.”

Question Honestly, all of us “Strictly speaking, I I didn’t actually “I reviewed some

#7 weren’t able to study didn’t get a chance “prepare” because I past lessons that
for the test. We have to prepare for the never study for an used to be hard
an event in school that test because we entrance test. I rely for me and just
time and we focused were busy for on stock knowledge skim through the
How did more on that, but we some events and God. things that are
you relied on luck and during that time of easy for me.”
prepare for stock knowledge that the year. I could
the time. consider the past
examinatio years as my
n? preparation
though.”

“Sa totoo lang po, “Di po talaga ako

hindi po kami actually nag
nakapag-aral lahat "prepare" kasi di
nun. May event po naman po talaga
kasi kami nung ako nag-aaral
entrance exam namin tuwing may
and mas nag-focus po entrance test po.
kami dun, pero umasa Puro stock
na lang po kami sa knowledge lang po
swerte and stocked and nagdadasal po
knowledge noon.” ako lagi kay God.”

Question “No.” “No because it will “No.” “No, I didn’t.”

#8 only be a waste of
money and time.”

Did you
enrol in a
review
center?
Why or
why not?
 57

Question I don’t really consider “It is an It is difficult because “It feels nice
#9 myself as an overwhelming it is hard to balance especially when
outstanding student. feeling to be one of studies with the you are coming
EHS students are the outstanding inclusion of events from a school like
outstanding. To be a students in a and other activities. EHS.”
How does student here already school that Others think that
it feel to be implies that you have comprises “hey this guys is
a student what it takes, although outstanding smart etc etc” but in
achiever? not financially, but students. It is like reality we
academically. I feel being the best of experience the
happy that I am a part the best. But I do same struggles with
of a school full of not let that feeling our studies.
amazing and smart get to my head
students, and I am because I know
lucky to have the that all of my
chance to interact and classmates are
know these people. It capable of doing
is also here in EHS what I am doing.”
that you will realize
that not all smart
people are always
quiet or bookish,
because in reality, that
is not the case.

“Hindi ko naman po “Mahirap po kasi

kino-consider ang ang hirap po
sarili ko as an magbalance ng
outstanding student studies na may
po. Magagaling kasamang events
naman po ang and other activities.
students sa EHS. Tingin po ng iba na
Kumbaga, maging "ay matalino yan si
student pa nga lang ano ganyan
po is already implying ganyan" pero yung
na may kaya ka na, totoo po katulad ko
although maybe not lang po sila na
financially, but nagsstruggle rin po
academically. Siguro sa studies.”
po pakiramdam ko is
masaya since member
po ako ng isang
school na puro batak
and matatalino, and
ang swerte ko po
since nagkaroon po
ako ng chance na
makisalamuha sa
kanina and makilala
po sila. Sa EHS din po
yung mare-realize mo
 58

na hindi po lahat ng
matalino, tahimik or
talagang bookish lang
palagi, kasi po in
reality, hindi po
ganon.”

Question My very motivation is “My parents. My parents. “My driving forces

#10 my mother and my Because they are my dreams
plans for the future. I always push me to and my hopes of
see the sacrifices that do my best doing well in
my mom goes through because they want order to achieve
What are for me and I am so to see me succeed them. They are
the driving lucky that my mom in life later on and I mainly finishing
forces for works in a bank, she do not want to fail college and being
you to knows how to earn them. The normal able to work as a
excel in extra money through things that every doctor in the
academics legal means. I also student faces. future.”
? don’t want to add to There are some
her troubles since lessons that I really
she’s already stressed have to study hard
with so many things. for because I did
And I have a lot of not get it the first
plans for the future time.”
that I want to fulfil.

“Siguro po pinaka- “Parents ko po.”

motivation ko po is
yung mother ko and
yung gusto ko pong
mangyari in the future.
Nakikita ko po kasi
lahat ng sacrifices na
ginagawa ni mama
para sa akin and ang
swerte ko na lang din
po since sa bangko si
mama so kahit
papaano, nakakaalam
sya kung paano
makakuha ng extra sa
sweldo nya sa legal
na paraan. And ayoko
lang pong
madagdagan
problema niya kasi
masyadong marami
na po siyang kinaka-
stressan, may ganon
po bang word? And sa
dinami-dami po ng
 59

gusto kong mangyari

sa future, ayoko rin
pong maging drawing
lang sya.”

