These institutions have one thing in common. If you are a respectable private school or church or any religious denomination for that matter, you surely have billions in your bank account or in terms of your economic assets.
Another thing they have in common is their being the protector of their students or flock, supposedly. The schools and their teachers are supposed to be the second parents under the parens patriae principle. The religious institutions are supposed to not only protect but ensure the spiritual salvation of their followers. And how could anybody aspire for that if there is no economic salvation? How can one be intense in his spiritual quest if his stomach is always gurgling due to hunger while the pastors and priests are enjoying living in comfort?
It is in these difficult COVID times when one can see the real nature of these institutions we had been beholden to. In the first week of the lockdown in Baguio City, it was the city government that had been coming up with remedies for many stranded students to get home to the provinces.
The respectable schools around were nowhere to be seen exerting any major effort for the welfare of their students. Any relief packs given or acts done for their stranded learners were merely for photo-ops or press releases. But look at these institutions. They are multibillionaires.
And where are the alumni of these schools? Why are there no pointed criticisms from them against the owners of their alma maters? By their actions or lack thereof, the nature of the schools they came from is reflected. If these were just commercial and money making machines then their output have also become like that, with some exceptions of course.
Similarly, the churches are some of the biggest investors in the biggest profit-oriented corporations around. And how much are they giving to their flock or to take care of their members in an emergency situation like the one we are now in?
Yet these institutions masquerade as do-gooders.
We are not lumping the big corporations along with these institutions because, at least, they are not disguising the fact that they are out and out profit oriented. Whatever they are donating is less than minuscule compared to their assets. And such are also geared for more business goodwill or for more profits in the future.
Perhaps the silver lining to the dark cloud called COVID-19 is it might have taught us how to be more critical of the educational or religious institutions we have been beholden to. But it should not end there. We should do something to institute changes in these.**