Vitor highlights the importance of economics, wins essay writing contest
“Choices intrigue me and society needs change.”
As an aspiring economist, Niño John C. Vitor believes in the power of changing the views of society on economics as our critical observations of political and corporate decisions than being just about financial or market problems.
With his entry entitled “Economics: A Science of Choice and Change", Vitor bagged the first prize in the essay writing contest (high school category) for Eastern Visayas during the Philippine Economic Society (PES)-Visayas Economics Conference with a theme “4EKON: Engendering, Encouraging Economics Education and Knowledge for Nation Building” on August 20, 2021.
PES is a non-stock, non-profit organization in which the primary purpose is to foster and encourage professional relations among economists and seek to improve the standards of economic research and instruction in the Philippines, its website says.
Vitor’s winning piece highlighted the importance of economics in the lives of people. It illustrated the importance of economics through decisions while pointing out relevant scenarios in which economics is integrated into the society.
Vitor cited by how the social institutions are economically affected by the ongoing pandemic due to recession, characterized by unemployment, closure of industries, debt, and low gross domestic product (GDP) that despite the country has seen a possible economic recovery, slow vaccination drives and ever-changing protocols affect the certainty of economic progress.
Furthermore, the proposed reclamation project in Dumaguete was also tackled. Vitor explained that the plan for urbanized development raises environmental concerns over its possible effects on the marine ecosystem that supplied the residents with livelihood opportunities. This shows, he continued, how development can compromise the economic opportunities of the masses by altering the environment.
“Economics is not understood well in society and we should encourage its practice in our regular affairs,” Vitor shared, saying that making the society understand, especially the youth, we can build a generation of observant leaders who are passionate about change.
His mentor, Sybill Krizia Ledesma, took to social media and expressed her felicitations to Vitor.
“I have worked with him in the past and I can see potentials. I didn’t hesitate when he asked me to coach him for this engagement because I know he can do it and he did! His initiative and persistence were commendable,” Ledesma said.
Vitor is a freshman student of Bachelor of Science in Economics at Visayas State University. He is an alumnus of Southern Leyte State University-Tomas Oppus Laboratory High School who took up Humanities and Social Science (HUMSS) strand in Senior High School.