Question I think the biggest “The numerous The deadline of “I had to sacrifice
#11 challenge we faced PETAs are also PETAs and some things like
was when group and difficult for me homeworks fall on sleep and even
individual PETAs were because you have the same day along leisure times
given simultaneously, to find and with summative because i would
What are along with the time sacrifice time to tests and quizzes. be too focus with
the restraints. accomplish them.” There was also this my studies and
challenges one instance where there wouldn’t be
that you I was typing a PETA any available time
face in when my PC shut for me to do any
order to down, things like other activities
become an that. that my peers are
outstandin used to doing.”
g student?

“Siguro pinaka- “Yung deadline po

challenge pong ng mga PETAs and
naranasan namin is homeworks ay
yung sabay-sabay na iisang araw lang po,
mga group and and sinabayan pa
individual PETAs nga ng summative and
po, plus time restraints quizzes. Tapos one
din na po.” time po nagtatype
po ako ng PETA
nang namatay po
PC ko, yung mga
ganun po.”

Question Me and my crew are “We’re okay. My friends and I are “I am really close
#12 okay. We’ve been friends close and we help to my friends to
and classmates each other study. the point that
since grade 7 so they're the
we really know siblings I never
How’s your each other well.” had and we share
relationshi everything with
p with your each other.”
friends?

“Okay naman po kami “Close po kami ng

ng barkada ko.” mga kaibigan ko
and kami rin po
yung nagtutulungan
sa isa't-isa para sa
studies po.”
 60

Question Since most of our “Yes. We eat We bond by forming “Yes, we bond
#13 group PETAs are by together every a group for every together a lot. It
friends, especially this break and task. would be during
grade 10, the sometimes stay break times,
accomplishment of around campus eating after
Do you still PETAs as a group after class hours. school and
find time to serves as our Other than that, we chatting through
bond with bonding. There are don’t really get to social medias.
your also instances where see each other Sometimes we
friends we have little to none outside of school.” have more time to
amidst the PETAs so we go out compare and ask
workloads and see each other. each other about
in school our workloads
and how? since every one
of us can help.”

“Since by friends “Kami kami na po

naman po karamihan yung nagsasama sa
ng group PETAs groupings.”
namin ngayon,
especially ngayon
pong grade 10, yung
paggawa po ng PETA
nang sabay-sabay na
po yung nagiging
pinaka-bonding
namin. Tapos kapag
meron pong chances
na walang PETA or
kaunti lang, gumagala
or nagkikita-kita po
kami.”

Question Sometimes, especially “Yes. Some of my Yes, by trying to “Not really. I think
#14 during exams. But I classmates are have the highest there's a healthy
believe that if I think competitive and grades. There is so competition
there is competition their parents are much pressure between us but
between me and my expecting a lot because my parents we help each
Do you peers, I tend to focus from them. I don’t want me to be the other a lot so it's
experience on memorization mind the top 1. not that
competitio instead of really competition competitive.”
n among understanding the though, because it
your peers lessons, which is why I only adds to the
to gain the just disregard the pressure that I
top spot thought that there is a already have.”
and in competition. I think I
what way? become more
productive without the
thought or pressure of
 61

competition because
I’m more comfortable
and happy with what
I’m doing. I am also
quick to give in to
pressure so I may not
be able to do anything
or just give up
immediately if I think
that there is pressure
with what I’m doing.

“Minsan po, lalo na Opo, sa pataasan

kapag exams. Pero sa po ng grades.
tingin ko po kasi, Sobrang pressured
kapag inisip ko pong po kasi gusto po ng
may competition, mas parents ko na
magfofocus po akong parang ako po yung
mag-memorize asa top 1 po,
instead na parang ganun po.
maintindihan talaga
yung mga lessons so
parang hindi ko na
lang pong iniisip na
competition sya. Sa
tingin ko po kapag
wala (competition)
kasi mas nagiging
productive po kasi ako
kapag comfortable or
masaya ako sa
ginagawa ko. Mabilis
din po kasi ako
bumigay sa pressure
eh, so baka wala rin
akong magawa or
bumigay nga po ako
agad kapag ganong
iniisip kong may
pressure na halo dun
sa ginagawa ko.
 62

