Married individuals are human beings with needs in
life like food, clothing and shelter. Being married comes from various ages of
any person according to their plan as lovers and the plan of God. When one
enters into this life, his status changes too. This is an opportunity given to
all for free. It is considered the greatest moment in one’s life where life is
now settled with the sense of direction. But this opportunity is not at all a
happy thing in the corporate world. Being married is treated without the sense
of direction for commodity-type mentality.
Corporate world has set the standard for its people
in manning and operating its business machinery. This standard is making the
institution as center of excellence with maximum profit in the guise of service
in catering the needs of the consumers. And so the qualified people could be
part of the machinery are the single and young people. These are the two
criteria, aside from the “whom-you-know and what-you-know scheme,” that they
see deem fit within the definition of excellence.
They need single people because, first and
foremost, they can extend their working time according to their discretion
within and beyond the bounds of their role. Single people are free from family
obligation and could give their service 24/7. And secondly they hire young
people because they are energetic, smart and strong. Usually people are
considered young are from 21 to 25 years old. (Just look at the ads of many
establishments!) Maybe the criteria of idealism and enthusiasm are part of
“excellence.” With these perceptions, we may infer the opposite that being
married has none of the above to be part of excellence.
Excellence is a cruel term in my opinion.
Excellence discriminates married people from having the opportunity to be part
of the corporate world despite of one’s merit. These two things – being married
and having the merit – could not make you qualified to be their working forces.
And this is how the corporate world upholds and defines their standard. Is this
something similar to contraceptive-mentality where the message is this: while
you are still young, energetic, and idealistic, “stay single yet coz we need
you!” and to those who are married and old, “sorry, we don’t need you anymore!”
Why only in the Philippines, known as the only
Christian nation, do these things happening? Many Filipinos who are married and
old (26 years old and above) find themselves difficult of getting employed and
the only option left is to go abroad. Employers from the foreign lands seems to
know the meaning of “being human” than Filipinos. These foreigners understand
well that even married and old people could be part of defining excellence
because they believe in them that they have the energy, they are smart and
strong to be part of the corporate world.
