Boys, not girls, are lagging behind

AN interesting study by state think tank Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) showed that the gender equality program for girls is achieving its objective but not without a social cost – the boys are lagging behind in basic education.

The PIDS study on “Boys Are Still Left Behind in Basic Education” determined “that compared to girls, boys drop out at higher rates, are less likely to graduate on time, and eventually, are less likely to get a college degree.”

The study noted “two in every three out-of-school children (OOSC) aged 5–15 years in 2017 were boys; three out of four were from the poorest households. The gender gap in OOSC also widened as age progresses, with boys twice as likely to drop out of high school than girls.”  It also showed “that the gender gap in OOSC was widest in senior high school, where 22 percent of boys did not reach the expected level compared with only 12 percent of girls. In junior high school, OOSC rate for boys was at 8 percent compared to 3 percent for girls.”

The study identified factors behind this new social development and it begs a serious and careful study by our schools divisions. Interventions should be studied and applied in our schools to avert a situation where more men become unproductive and vulnerable to criminal syndicates.

The gender equality campaign should be calibrated today to mean what it says – equality not preference for one gender alone.

Pinol proud of our products

PRETTY soon, our coconuts and Pangasinan’s sweet mangoes will land in Europe.

In his recent visit to Eastern Europe, Agriculture Secretary Manny Pinol found to his pleasant surprise that Belarus wants to import both fruits in bulk on top of our other world-class products.  He said the Philippines will join the Minsk Expo in June to exhibit our coconut oil, coconut water, green coconuts, yellow and green mangoes, canned tunas, dried fish, bananas, pineapples, coffee and abaca handicrafts, among others. 

“This will be the Philippines’ biggest participation in an Eastern European Agricultural show since President Duterte started engaging with Russia and other countries of the former Soviet Union,” Pinol said. “While Belarus has a population of only 10 million, it is considered the gateway to the rest of the Eastern European market.”

If there is one Cabinet member who perseveres to make the country proud 24/7, that’s Pinol.  Definitely. 

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