One of my good friends, a true-blue AFAM*, once had a cerebral discussion with me over what she thought was the root problem of the Philippines as a nation: Education.

Now, one can argue that what I’m saying is coming from a privileged position… that our finances afford me to ignore the fact that hungry people would never be able to absorb knowledge on an empty stomach. Here’s the thing, though: I firmly believe education can go together with feeding and livelihood programs… Heaven knows several private individuals and organizations have been doing their part on this matter for several years.