12 Tasks a Filipino Student must Follow
For the Improvement of Society
“If you want to change the world, Start with yourself.” (Mahatma Gandhi)
A society is only as good as the people who make up that society. Developing oneself for the better is a powerful way to improve society because each of us builds society.
As a student, We must be responsible for everything we do and be mindful of our actions because we play a crucial role in the future of humanity. Like Malala Yousafzai, Greta Thunberg, and Jaylen Arnold, They are some examples that we students can influence society, even the world we belong to.
But we don’t necessarily need to do the same thing they did because we can make a difference in our own simple but effective ways. Let’s start the improvement on ourselves and be the change we wish to see in the world.
We can improve individually by following these tasks
1. Be Updated
Contribution doesn’t have to mean to act. Keeping yourself constantly informed about the situations and events around you also counts. Quit depending on others to give you pieces of information. Instead, check out the news and examine it yourself.
Find causes you believe in. What issues affect The Philippines today? What are the most important problems The Philippines is currently facing? This will help you to know whether the happenings are just affecting you or your society. The information you obtain can be your foundation for better future decisions and help you act as a better citizen.
“To become different from what we are, we must have some awareness of what we are.” (Eric Hoffer, 1995)
2. Encourage Education
Education is a key component that delivers growth and progress into society. It is an integral tool that provides individuals with knowledge that helps to eradicate inequality, illiteracy, poor health, poor sanitation, and poverty. It empowers an individual of their duties and rights. The more educated people in the society, the more they can provide a beneficial contribution to their environment.
You may contribute to improving the nation’s literacy rate by educating more and more people. You may teach your neighbor’s kids, friends, and others who wish to learn and encourage them to continue learning.
“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” (Nelson Mandela)
3. Be a Volunteer
Voluntary organizations have been affected society very diversely and deeply. It helps build a more cohesive, safer, stronger, increases social network between communities and neighborhoods. It promotes people to be more active in civic engagement and concerned about citizenship.
Volunteering is a way to interact with your community and help people who are less fortunate than you. You may reach out to organizations and express your interest in learning from them and helping out.
Examples of what you can do are
- Help out the Red Cross or Salvation Army.
- Help in Building homes in your area with Habitat for Humanity.
- Volunteer at a local hospital or hospice.
- Volunteer at a local homeless shelter or food bank.
For the list of volunteer organizations in The Philippines kindly click here.
“We make a living by what we do, but we make a life by what we give.” (Winston Churchill)
4. Support Local Products
Buying local means that you support yourself too: When you spend your money on a locally-owned business instead of a multinational brand, your money goes to purchasing service providers, farms, and businesses which strengthens the country’s economic base.
Local businesses are a source of income to many communities, especially those in need. Your money directly goes to them by supporting Filipino products and put food on a family’s table.
“As consumers, we have so much power to change the world by just being careful in what we buy.” (Emma Watson)
5. Be obedient to Laws
A society where people are following the law is a peaceful society. The law is important for a society for it serves as a norm of conduct for citizens. Laws offer a path of socially acceptable behaviors, encourage social interaction, and permits good character. One of the benefits that one enjoys for obeying laws is the ability to exercise individual rights.
If we don’t obey the law, our society won’t function properly. Crime rates will increase, and society will be filled with chaos. As a student, it is ideal to follow and be aware of the law, so that If we grow up as an adult following it, will be normal to us.
“No man is above the law, and no man is below it nor do we ask any man’s permission when we ask him to obey it.” (Theodore Roosevelt)
6. Offer Your Help to Everyone
Helping is the best way to form a connection with others, creating stronger communities and helping to build a happier society for everyone. Offering your help randomly also benefits you. It helps you to improve your mood, prolong your life, help with chronic pain, and lower your blood pressure. Seeing someone smile and sincerely thanking you after helping them out always feels nice and your heart feels so full.
Helping is very contagious. When you help someone, your act of kindness will remain in their mind for some time and will inspire them to also help others. This effect can break throughout the community, inspiring dozens of individuals to make a difference.
The options are endless. You can keep it simple or be creative. Just remember that it doesn’t matter how small the act is, it’s the thought that counts.
“You can get everything in life you want if you will just help enough other people get what they want.” (Zig Ziglar, 1984)
7. Be Kind
Being nice to others costs nothing and it is one of the most important things that one can do to spread happiness, love, and peace. Kindness leads to many good things like better relationships, improved self-esteem, compassion, happiness, future success, and good mental and physical health.
You must always treat people the way you wish to be treated. A simply greeting to your neighbor will do. Even a small attempt on your part can make this society a happier place.
“No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.” (Aesop)
8. Protect the Environment
Our environment is what houses and helps our ecosystem grow and thrive. Without protecting and taking care of our environment we’re putting so many lives in danger such as animals, plants and crops, and even our own.
Do things that help the environment globally. A great way to do this is to reduce your reliance on fossil fuels and other fuel sources that harm the environment. You can do this by using public transit, a bicycle, or an electric vehicle to get around, reuse, reduce, recycle, and planting a tree.
“We won’t have a society if we destroy the environment.” (Margaret Mead)
9. Think Before you act
It is important to think through one’s courses of action before acting. You will not be able to bring about a positive transformation in society until and unless you have a detailed understanding of the problems and issues that society is facing.
Not thinking before you act can get you into legal trouble. You can be sued for negligence if you do not exercise reasonable caution when doing things. You can ruin relationships and could easily destroy your relationship with them simply because you did not think before you spoke.
You should always think before you act to prevent unwanted consequences. Take time to consider what will happen if you do it, and oftentimes you won’t.
“A fool is made more of a fool, when their mouth is more open than their mind.”(Anthony Liccione)
10. Respect Everyone
One of the most crucial elements that keep societies strong is respect. If we people don’t know how to respect each other in a society, it is impossible to keep them together. Showing respect to someone, not only means that you have manners, but that you understand boundaries.
Respect also comes from within yourself. If you have respect for yourself, it is easy to exhibit that in public. Showing respect to strangers, and being polite creates a positive environment, which is the ultimate goal in a community.
“Any society which does not insist upon respect for all life, must necessarily decay.” ( Albert Einstein)
11. Fight for your Rights
Human rights are standards that allow all people to live with dignity, freedom, equality, justice, and peace. Every person has these rights simply because they are human beings. There are people whose rights are being stripped away. Human rights are essential to the full development of individuals and communities.
One brave voice is enough to open up a channel for others to share their experiences and support human rights. Speak up, express yourself, tell what you feel, and fight for the unjust treatment that you’re experiencing.
“I would rather die fighting for what is right than live passively amidst all that is wrong.”(Suzy Kasem)
12. Be Patriotic
Patriotism is having and showing devotion for your country. It means having an attachment to certain national cultural values and showing critical loyalty to your nation.
Discover the history of your nation and how it grew to be what it is today. Find facts that surprise you, challenge you, make you laugh, or make you proud. Try finding more about your country’s past leaders, flag, national animal, famous landmarks, gastronomy, traditions, films, literature. Learn everything and anything unique to your nation.
“He who does not know how to look back at where he came from will never get to his destination.” (Dr. Jose Rizal)
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