AS PART of the so-called “educational reforms” under the K to 12 program, the Department of Education removed Philippine History from the curriculum of high school students. In effect, discussions of events in Philippine history are only integrated in several subjects instead of an independent subject focused on teaching the narration of facts and ensuring that the students understand the implications of these events in our daily lives today.
It was a very bad call. Under this policy, according to many history teachers and professors, students only learn Philippine History at the age of 11 and 12, nothing else is taught thereafter until seven years later when they enter college, if they continue their studies. This leaves with students with very minimal understanding of basic historical concepts and the significance of these events to our daily lives, which further limits the capability of many Filipinos to make their own research about our own culture, appreciate and emulate our national heroes and criticize the sins of the past the have great effects on how our society is today.
The destructive effects of the absence of Philippine History in the high school curriculum must be stressed, especially now that there are efforts of historical revisionism. The youth should understand why many decried when Toni Gonzaga interviewed the son of a dictator. The youth should understand the significance of September 21, 1972, the effects of the declaration of martial rule in our country and why the people should fight the tyrannical tendencies of the Duterte administration that has been trying to emulate those dark times in our history.
Erasing Philippine History in the high school curriculum amounts to a deliberate effort to make Filipinos forget the lessons of the past, our hallmarks and pride as a people and a nation, and to render us greatly vulnerable to modern agents of colonization and oppression, at the hands of imperialist powers or another Marcos.
In the Lower House, there are now calls to swiftly pass House Bill 8621 mandating the inclusion of Philippine History as a subject in the high school curriculum. In the hearing of the Committee on Basic Education and Culture on Sept. 16, a technical working group was created to consolidate HB 8621 with other similar bills. The authors of the bills agreed that the need for a separate subject focused on teaching Philippine History and local histories of different regions play a huge role in nation building and critical thinking.
We cannot afford generations of Filipinos not being able to understand the history of our country, the policies implemented through the years and how we can make sure that the mistakes of the past will not be repeated. The passage of this bill will correct this error and put Philippine History back not just in the blackboards and modules but in the consciousness of the Filipino youth.
