MANILA – The Supreme Court affirmed its earlier ruling that the Filipino, Panitikan and the Constitution can be excluded as core subjects in college curriculum.
In a five-page notice of the resolution, the SC ruled the motions for reconsideration were “unmeritorious” for “failing to offer any substantial argument” which was filed by the Alyansa ng mga Tagapagtanggol ng Wikang Filipino.
The motion said the Commission on Higher Education Memorandum Order No. 20, series of 2013 (CMO 20) fell short of complying with the constitutional provision by removing the study of the subjects in the general education curriculum at the tertiary level.
The SC said while the Constitution mandates the inclusion of the study of the Constitution, Filipino and Panitikan in the curriculum of educational institutions, it did not specify at what educational level.
“The mandate was general and did not specify the educational level in which it must be taught,” it said. “Thus, CMO 20 did not violate the Constitution when it merely transferred these subjects as part of the curriculum of primary and secondary education,” the court added.
“Moreover, it must be emphasized that CMO 20 only provides for the minimum standards for the general education component of all degree programs. It does not limit the academic freedom of universities and colleges to require additional courses in Filipino, Panitikan and the Constitution in their respective curricula,” it said.
“The K-12 law explicitly recognized the right of schools to modify their curricula subject, of course, to the minimum standards prescribed by the Department of Education,” the SC added.
The K-to-12 program was enacted through Republic Act No. 105333 or the Enhanced Basic Education Act of 2013. /PN
