Of Debts and Loans 2

Debts and loans. Basically same thing. Utang. Teachers seem to have some kind of a love-hate relationship with it. It seems like a necessary evil, though. For some reasons (see part 1). But do we have to maintain this kind of relationship? Well, it's really up to an individual. But of course if one were determined to, one could avoid it.

1. Teacher’S salary.  Just last night, I saw on the news that teachers are still waiting for the increase of their salary. So there definitely is still a problem with the amount of salary. In this case, some  would apply the age old ‘teaching’ “Pag maliit ang kumot, mamaluktot.” This is good, because we have to lieve within  our means. But, a modern teacher would say: “Pag maliit ang kumot, maghanap ng mas malaking kumot.” But where do we get the bigger blanket? We could steal, ask, borrow, or buy. The first one is morally and legally wrong. The second would prove to be a temporary solution because we can’t always depend on other people to give us our necessities. The third would pose another problem in the long run: how do we pay it back? Especially if an interest comes into play. The last one again would need resources. Where would we find money to buy?  Or maybe we can just make another bigger blanket. But we need skill for that. What to do? Learn. Yes, it could take more time and energy, but, hey, that’s what life gives us. Time and energy. In financial setting, we need to have more funds to fit our lifestyle. Our salary won’t suffice. When I was in grade school, I saw teachers selling different stuff—tocino, chorizo, avon, Tupperware, insurance and other things. This is just the teacher’s way of complementing the insufficient income. Good for those who do, but not so good for those who loan these stuff.
2. Poor school facilities. This should be primarily the government’s concern but since the teachers are the ones in the frontlines, and they are the ones dealing with the students and they personally feel the problem, they can’t help it but take matters in their own hands. Some schools would organize fund raising activities. Although this is also tricky since parents might shout foul. Others solicit from big companies and politician. For the big companies, this might be a boost to their name, but I am not very fond of the latter. After all, the pork barrel is still an ongoing issue nowadays.
3. Poor students. Now, the government has feeding programs. And then there are companies who also donate to schools.
4.  Lack of Information. This can be remedied because this is something that the teacher himself/herself can control. A teacher should know her/his personal finance. A teacher should have financial goals. If this were the case, then it wouldn’t matter if the neighbor would build a golden palace, the teacher would focus on his/her own finances and goals. ‘Do I need a palace? Or a tv? Or two refrigerators? Or a new bag or shoes? It doesn’t matter if she/he is called “kuripot” by peers. He/She has a financial goal. A teacher researches and find out facts. Checks these facts and acts accordingly. So even if the school’s bookkeeper told her to get a loan, the teacher could stand her ground and stay away from the temptation.

The late Ernie Baron popularized the saying: “Knowledge is power.” Indeed, it is. But becomes meaningful only if it is applied to improve one's life.