By Atty. Antonio P. Pekas
The MPSPC would account for the existence of most of the businesses where it is operating. Without its students and employees, such businesses would not thrive. That must have been starkly seen the past 12 months or during this pandemic.
Businesses means revenues or income, but more important are the employment opportunities they offer. They sustain families.
There are innumerable businesses– the good, the bad and the ugly– that mushroom whenever a college or university opens in a locality. Foremost are the boarding houses, transportation facilities, convenience stores, restaurants, cafes, pubs and other outfits that cater to the needs of students, the faculty and other employees.
And infrastructure, equipment or machinery have to be maintained giving jobs to carpenters, mechanics, technicians, etc. Any college in an outlying area is the life of the community.
The relevancy of a college, however, should go far beyond those tangibles. It should give flesh to the aspirations of the people it serves through the know-how that it brings. The education it offers should not just be to feed oneself, but to fuel a person’s loftier dreams. To lead others for society’s welfare and to achieve his own intellectual and spiritual progress. This should not just be something theoretical, but a scientific path to realize the ultimate goal in life, which is to be the best person one can become, and to advance nearer to God, if not actually reach or be with Him.
The progress of a community’s thinking when a college arrives should be discernible from the change in the dialogue in coffee shops, restaurants and even in bars. The talk should not be limited to mundane concerns but must include philosophical matters such as the changes in the leadership styles in the community to assure the society’s welfare.
The participation of the people should also be of utmost concern, that they should not be readily fooled by the tall talks of politicians but must become wiser to make their leaders accountable. For what should education be but to achieve equity or justice for the people?
In all of these, practicality in communal life must be the litmus test on how effective an educational institution is.
In Mountain Province, as I said here the other week, one highly educated person there was aghast when the people re-elected a provincial official whose corrupt ways were public knowledge.
For effectiveness, MPSPC, or any state college for that matter must have a very good extension program to reach out to the people, to make them think better. While this might be easy with respect to agricultural colleges as to their agricultural programs, it can be very tough when you are dealing with how people think about their leaders who ultimately are the people who decide for the community’s future. **