Question Since we’re both busy “Yes. We also eat Yes. We go to the “Yes, I do. We
#15 on weekdays and dinner together. mall every Saturday spend time
sometime even on We’re always and we also go to together during
Saturdays, we usually together every church together. Sundays no
bond on Sunday by weekend. We go to matter how
Amidst the going to the mall or church every packed my
workloads travel somewhere. My Sunday and we weekends are
in school, mom is stressed with also watch movies when workloads
do you still work so she at home together.” are there. It would
find time to sometimes goes on a be as simple as
be with trip to the provinces or watching movies
your someplace else and I or if I have the
family? would come with her if time, going to
How do we have enough malls and buying
you spend budget. new things.”
your time
together?

“Since busy po kami “Opo. Every

parehas ng weekdays saturday po kami
and minsan po pumupunta po sa
Saturdays, Sunday po mall tapos
pinaka-bonding time nagsisimba rin po
namin kapag kami.”
pumupuntang malls or
basta nagttravel lang
po kung saan-saan.
Stressed din po kasi si
mama sa work kaya
minsan, trip nya pong
mag-probinsya or
kung saan-saan, and
sinasamahan ko na
lang po sya kapag
may budget.”

Question Not really. My mom “Yes, because they A little. But they did “No not really.
#16 just doesn’t want me want to see me say that it’s better to They only want
to add to her problems succeed in life. pass and have high me to do my best
by having low grades. They don’t really grades than being and they trust me
push me but the top 1. to do so. I think
Do you because they want they understand
 63

feel the best for me, I and know my

pressured am pressured to studying habits
by your fulfil their are enough and
parents expectations.” that a little push is
when it helpful from time
comes to to time but there
your is no need for
academics pressure.
and Sometimes I'm
future? also excited for
How? the future so I
don't really see it
as a burden or
pressure.”

“Hindi naman po. “Medyo po. Pero

Ayaw lang po ni sabi naman po nila
mama na dagdagan mas okay na pong
ko pa po probelma pasado at mataas
nya kapag mababa po grades kesa po
grades ko.” yung ikaw yung asa
top 1.”

Question Sometimes, my mom “I tell them most of Yes. They do help “Yes, I never hide
#17 has more things to tell what is happening me and they give anything from
and sometimes, based in school but I pieces of advice. them unless it's
on her rants, she usually leave out big secret
seems so stressed so the problems. I concerning my
Do you tell I just let her tell stories want to be able to friends.”
your because my problems solve them by
parents are nothing compared myself so I can be
what to hers. independent
happens in enough.”
school
especially
if you have
a problem?

“Minsan naman po “Opo. Tinutulungan

pero mas marami naman po nila ako
pong nasasabi si at nagbibigay po sila
mama minsan and ng mga advice.”
parang sobrang
stressed nya na base
sa mga rants nya so
hinahayaan ko na lang
pong sya na lang
mostly magkwento
kasi parang wala po
yung mga problema
ko sa mga problema
nya.”
 64

Question My mom doesn’t know “No. They rarely No. They just tell me “Yes, I receive
#18 the rankings so there have money to to keep up the good something from
aren’t any rewards. spare to give work but they do them because my
rewards. I don’t commend me. father have that
mind because I’m thinking that I
Let’s say doing my best for should always be
that you them anyway, not rewarded even
ranked for me to receive though it's not
higher than rewards.” even necessary.
your It makes me
current happy and
standing in worried at the
class, do same time
you because I
receive wouldn't really
rewards reject a gift yet I
from your don't want to get
parents? used to them.”
Why or
why not?
How does
it feel?

“Hindi naman po “Di po. Sinasabi

nalalaman ni mama lang po nila na keep
rankings sa amin so up the good work
wala pong rewards.” and pinupuri naman
po nila ako”

Question She understands me if “Yes, they get sad Yes. Because they “No they don't
#19 the grades in some of because they know fear that I might lose really get
my subjects go down, I can do better. I my rectors honorific disappointed that
and she’s also aware also feel sad scholar so they much. They think
that the EHS is unique because I failed to always tell me to and understand
What if you compared to other meet their study well. how hard it is to
ranked high schools. Although expectations and I balance our time
below your yes, she does get know that they only and workloads.
current disappointed, but want what’s best They would cheer
standing in fortunately, she for me.” me up instead of
class, do understands. scolding me
your because there's
parents get really nothing you
disappoint can do other than
ed with do better next
your time when your
performan grades are
ce? Why already given. I
or why feel lucky to have
not? How them since most
do you of my peers get
feel? worried to the
 65

point of crying
when they get low
grades since their
guardians will
definitely scold or
talk to them
seriously.”

