(Part 3)
However his Presidency will be remembered, President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. will stand out as the Philippine Head of State who arouse the whole nation — civil society, the Catholic Bishops, the academe, and a whole range of cause-oriented political groups — to fight with all their might against corruption in all of its forms, whether public or private.
His statement “Mahiya naman kayo!”* — whatever his motivation was — will be the rallying cry of all those who will fight to rid the country of the heinous crimes of thievery, dishonesty, and deception. The multi-trillion peso robbery we have recently witnessed due to the corrupt practices directly associated with the infrastructure projects of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) literally cries out to heaven for vengeance because those humongous sums have been directly stolen from the poorest of the poor. They could have been spent improving the nutritional, educational, health, and housing conditions of the poorest of the poor.
We want to be optimistic and expect a reduction of corrupt practices in the near future as we witness some of the guilty ones go to jail; the passing of laws that will make it more difficult for the incorrigible thieves to continue plundering the public coffers; the further strengthening of institutions like the Supreme Court, the Office of the Ombudsman, and the Commission on Audit, among others. Since we were not born yesterday, however, we know that some form of corruption will continue to hound Philippine society as it has in practically all upper middle-income and high-income economies surrounding us in the Indo-Pacific region, except perhaps Japan and Singapore. We may learn some lessons from these two countries that are on top of the Good Governance global ranking year after year, together with countries like Finland, Denmark, Switzerland, Sweden, and the Netherlands.
It may strike us that none of the top countries when it comes to good governance are predominantly Catholic, like the Philippines is. Although we fully appreciate all the moral guidance we get from our spiritual leaders, starting with the Supreme Pontiff and the Bishops, and their prayerful pleas, many times their exhortations seem to fall on deaf ears. The answer can be found in the theological principle that grace does not destroy nature.
A society must first work unstintingly on forming the necessary human virtues that are the foundation of a just society among its citizens. This task is independent of the religious belief predominant in a given country. We must remember that “nature” refers to what human beings are by creation. God imbued in every human being with reason and free will, a moral conscience, and the natural ability (even before grace) to cultivate the natural virtues of justice, prudence, temperance, and courage, among others. By nature, human beings are created good and are ordered toward truth and goodness. They are capable of knowing God in a limited way through reason (natural theology).
After the fall of our first parents, however, human nature has been wounded by sin, the only evil in the world. Because of this original sin, human beings are inclined to error and selfishness, and pride. Man has the three-fold concupiscence: of the eyes (greed); of the flesh (lust); and the pride of life. He was rendered unable by his own nature to reach his supernatural end which is the Beatific Vision. This is where Grace comes in. It is a free and undeserved gift of God, a supernatural participation in God’s own life and given through Christ, especially in the Sacrament. Grace enables human beings to be healed from sin, to act beyond their natural powers and attain supernatural ends, especially eternal bliss in heaven.
Human nature alone can aim at earthly happiness, moral goodness, and a natural knowledge of God. That is why in some non-Christian societies like Japan, there can be traditional practices embedded in child rearing through which the human virtues of concern for the common good, orderly behavior, the spirit of cooperation, and hard work can be cultivated on the basis of human nature alone. Grace is not needed in the cultivation of these human virtues. What Grace does is to raise humanity to divine sonship, friendship with God, and eternal life beyond natural capacity. This elevation is not owed to nature; it is purely a gift. Christ died to save mankind from sin out of pure generosity.
That is why it would be enlightening for us to examine what countries with low levels of corruption like Japan and Singapore practice that, based on human nature alone, nurture the virtue of civic mindedness among their citizens. We Catholics, should remember that if we don’t make the effort to train our children to be naturally concerned about the welfare of others, about the good of the community, about the good of the entire country, no amount of praying and going to the Sacraments will rid our country of corruption. Grace perfects nature. It does not replace it. Human institutions and human virtues matter. Grace does not replace politics, economics, or culture. It purifies, elevates, and directs them toward the common good, which is a social or juridical order which enables every member of society to attain his or her integral human development. Let us now study how the Japanese are able to cultivate among their young the virtues needed to keep corruption at as low a level as possible in their society.
Consulting with Chat GPT, we learn that the Japanese people cultivate social virtues — such as respect, discipline, cooperation, responsibility, and community orientation — through a systematic mix of family upbringing, school practices, cultural norms, and community institutions. These habits are nurtured early in childhood and continue to be developed throughout life. It must always be kept in mind that a virtue is a habit to do good that is developed by constant repetition, by conscious acts of the human will until it becomes spontaneous.
The process necessarily begins with the family, the foundation of society that should be protected from the evils of rampant divorce, live-in arrangements, single motherhood, same-sex unions, birth control, and abortion. Japanese families instill amoiyari (thoughtfulness for others) from early childhood. Children are taught to be considerate, avoid inconveniencing others, and maintain harmony. Parents emphasize politeness (traditional greetings, gratitude, honorific speech especially in addressing the aged). Children learn routines such as helping with household tasks, sharing, and apologizing sincerely.
At the pre-school and kindergarten stage during which early socialization is the focus, there is more time and effort devoted to character building than academic rigor. Some of the key practices consist of group play and cooperation rather than competitive sports; and an emphasis on self-reliance: as soon as they are physically able, children put away their things, dress themselves, and serve meals. There is a very early introduction to cleanliness and orderliness. Teachers exert all effort possible to be models of calm, patience, and respect instead of having recourse to strict punishment at the first provocation. This character forming stage helps form the habit of acting as part of a group while taking responsibility for oneself.
At the elementary school level, there is even greater emphasis on civic or social virtues. For example, the pupils clean their own classrooms, hallways, toilets, school grounds or premises (this is called o-soji). The children are made very conscious of their responsibility to the group, the importance of being humble, respect for shared spaces, and the spirit of cooperation. There is constant reinforcement of the idea that everyone contributes to the welfare of the community, regardless of social status. Daily class duties revolve around students rotating roles such as leading greetings, managing lunch distribution, organizing materials, watering plants, and monitoring hall behavior.
All these actions (not mere exhortations) create a sense of ownership, discipline, and civic duty. Supplementing these actions is moral education (dotoku kagami). In these classes, the teachers expound on the human virtues of honesty, empathy, perseverance, and respect for others. Subjects include contributions to society, environmental responsibility, and conflict resolution. Lessons often use stories, case studies, and role-playing rather than lectures.
(To be continued.)
*Mahiya naman kayo can be translated as “Have some shame.”
Bernardo M. Villegas has a Ph.D. in Economics from Harvard, is professor emeritus at the University of Asia and the Pacific, and a visiting professor at the IESE Business School in Barcelona, Spain. He was a member of the 1986 Constitutional Commission.
bernardo.villegas@uap.asia
