Take, for instance, the transformation of Singapore from a backwater island-state to a First World economy made largely possible by its welleducated citizens.

Such a transformation is rendered even more dramatic by the fact that Singapore, so unlike other countries, is not blessed with rich natural resources but its excellently educated people more than made up for this disadvantage. In a real sense, its prime resource is its own people ably sustaining its economic growth and prosperity.

Singapore knows that education plays a vital role in empowering individuals who, in turn, will contribute to their country’s socio-economic and cultural sustainability. It is thus not surprising that today Singapore, among other things, is positioning itself as a Mecca for education.

From this perspective, let us turn our sights many notches lower to the pursuit of education in developing countries – and, in this case, there is no need to look far beyond our shores.

If the economy and education can be considered like twins then they must complement and be reflective of one another, especially so in a Third World country where you really have to lower your expectations in order to avoid getting frustrated.

Education is key to people empowerment because it equips an individual with skills, knowledge and values vital to making oneself a productive member of society. In the Philippine setting, education is widely regarded as a path to success in life but it is a sad commentary that education has become a privilege, particularly in the pursuit of higher education.

Viewed in this context, the Senate committees on labor, employment and human resources development and on finance jointly endorsing a bill seeking to expand an educational financing program so that a greater number of underprivileged high school and college students may benefit from it gains more relevance.

The two committees recommended for floor debate and approval Senate Bill 2116, which seeks to reinforce the Special Program for the Employment of Students (SPES), through reforms that make the scheme more responsive to prevailing conditions.

Under the expanded SPES, students in tertiary, vocational or technological schools may be employed at any time of the year, not just during the summer or Christmas breaks.

Likewise, under this expanded special program, firms or business companies with at least 15 regular workers may hire qualified students. At present, only firms with a minimum of 50 regular employees may engage youths under the program.

The aforesaid program is a unified version of five bills introduced separately by Senators Loren Legarda, Jinggoy Estrada, Ramon Revilla Jr., Edgardo Angara and Manuel Lapid. According to Sen. Legarda, chair of the Senate committee on economic affairs, Filipinos aged 15 to 24 now comprise more than half of 2.2 million members of the labor force that are totally jobless.

Sen. Legarda said: "Besides allowing more firms to hire students, the SPES budget will be augmented automatically by 20 percent every year. We also banned the impoundment of funds to insulate the program from nasty partisan politics. We are purposely building up the SPES in view of the growing number of youths desperately looking for work so that they will have enough to pay for their schooling."