“Kung bumababa po “Opo. Kasi po

sa ilang subject, parang iniisip din po
parang naiintindihan nila na baka mawala
nya naman din po ata po ako sa pagiging
since aware po syang rectors honorific
iba po ang EHS scholar ko kaya lagi
compared sa ibang po nila akong
high school. Although sinasabihan na mag
oo nga po, nadi- aral nang mabuti.”
disappoint sya, pero
fortunately,
naiintindihan nya
naman po.”

Question In 10 years, I hope I “I see myself as a Maybe I’ve already “I see myself
#20 already have a decent college instructor gone abroad with a happy with my
job with a decent taking up his successful job. family and having
salary. I also hope that PHD.” a stable job that I
I have improved in my love which is
How do time and budget being a doctor.”
you see management. I wish
yourself in that I’ll be proud of the
10 years? decisions I made
during those 10 years.

“In 10 years, sana po “Siguro po nasa

may decent na po abroad na po ako
akong trabaho na may na may successful
okay naman pong na trabaho.”
bayad. And sana po
mas improved na po
ako sa pagmamanage
ng time and budget.
And sana po naging
proud ako sa kung
ano mang decision
nagawa ko during
those 10 years.”

Respondent #5
Question “It's not easy being an EHS
#1 student. Along the way
you'll face a lot of
difficulties and challenges.
I'll find myself having no
How’s sleep at all just to finish all
your my requirements. But in the
student life end, it's all worth it.
in Besides, it's fun having my
Education classmates around me due
High to the fact that we have
School? been together since our
first year in UST.”
Question “Personally, I like all our
#2 subjects. Although I do
prefer Science and AP the
most. This is because I am
interested in knowing the
What are history of certain matters
the and things, like the whole
subjects Chinese dynasties. I also
you enjoy love knowing the reason
and why? behind something, for
example, I want to know
why a certain mixture
turned the color of green.
Those subjects fascinate
me a lot.”
Question “To be honest, I don't find
#3 any subjects difficult. I'm
the kind of person who
invests her time in learning
something no matter how
Which difficult or challenging it is.
subject/s If I'm having any problems
do you find in understanding a certain
difficult topic or lesson, I usually
and why? listen to the teacher and
read my books or notes in
advance to help myself.
Once I am able to
comprehend all of it, it'll be
easier for me to accomplish
my responsibilities as a
student.”
Question “No, I don't. Modesty aside,
#4 I believe in my skills as a
student. I love learning and
understanding things on my
own.”
Do you
take extra
classes?
Why or
Why not?
Question “I applied as a HUMSS
#5 student in UST SHS. In
God's will, I plan on
66
Respondent #6 Respondent #7
“It was enjoyable yet filled “It's pretty good, I guess.
with challenges. Since I I’ve established
have grades to maintain, I relationship and
have to really spend a lot of connections among my
time doing academic related friends and other colleges.
stuff because time is gold. I also discovered a lot of
Whenever I procrastinate, things I didn’t thought I
things might go out of hand could do.”
forcing me to cram my
requirements.”
“Aside from PE, I really “I enjoy TLE because I
enjoy AP since I want to acquire new skills in that
become a lawyer in the subject.”
future. In AP, it allows me to
think freely and be critical
unlike in math or science
since it’s actually based only
on what has been proven.
One question leads only to
one answer and I often
create mistakes because of
that.”
“I find math and science “Math and Science
really challenging. Math has because it is hard to
a lot of formulas and memorize formulas.”
problem solving makes me
confused. Science, on the
other hand is difficult
because of the experiments.
For example, in science, a
lot of book depicts how the
cell looks wherein different
parts have different colors.
In reality, I find those
pictures as lies because
everything looks almost the
same in the microscope. I
honestly don’t know what
others see that I can’t see.”
“No, but given the chance, I “No I don't. I don’t think it’s
will enrol in Kumon or any practical. I mean,
classes which can help me everything’s on the
improve my weaknesses in internet. We only need
math and science.” perseverance and
dedication to learn
anything.”
“Yes, I’m going to take “STeM. I don't know, I just
HUMSS since I want to be a felt like taking it.”
lawyer and it’s where I’m
 67

studying Psychology and good at. Also, it is aligned

later become a with my desired profession
Psychological Doctor.” which is law.”
Have you
decided
your
strand in
senior high
school and
why did
you
choose
that
strand?

