PUERTO PRINCESA CITY, Palawan — A member of the Provincial Board in Palawan has proposed to the local office of the Department of Education (DepEd) the inclusion of Palawan cultural heritage in the curriculum of elementary and junior high school students.
Ex-Officio Board Member Clarito Demaala IV said Wednesday he is proposing to incorporate the teaching about the province’s rich cultural customs and traditions for young students to give importance to their values.
“What we want is for schools to discuss and give notice to the province’s cultural heritage. We have a lot of indigenous peoples (IPs) traditions that our students need to know and learn — what they have before that are still being practiced now,” Demaala said.
He said all traditions of several IP communities in Palawan can be incorporated in one lesson to be taught to elementary students and those in junior high school.
“If it’s possible, they can be put together and taught to the students in a manner that they can understand easily. I hope that if this bears fruit, they will not only select a few IPs but all,” he said.
He said that through this, bullying and discrimination against the IPs will be lessened as there will be more who will understand, particularly the young people of Palawan.
Demaala said that incidents of discrimination towards IPs are still apparent in the province, and they happen not only in schools but also other venues. ( Celeste Anna Formoso/PNA)
