By Brian Jules Campued
President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has urged the incoming Department of Education Secretary, Sen. Juan Edgardo ‘Sonny’ Angara to make sure Philippine history is taught to students.
Speaking on the sidelines of a distribution of government aid to farmers and fisherfolk in Patikul, Sulu on July 5, President Marcos stressed the relevance of learning the country’s history after seeing “very little” information about the Philippine history in his children’s workbooks.
“For me, that is so important, for the simple reason that that is what will make a child understand what it means to be a Filipino,” he told reporters in a media interview.
“Ito ang pinagdaanan ng aming lahi kaya kami nandito, kaya ganito kami, kaya ganyan ang ugali namin dahil sa aming kasaysayan,” Marcos added.
The President also ordered Angara to improve Filipino students’ global learning assessments, particularly on Science, Engineering, Technology, and Mathematics (STEM) subjects where most students “are falling behind”.
He said that the DepEd should also focus on improving the employability of Kinder to Grade 12 (K to 12) program graduates by making changes in the K to 12 curriculum, such as introducing “mini courses” or short-term courses for students who will be taking specialty courses.
“If you remember, ginawa natin ‘yung K-12 dahil hinahanap ang years of training sa ating mga nag-a-apply. At sinasabi dito sa Pilipinas, kulang dahil 10 years lang, kailangang 12 years. Okay. So that was the reason we did it para employable ‘yung mga graduate natin,” Marcos said.
“Pero kung titingnan natin ang naging resulta, hindi naging — hindi tumaas, hindi gumaganda ang employability nila. So, we have to do something else,” he added.
The Chief Executive emphasized the need for closer coordination between the government and the private sector to ensure a stable supply of skilled workers coming into an industry.
“So, tinitiyak namin na paglabas na may magandang pag-asa magkatrabaho, if not directly already to an industry employer,” he said.
Meanwhile, another marching order of the President for the new DepEd chief is ensuring the welfare of the teachers and their families.
“We see them just as teachers. They have families and they have to take care of their families. And they cannot teach properly kung inaalala nila ‘yung lagay ng pamilya nila so we have to make sure that they are in a good place so that the teachers can concentrate on actual teaching,” he said.
Angara is set to take the helm of DepEd on July 19, replacing Vice President Sara Duterte.
‘History is not pagma-marites’
Following Marcos’ directive, House Deputy Minority Leader and ACT Teachers Party-list Rep. France Castro has renewed her push for the passage of House Bill 207, which aims to include Philippine History as a separate subject in the high school curriculum.
According to Castro, having Philippine History as a stand-alone subject is an important move amid various attempts at historical revisionism and spread of misinformation.
“If we are serious about teaching our youth accurate and comprehensive Philippine history, we must ensure that it is given proper attention in our curriculum,” the lawmaker said in a statement posted on ACT Teachers’ Facebook page on Monday.
“History is not ‘pagmamarites’ or mere gossip. It is a scientific discipline that requires rigorous study and fact-checking. By fast-tracking HB 207, we can safeguard our history from being revised or filled with fake news,” she added.
The Makabayan bloc solon called on both the legislative and executive branches of the government to prioritize the measure as it is crucial in ensuring that the students would “learn the truth about our past and understand its implications for our present and future”.
“We urge the House leadership to prioritize this bill. It’s not just about fulfilling a presidential directive; it’s about equipping our youth with the knowledge they need to become critical thinkers and informed citizens,” Castro said.
“Let’s seize this opportunity to strengthen the teaching of Philippine history in our schools. The House should fast track HB 207, while DepEd should ensure its proper implementation. Together, we can preserve the integrity of our national narrative for generations to come,” she added. – avds