Question “As cliche as it sounds, I “I chose UST because “UST. I believe that UST
#6 love UST and it was and is statistics said that in the produces competitive
still my dream school. recent years, UST had students.”
Besides, I'm already higher employment rate.
enrolled here, I already Basically, I’m being practical.
Where are know how hard it is to get in I want to be employed
you going our school, why would I immediately to help in my
to take leave? I have read family.”
senior high somewhere that there are
school and only three universities in
why? the Philippines who
prepares their students for
real future jobs, and
fortunately, UST is one of
them.”

Question “To be honest, my “I bought review books in I didn’t prepare, it was all
#7 classmates and I from national bookstore to refresh hit and miss.
EHS, we didn't do anything my mind for the test.”
to prepare for the entrance
examination for UST SHS
How did because a.) EHS didn't
you offer any review programs,
prepare for b.) We don't even know
the what the coverage of the
examinatio exam will be, and c.) We
n? have a lot of summative
tests and petas to attend to
and accomplish during the
USTET week to worry
about our entrance exam.
However, the lessons we
had in the classroom
helped us answer and
finish the whole test,
especially our lessons in
Science and English”

“Di po ako nagprepare,

ate, shotgun lang po.”

Question “No.” “Yes, I did. Although I was “No.”

#8 the one who asked my
parents to enrol me in one
since the review center I saw
 68

is cheap compared to other

Did you review centers. I decided to
enrol in a go for a review center
review because unlike my
center? classmates, I’m not naturally
Why or smart. My schema’s not as
why not? high as theirs so I wasn’t
confident that I can past the
exam. After all, I am
competing for a slot in UST
SHS.”

Question “I feel blessed and thankful
#9 because I know that all my
hard work has been paid
off. I also feel glad because
I know that my ever
How does supportive and loving
it feel to be parents are proud of my
a student accomplishments. It also
achiever? helps me feel motivated
and inspired in studying.”
“Happy that I’ve made my “It feels good.”
parents proud because I felt
like I am no longer a
disappointment. All the
sleepless night are paid off. I
also feel even pressured
since my parents would tell
me I have to keep it up and
maintain my grades.”

Question “My parents and friends, as “My family and my future are “My family.”
#10 well as my dreams and the reasons why I have to
goals in life.” work hard since we live in a
society wherein you have to
prove to your employers that
What are you’re worth hiring.”
the driving
forces for
you to
excel in
academics
?

Question “I have to sacrifice a lot of I had to sacrifice sleep and “The challenges I faced
#11 things to be able to become time with my family to focus are academic
an outstanding student.” on my studies and to get requirements and financial
things done, like PETAs, problems.”
before the deadline.
What are
the
challenges
that you
face in
order to
become
an
outstandin
g student?

Question “It's not because my
#12 parents are strict and I'm
not allowed to go
anywhere, but I don't
usually hang out with my
How’s friends besides our school
“I only have small group of “We are in good terms.”
friends because I choose
them carefully as my mom
would tell me.”
 69

your hours and other school

relationshi related activities. I'd rather
p with your spend my time finishing my
friends? PETAs and studying for our
upcoming exams.”

Question “It's all good. I do hangout “I keep in touch with some “Yes, I still find time to be
#13 with them but not as much through facebook but when with them. We make time
as I want to. I also we decide to meet up, I for everything in our life.”
explained my situation with would always miss it since
them and luckily, they my parents won’t allow me
Do you still understood.” to leave the house unless it
find time to has something to do with
bond with school.”
your
friends
amidst the
workloads
in school
and how?

Question “There are times wherein I “Yes, I do and I know it’s “Yes, I experience
#14 feel like competing with my wrong so I’d always keep in competition but I am not
peers because I'm a mind that my only competing with them,
competitive person. But in competition is myself and no although they seem to
general, not really. I know one else.” take it too seriously.”
Do you that we are all capable of
experience being top students knowing
competitio that we are all scholars.”
n among
your peers
to gain the
top spot
and in
what way?

