The Social Contract of “Tapat Ko Linis Ko” Among Senior High School Students in the Philippines

Abstract

On December 23, 1975, former president Ferdinand E. Marcos Sr. signed the Presidential Decree No. 856, also known as the “Sanitation Code of the Philippines”, through the Department of Health, aimed to enhance the lives of Filipinos by focusing on public health services essential for the protection and promotion of the health of people. One of its provisions is the launching of the Tapat ko, Linis ko in the streets, translated as “my line, my responsibility" as cited in Chapter 18, Section 83d that states “streets shall be kept clean by occupants or owners of properties lining the streets from the line of the property to the middle of the street and from one property to the other”. This became a social contract among the citizens of the Philippines. Forty-nine years later, this study assessed the awareness towards the social contract of students in engaging in the Tapat ko, Linis ko program. 100 randomly selected senior high school students were the respondents of this study. The researchers used printed survey questionnaires for data gathering. The results revealed that these students were still aware of the Tapat ko, Linis ko and had been actively participating in the said social contract. The results also showed the social contract of the senior high school students in the Tapat ko, Linis ko through practice, engagement, and encouragement. The researchers recommended intensification programs to strengthen the engagement of senior high school students towards Tapat ko, Linis ko in achieving engaged citizenship.