Family life education
DR. Tiongco elaborates on the first core area for strategic concern. This is what he says: “A country or society is only as strong as the families that make it up. All over the world, however, the family as the basic unit of society has been weakening. The Philippines is not an exception. Aside from the long-standing problems that beset Filipino families (poverty, unemployment, lack of access to resources that can answer basic needs, etc.), we see around us the rising incidence of broken homes, single-parent families, families separated because of overseas employment, teenage pregnancies, child abuse, domestic violence, and various forms of addiction of family members.
“These family-related problems are complex and thus need to be addressed in a systemic way. They call for the involvement of many key sectors, institutions, and individuals from a wide range of disciplines and professions.”
“What is clear is that there is a nationwide need to protect, strengthen, and sustain the well-being of Filipino families. In this regard, two basic and complementary approaches — one therapeutic and the other educational — are called for and will have to be adopted.
“First, there is much repairing or remedying work to be done in relation to marital breakdown and the more severe forms or stages of family dysfunction. This is the task and focus of professionals engaged in marriage and family therapy.
The greater and longer-term need is for the second approach: family life education, the promotion of healthy family functioning and the prevention of family dysfunction through education. It is in line with the wellknown adage that an ounce of prevention is worth more than a pound of cure.
“Family life education can be carried out in varied ways and settings — in schools, business firms, the military, and communities; and integrated in health care and social services, private and public education, community development, religious instruction and spiritual formation, etc. But what is crucial is the creation of a pool of family life ‘educators’ — individuals who will be properly prepared through learning and development programs that equip the participants with knowledge and skills related to key ‘content areas’ such as human growth and development across the lifespan, the internal dynamics of families, the physiological and psychological aspects of human sexuality, spousal relationships and communication, parenting education and guidance, family resources management, and family law and public policy.
“In short, the family life education approach is proactive: Don’t wait for dysfunction or pathology to set in, because that would be more harmful to individuals and families, as well as more socially deleterious and costly. Instead, help people gain the knowledge and develop the skills they need to build, live, and sustain healthy family relationships. As family life education professionals put it, families do better when they know better.”