Question “Yes po. I always see to it “Yes, but there are times “Yes, we go to mass and
#15 that I will have some quality that I reject shopping with eat together.”
time with my family. We them because I’d rather do
always eat dinner together school works that roam at
and we go to church every the mall.”
Amidst the Sunday.”
workloads
in school,
do you still
find time to
be with
your
family?
How do
you spend
your time
together?

Question “No they don't. They are “A little and maybe it’s I sometimes feel pressure
#16 very chill about my because I’m the eldest so I from my parents because
academics. They support really have a lot of of their expectations.
whatever I like and do. But, responsibilities in the family.” Although I don’t feel
 70

they always make sure that pressured enough

Do you I'm on the right and good because I believe that
feel track.” whatever happens it
pressured bound to happen.
by your
parents
when it
comes to
your
academics
and
future?
How?

“Sometimes, parang may

expectations din po sila sa
akin eh. Although di
naman po ako gaanong
napepresure kasi I believe
na mangyayari po ang
dapat mangyari.”

Question “Yes. I share everything to “Sometimes, especially Not all the time. I would
#17 both of them. I cannot keep when they ask me how am I sometimes tell my mother
any secrets from them doing in school.” but I was never close to
besides, we treat each my father.
other like best friends or
Do you tell "kabarkada".”
your
parents
what
happens in
school
especially
if you have
a
problem?

“Not all the time. Sa nanay

ko po nakukwento minsan
peroI was never close to
my father.”

Question “Sometimes they give me “Yes, my parents will be very “No. I feel like a normal
#18 rewards, sometimes they happy which also makes me person.”
don't. Although, the happy because for once, I
Let’s say rewards are not that get to feel that I finally did
that you important for me. I'd rather something good as a
ranked spend more time with daughter. I don’t actually ask
higher them.” for material things so I just
than your request them to at least eat
current with our relatives as a
standing in celebration.”
class, do
you
receive
rewards
from your
parents?
Why or
 71

why not?
How does
it feel?

Question “They don't get mad. “Not really but they would “No. I explain them that
#19 Instead, they encourage question why I got a low ranking is not important at
me to study harder. They grade and so on. Still, they’d all and it will not decide
also tell me how they tell me I did a great job and I our future.”
appreciate all my hard should maintain it which is
What if works. My mom, especially, why I’m a little conscious of
you never fails to remind me my grades.”
ranked that perhaps there is a
below your bigger opportunity waiting
current for me than my current
standing in situation.”
class, do
your
parents
get
disappoint
ed with
your
performan
ce? Why
or why
not? How
do you
feel?

Question “I'm already a psychologist “I see myself as a lawyer “I see myself as a lawyer
#20 who is studying to become working under the 10 years from now.”
a doctor.” government and as a part
How do time law professor.”
you see
yourself in
10 years?
 72

APPENDIX F - TIMETABLE FOR RESEARCH

rd th st nd rd th
Start(April 3 Week of 4 Week of 1 Week of 2 Week 3 Week of 4 Week of
9, 2017) April April May of May May May

Creation of
introduction,
review of
related
literature
and
methodolog
y.

Research
Proposal

Sign papers
for the
interview

Selection of
respondents

Interview,
transcription
and analysis
of the data
gathered

Findings,
discussion,
conclusion
and
recommend
ation

Draft of full
paper
(email)

Revised full
paper

Release of
permission
to print

Submission
of printed
research
paper

Research
Presentation

Submission
of Revised
Research
Paper
 73

Glossary of Terms
Aide memoire A broad guide to topic issues that might be
covered in the interview. (Shang &
Wildemouth, 2001)

Colaizzi Method An approach to interpret qualitative data

research to identify meaningful information
and organize it into themes or themes
(Nursingtimes, n.d.).

Dendrogram Used to illustrate the result of the coded

data produced by hierarchial clustering
(TIBCO Spotfire, 2014).

Colaizzi’s method The systematic procedures proposed by

Colaizzi to identify essential features and
relationships of the phenomenon (Heppner
& Heppner, 2004).

Neoliberalism A loosely demarcated set of political beliefs

which most prominently and prototypically
include the conviction that the only
legitimate purpose of the state is to
safeguard individual, especially commercial,
liberty, as well as from private property
rights (Mises, 1962 as cited by Thorsen,
2009).

