The A in VUCA stands for ambiguity. The Philippine business community faces an ambiguous environment due to the current anti-corruption drive, an aftermath of the scandal involving flood control projects first exposed by President BBM in his last State of the Nation Address. The results of these well-intentioned efforts, especially those of the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI), are difficult to predict.

Even if the ICI, in tandem with other government organs like the Ombudsman, succeeds in sending some high-level officials from the DPWH, the Legislature, and private contractors to jail before Christmas—as President Marcos has bravely predicted—there is no guarantee that corruption will be eliminated or even diminished. After all, very high officials, such as former Presidents Joseph Estrada and Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, have been jailed before, yet it is obvious that corruption has not diminished. Also, as of the writing of this article, those who have been arrested are merely “small fries” among government officials and contractors. We still have to see if some Senators or other high officials will soon be seen in the uniforms of jailbirds!

Sending corrupt officials to jail is a necessary condition for success in combatting corruption, but it is not a sufficient condition. There is no alternative to inculcating the right values in a sufficient number of citizens: individuals who will not perpetrate corrupt practices themselves and who will expose those who do because they believe that corruption is morally evil, an injustice, and—for those with religious beliefs—a sin, an offence against God. Wanting to eradicate corruption because it misallocates resources, prevents GDP from growing faster, or takes money away from the poor may be noble motivations, but in the long run, they will not prevent corruption from becoming widespread. The fear of going to jail will not inhibit the greedy, the unjust, and the corrupt from using their unlimited intelligence and creativity to come up with ever new devices and means to steal and to plunder.

Although it requires a long-term effort, we must start with early childhood education to attain a critical mass of citizens who possess the social virtues of respect for the common good, a spirit of cooperation, social responsibility, and community orientation. In these efforts toward character formation or values education, the Japanese case is a model that was replicated by Lee Kuan Yew in Singapore. It is not a coincidence that both countries are exemplary in Asia for their low level of corruption and the respect their citizens have for the common good. There are other high-income countries in East Asia, such as South Korea and Malaysia, that have not eliminated rampant corruption. In these countries, there does not yet exist a critical mass of citizens who have the habit of always thinking of the common good before serving their selfish interests. They, like Filipinos, have not been able to learn from the Japanese model as Singapore did.

The Japanese approach to instilling social virtues among their citizens starts in the families through what they call omoiyari (thoughtfulness for others) from early childhood. Children are taught to be considerate, avoid inconveniencing others, and maintain harmony. Parents emphasize politeness (greetings, gratitude, honorific speech). Children learn routines such as helping with household tasks, sharing, and apologizing sincerely.

Early training in socialization begins in pre-school and kindergarten. Japanese early education focuses more on character building than academic rigor in the first years of schooling. What started in the family is bolstered in preschool and kindergarten. Some of the key practices are: group play and cooperation rather than individual competition; emphasis on self-reliance (children put away their things, dress themselves, serve meals, wash dishes); and early introduction to cleanliness and orderliness. Teachers model calmness, patience, and respect instead of relying on strict punishment. This stage helps form the habit of acting as part of a group while taking responsibility for oneself.

Formal cultivation of social virtues starts at the elementary school level.

Students clean their own schools (called o-soji), especially facilities like classrooms, hallways, toilets, and school grounds. Such practices contribute significantly to building responsibility, humility, respect for shared spaces, and cooperation. They reinforce the idea that everyone contributes to the community, regardless of status. This is the very essence of the “common good” emphasized in the social doctrine of the Catholic Church and enshrined in the Philippine Constitution.

Then there is “toban,” referring to daily class assignments. Students rotate roles such as leading greetings, managing lunch distribution, organizing materials, watering plants, and monitoring hall behavior. This creates a sense of ownership, discipline, and civic duty.

In all the schools, there is a formal “moral education” subject. In these classes, the following are taught: honesty, empathy, perseverance, and respect; contributions to society; environmental responsibility; and conflict resolution. For more effective learning, lessons often use stories, dilemmas, and role-playing rather than theoretical lectures. We Christians know that this was the way that Our Lord Jesus Christ imparted doctrine to his disciples, i.e., through parables and stories. In the “han” system, group responsibility is nurtured by making students work in small teams for activities, cleaning, and projects. Thus, cooperation, peer support, and self-governance are encouraged. A give-and-take culture is nurtured when children learn to adjust their behavior to help the group succeed. As in Catholic schools in the Philippines, school uniforms are prescribed, thus minimizing economic differences while emphasizing belonging. Strict punctuality and structured routines instill discipline and respect for time.

Character formation is not limited to the time spent inside the classroom. After-school clubs are central to Japanese education. Students commit long hours to sports, music, or arts groups. In these extra-curricular activities, they learn team loyalty, endurance, hierarchy, and collective responsibility. Older students mentor younger ones, reinforcing what is called a senpai-kohai (senior-junior) social structure. Even outside of the school premises, character formation continues. Neighborhood associations teach children civic responsibility. Festivals, local cleanups, and disaster-preparedness drills build public-mindedness. Children walk to school in groups, practicing cooperation and mutual care.

Once out of school, Japanese citizens benefit from cultural norms that pervade their society. These norms reinforce the social virtues they cultivated in formal education. Public behavior expectations help each one persevere in continuing to practice the social virtues learned in school. They must comply with public behavior expectations like quiet trains, orderly queues, and politeness. Stories contained in anime/manga often promote perseverance (ganbaru), loyalty, and integrity. A national emphasis on collective harmony shapes the attitudes of citizens from childhood. It must be pointed out, as we know from our studies of the Greek philosophers like Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle, that human beings can cultivate such virtues as prudence, fortitude, justice, and temperance by following the natural law instilled by God in every man or woman. One does not have to belong to a religion to be a man of virtues. For us Christians, though, we believe in the help of supernatural grace to overcome the obstacles to persevering in living a virtuous life.

As Lee Kuan Yew’s Singapore did, it would be advisable for our leaders to consider emulating the Japanese model of character education. Japan inculcates social virtues through a holistic system: Families teach empathy and mutual respect; schools teach discipline, responsibility, and cooperation; communities teach participation and civic duty; and culture reinforces harmony and self-restraint. The result is that social virtues become habits, not abstract lessons in dogma and morality.

To be continued.