Youth activists decry the Commission on Higher Education’s memorandum that would no longer require subjects on Filipino and Panitikan (Literature) in college. The Supreme Court uphold its previous decision affirming the CHED memorandum. (Photo from League of Filipino Student’s Facebook page)
DAVAO CITY, Philippines — Youth and teacher’s groups decry the recent decision of the Supreme Court (SC) affirming Commission on Higher Education’s (CHED) memorandum that would no longer require subjects on Filipino and Philippine Literature in college.
In its resolution, the SC upheld their 2018 decision as it denied the motion for reconsideration filed by Tanggol Wika for “failing to offer a substantial argument.”
The League of Filipino Students (LFS) insisted that the two subjects are important in instilling nationalism among the youth.
“Iginigiit ng gobyerno ang pagpapalaganap ng patriyotismo at nasyunalismo sa mga kabataan sa pamamagitan ng pagsasanay pang-militar, paghawak ng baril, at bulag na pagsunod sa mga nakatataas na opisyal. Samantala, iwinawasiwas nito ang kahalagahan ng de-kalidad na edukasyon, ang pag-aaral ng kultura at kasaysayan upang ipaunawa ang tunay na diwa ng pagmamahal sa bayan,” LFS said in a statement.
(The government insists on promoting patriotism and nationalism among the youth through military training, handling of guns, and blind obedience to high officials. Meanwhile, it disregards the importance of quality education, learning about culture and history for them [youth] to understand the true spirit of loving the country.)
“Sa katunayan, nakabalangkas ang panukalang ito sa pagtutulak sa kolonyal na oryentasyon ng edukasyon. Layunin nitong magluwal ng mga kabataang walang pagkilala sa sariling panitikan at kasaysayan dahil hindi naman kailangan ng ibang mga bansa ang empleyadong mulat sa kanyang sariling bayan at kultura. Hinuhubog nito ang mga paaralan na lumikha ng mga mura at siil na lakas paggawa para sa kapakinabangan ng mga dayuhang kapitalista,” LFS said.
(The proposal’s concept is to push the colonial orientation in education. It aims to create a generation of youth that does not recognize their own literature and history because other countries do not need workers who are conscious of their nation and culture. (CHED’s) proposal will mold the schools to create cheap and oppressed workforce susceptible to exploitation by foreign capitalists.)
This kind of policies, LFS added, reveals the government and President Rodrigo Duterte as “hypocrite and anti-Filipino.”
Meanwhile, the Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) lamented the removal of Filipino and Philippine Literature after the government also previously removed the Philippine History and Philippine Government & Constitution subjects under the K to 12 program.
The teacher’s group deemed these subjects removed in the curriculum to be more effective in molding patriotic and model Filipino citizens.
ACT said that in the context of long colonial and neo-colonial history of the Philippines, these subjects would definitely fade away.
If it so happens, the group fear that using Filipino as a language for teaching would probably languish. (davaotoday.com)
