Philippine Constitution (Opinion)
Philippine Constitution (Opinion)
Philippine Constitution (Opinion)
“WHEREAS, in order to instill in the hearts and minds of the Filipino people the
democratic principles and the noble and lofty ideals enshrined in the Constitution, it is
but fitting that a day be set aside as CONSTITUTION DAY to give the Filipino people
the opportunity to consecrate and dedicate themselves to the Constitution and ponder
on the significance thereof.”
Relatives who work in government have told me that they do not do anything special to
commemorate Constitution Day. Colleagues and friends employed in top universities in
the country told me exactly the same story. Surprisingly, it seems that even law schools
do not even recognize the significance of this day. And it is deeply unfortunate that
primary and secondary schools do not use this occasion to improve our youth’s
knowledge and comprehension of our Constitution. However, the most disappointing
result is that practically all of the people I asked were not even aware that February 2 is
designated as Constitution Day.
The 1987 Constitution is the utmost symbol of Philippine statehood. It is the central
institution in our political system. However, given the ignorance and indifference to our
Constitution Day unraveled by my informal survey, it appears that the “democratic
principles” and the “noble and lofty ideals” enshrined in this sublime document are not
yet properly instilled in our hearts and minds. Of course, there are other more telling
proofs which actually show that the constitutional spirit has yet to be infused in our
political consciousness. And the most disheartening of these examples is the
unrelenting hold of political dynasties in our political life.
To have this deep awareness and insight of constitutional principles is ultimately the
hope in commemorating Constitution Day. The fact is a nation’s constitution still has to
make sense to the people who live under its dictates. Hence, the need to actually bother
to “consecrate and dedicate” ourselves to the Constitution and ponder on its relevance
in our own lives. For it is precisely this shared understanding which leads to habitual
obedience to constitutional tenets. Indeed, the Constitution should not be the exclusive
domain of those who can file petitions before the Supreme Court. (MindaViews is the
opinion section of MindaNews. Atty. Michael Henry Ll. Yusingco is a practicing
lawyer. He is the author of the book, Rethinking the Bangsamoro Perspective. He
researches on current issues in state-building, decentralization and constitutionalism)
“instill in the hearts and minds of the Filipino people the democratic principles and the
noble and lofty ideals enshrined in the Constitution
https://www.mindanews.com/mindaviews/2015/01/commentary-how-important-is-the-
constitution-to-us/
https://mb.com.ph/2020/02/08/learners-should-have-more-exposure-to-constitution-deped/