Phenomenology The study of the development of human

consciousness and self-awareness as a
preface to or a part of philosophy (Merriam
Webster dictionary, n.d.).

Phenomenological Research Design An inquiry to know the lived experiences of

people with regard to a phenomenon to
understand their perceptions, perspectives
and understandings (Van Manen, 1990).

Purposive Sampling A sampling technique in which researcher

relies on his or her own judgment when
choosing members of population to
 74

participate in the study (Crossman, n.d.).

Specs Specifications which refer to the building

blocks of resumes or an individual’s
curriculum vitae (Levine, 2014).

References

Crossman, A. (n.d.). Understanding Purposive Sampling. Retrieved May 17, 2017,

from https://www.thoughtco.com/purposive-sampling-3026727

Definition of PHENOMENOLOGY.(n.d.). Retrieved May 17, 2017, from

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/phenomenology

Levine, A. (2014, September 26). Neoliberal Education and Its Discontents in South
Korea. Retrieved May 17, 2017, from
http://www.socialsciencespace.com/2014/09/students-can-be-ranked-too-specs-
the-386-generation-and-neoliberal-education-in-south-korea/

Thorsen, D., & Lie, A. (2009). What is Neoliberalism? Retrieved from

http://folk.uio.no/daget/neoliberalism2.pdf

TIBCO Spotfire.(2017). Dendrograms and Clustering. Retrieved May 17, 2017, from
https://docs.tibco.com/pub/spotfire/6.5.0/doc/html/heat/heat_dendrograms_and_
clustering.htm

Van Manen, M. (1990).Phenomenology of Practice. Retrieved from

http://www.maxvanmanen.com/files/2011/04/2007-Phenomenology-of-
Practice.pdf

What is Colaizzi’s method of data analysis? (n.d.). Retrieved May 17, 2017, from
https://www.reference.com/math/colaizzi-s-method-data-analysis-
20a7a6c3162ad737

Zhang, Y., & Wildemuth, B. M. (2005).Qualitative Analysis of Content By.Analysis,

1(2), 1–12.
 75

Acknowledgement

First of all, we would like to thank Assoc Prof. Marielyn C. Quintana who guided us
throughout our journey in research as well as to our dean Prof. Allan B. de Guzman
PhD and Asst. Prof. Loreto S. Sauz for helping in conducting this study.

We would also like to extend our heartfelt gratitude to Mr. Nomer Guiller V. Angeles,
without whom, it will be impossible for us to come up with a research topic.

To the Grade 10 students of the UST Education High School, thank you for giving us
your time and effort in answering our interview questions. Also to Mr. Christian
Biscocho who helped us choose our respondents.

We would also like to thank the 3rd Year Social Studies Major who gave us their
utmost support in finishing this paper; to our parents who encouraged us to do our
best and are always there to help us in our endeavours; and

To the Lord our God who gave us enough strength to finish this journey in research
headstrong. We will forever be in debt of your kindness to us because without Your
presence, we wouldn’t be able to reach this part of our life. Thank you and God
bless!
 76

Curriculum Vitae

MARCUS NAPOLEON D. ASPACIO

He is Marcus Napoleon D. Aspacio. He was born on January 2,

1996. He is the middle child of the 5 children of Lyndon and
Margarette Aspacio. He is a Born-Again Christian. He studied
and graduated in Antipolo Faith Christian School, a small
school in Antipolo. He plays chess, volleyball, and basketball
and is also fond of joining fun runs. He first entered college as
an Architecture student in the University of Santo Tomas
College of Architecture. He is currently taking up Bachelor of Secondary Education,
Major in Social Studies in the University of SantoTomas College of Education. He
dreams of being a lawyer someday, offering free service (pro bono) to law enforcers
and soldiers.

PATRICIA C. TAN

Patricia C. Tan is of legal age, born and raised in the Manila,

Philippines. She is the eldest daughter to Jasmin and Johnny
Peter Tan as well as the eldest of two. She is an alumna of St.
Theresa’s College Quezon City, currently taking up her
bachelor’s degree in Secondary Education Major in Social
Studies. She was a member of the STC Dance Varsity Team in
high school and became executive staff of the College of Education Student Council
for two years. She recently received a Gawad Dunong award during the 2nd Bilib sa
Eduk Awards held last April 27, 2017.