Limiting Homeworks

It seems that our lawmakers were done of hearing the unending whines of students so they
proposed the No Homework Policy Bills, which aim to give learners the opportunity to enjoy their free
time from the precisions of school during weekends and to have a quality time with their family and
friends, at the House of Representatives that received various reactions from the public.

House Deputy Speaker Evelina Escudero filed House Bill (HB) No. 3611, which seeks to remove
homework as a requirement and have Kinder to Grade 12 students do academic activities solely within
school premises, while Quezon City Representative Alfred Vargas filed HB No. 3883, that seeks to
eliminate homework on weekends for all elementary and high school students, which is undeniably
beneficial for students who have other priorities than immediately working on their school works as soon
as they come home.

But several teachers groups including The Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) and Teacher's
Dignity Coalition, were quick to slam the proposed measures and suggested the Government to focus on
renewing the K to 12 curriculum as giving homeworks to students is a part of its program.

According to ACT National Chairperson Joselyn Martinez, homeworks are not intended to be a
burden for students for it is actually a way to help them learn the discipline of being dedicated in their
studies as well as being responsible with his or her activities which will make them pass the subject.
Teacher's Dignity Coalition also emphasized that teachers are trained educators and know the value of
homeworks is about discipline, responsibility, and continuity of learning.

However, while homeworks indeed serve as an enrichment for learners because it strengthen
their knowledge and enhance their creativity and resourcefulness, it can also deprive students and parents
of precious quality time for rest, relaxation, and interaction after school hours and even on weekends.

Giving a ten-item assignment in one or two subjects in a day need not be an issue for students,
but giving an almost project-like homeworks in every subject in one day which all need to be passed the
next day is too much, considering the fact that every student has a different learning capacity so not
everyone could finish the works given to them.

That is why the Department of Education (DepEd) welcomed the proposed bill and expressed its
support by issuing a statement that says the measures would enable learners to have more quality time
with their parents, family, and friends by limiting the homework and assignment to a reasonable quantity
on school days and by eliminating the same during weekends.

Howbeit, we cannot guarantee that eliminating homeworks could actually be an opportunity for
students to bond with their loved ones or just an opportunity for them to have more time to play with
their gadgets as we all know that we live today in a world where internet and social media is widely used
by people, especially students. Maybe they are just using the reason "to have quality time with family and
friends" in order to have quality time with their phones.

In that case, homeworks should still not be abolished, it just need to be limited. There is no need
for another bill or policy since we already have DepEd's Memorandum No. 392 issued on 2010, which
advised teachers to limit assignments to a reasonable quantity and eliminating it during the weekends.
 Instead of implementing a new policy that removes homeworks, DepEd instead should review
and modify existing policies regarding assignments to ensure that they meet productive goals.
Homeworks should have clear educational objectives and should not pose undue physical and financial
burdens on students and their families.

Corrupted Law

We might just stumble upon heinous crimes convicts like the Former Mayor of Laguna Antonio
Sanchez, who was convicted of rape and murder, anytime now knowing they have caused someone’s
death because of the implementation of Republic Act 10592 or the Good Conduct Time Allowance (GCTA)
law, which allows prisoners convicted of felony to be released from any penal constitution or
rehabilitation by demonstrating sustained good behavior.

Since 2013, almost 2,000 inmates from New Bilibid Prison (NBP), including those who committed
heinous crimes---have already been freed, but their eligibility for early release under the GCTA Law will
have to be reviewed because Senate investigations divulged that gaps and loopholes spanning the Aquino
and Duterte administrations created the mess that now surrounds the law.

RA 10592 was enacted on March 2013, its implementing rules and regulations (IRR) was approved
on March 2014, and the manual was later released. However, while the law excluded from GCTA
privileged those under preventive imprisonment, or those who are not yet convicted---for heinous
offenses, Congressional hearings revealed this exemption was missing from the IRR, while the manual did
away with any exemption.

The GCTA controversy once again enkindled as Yolanda Camelon, an alleged victim of GCTA
buying, confessed to the Senate blue ribbon and justice committees that she shelled out 50,000 to a group
led by Staff Sergeant Ramoncito Roque, head of the Bureau of Corrections’ (BuCor) documents division,
in exchange for the early release of her husband. Howbeit, Camelon’s spouse promised discharge on
March was pushed to June, yet nothing happened until the issue involving alleged abuses in the GCTA
system was publicized in August, and she was not able to retrieve the cash up till now.

Families of the released convicts' victims have expressed anguish over revelations of corruption
in the system as University of the Philippines (UP) Sigma Rho neophyte Dennis Venturina’s father wants
his son’s killers to rot in jail, the same goes with the Chiong sisters’ parents who avouched that their
daughter’s rapists-murderers should be perpetually imprisoned.

After the entire government's endless debate on whether or not to revoke convicted felons' grant
of freedom, President Duterte has now joined the call to amend GCTA Law and ordered all released
heinous crimes convicts to surrender within 15 days to the government for a recomputation of their
benefits under the measure or they would be considered fugitives.

Maybe it's the presidential warning that they would be hunted down "dead or alive" if they did
not surrender, that made at least 65 convicts who had been released by virtue of GCTA Law to trickle back
to the Philippine National Police (PNP) on Sunday morning.
 The GCTA Law is an accolade meant for inmates who consistently abide disciplinary rules and truly
deserve credits for sustained good behaviour. It is not intended for people of power and prestige to abuse
and use it for their own benefit.

While the ombudsman continues to pursue the possibility that money fueled the massive
jailbreak, the Congress and the executive must work on the law and implementing rules. As in many other
laws in this country, however, the implementation leaves much to be desired and in this case, may have
been abused for corruption. RA 10592 may be a good law with good intentions, but we know the saying
what paves the road to hell.

Equality for all

If you suppose that SOGIE equality bill is an infringement on religious liberties, parental authority,
and will undercut freedom of the cis gender---then you are probably one of those social media addicts
who believe that one Facebook cryptic post, which claimed that SOGIE Bill is discriminatory.

A Facebook page called Bongbong Marcos-Sara Duterte 2022 made a post which claimed that
SOGIE equality bill includes the following statements: Insulting members of LGBTQ+ (lesbians, gays,
bisexuals, transgenders, queers, etc.) will result in a penalty of P500,000 and imprisonment for 6 years
and 6 months, assigning sex on newborns’ birth certificates is not allowed until they reach 12 years old,
members of the LGBTQ+ can now kiss in public, and priests and pastors who will refuse to perform
marriage ceremonies of LGBTQ+ will be stripped of their rights as leaders of their religious community.

People immediately assumed the post was legitimate as it garnered 5,500 reactions and 5,200
comments, and was shared over 15,000 times on Facebook. But actually, Abad C Jhun, the page creator
and the source of the post just made a fool out of everyone.

Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity and Expression (SOGIE) equality bill, or the Anti-
Discriminatory bill, is an anti-discrimination act that prohibits unfair treatment on the basis of a person’s
sexual orientation, gender identity, and expression. There are 4 versions of the bill in the Senate, but none
of them demand the things enumerated in the mentioned Facebook post. What the bill proposes, rather,
is the equal access of the LGBTQ+ to basic rights and services.

While oppositors insist that SOGIE bill gives special rights to a certain community, specifically to
the LGBTQ+, Section 2 of the Bill or its Declaration of Policy states that "The State recognizes the
fundamental right of every person, regardless of sex, age, class, status, ethnicity, color, disability, religious
and political beliefs, sexual orientation or gender identity, to be free from any form of
discrimination."

The problem is that everyone is quick to slam SOGIE bill without even researching and reading its
provisions and policy. When talking about LGBTQ+ rights or even women's, IPs', and PWDs'---one
promptly takes out the “special rights” card, when in fact, SOGIE bill is for everyone but it just focuses
more on a group which experiences discrimination and violence more often.
 Now with the Gretchen Diez contoversy, the bill's provision stated that it prohibits discriminatory
acts such as denying use and access to establishments, facilities, and services open to the general public-
--but it did not declare that it prohibits denying use and access to establishments, facilities, and services
which the person preferred. In Diez's case, he must use the male rest room since he did not undergo a
surgery hence, he's still consider a man, so even if he prefers using the female rest room---it is not allowed
by the bill. But If he will continue to insist this, where is his respect for women?

SOGIE equality bill aims to have equality for all, not just for the LGBTQ+s, it is not intended for
them to gain superiority over the cis gender as what the Anti-SOGIE bill believes. It is true that the LGBTQ+
community was long accepted in our society because we now celebrate Pride month through pride march
and other lgbt-related activities, transwomen can now join women's pageant, and we already have
Geraldine Roman as our first lgbt congresswoman. But we just hope that the push for LGBTQ+ rights would
not be pushed too far to the point that it would disrespect the other group's rights.

Everyone in this world is a victim of discrimination, may it be on the grounds of race, age, or sex.
The SOGIE equality bill is just a small step for us to end this immoral act because the real solution to this
matter, actually underlies within us. We could terminate discrimination through changing our mindset
and attitude towards women, men, IPs, PWDs, LGBTQ+, and many more. If we just accept and love each
other despite our differences, if we just see everyone as equals and treat everyone equally, then we can
attain a country that's free from discrimination and we can finally call it, without any hesitations, an lgbt-
friendly country.