Senator Robin Padilla is proposing to mandate the inclusion of Philippine History in the high school curriculum to help students better appreciate the country's past and how it influences the present Filipino society.
In filing Senate Bill 451, Padilla said studying Philippine History will help the youth understand how society came to be through time.
"To lead this nation into the future would require an understanding of the country's historical roots and cultural heritage in ideally all levels of formal education," Padilla said in the explanatory note of his bill.
READ: Why History is Not 'Chismis', According to Historians
Philippine History was removed from the high school curriculum in 2014 through Department of Education Order 20, while the K-12 basic education curriculum for Social Studies includes Asian Studies and World History.
"While supporters of this revised curriculum claim that the 'discussion of events on the country's history is naturally integrated into several subjects,' this representation is of the firm belief that there must be an independent and definitive subject that comprehensively focuses on the study of our nation's own history," Padilla said.
"It is truly unfortunate for our youth, whom we dub as the hope and future of our nation, to be stripped of the opportunity to wade through the books of our invaluable past," he added.
Under the bill, the subject of Philippine History should be designed to inculcate a sense of patriotism among students, and include the history, culture and identity of the Bangsamoro and Indigenous People.
Padilla himself is a Muslim. He said his Senate win after garnering over 26 million votes in the May 9 elections is symbolic in bridging the religious divide between Christians and Muslims.
The bill also seeks to sow "critical thinking and discourse" on the effects and relevance of Philippine historical events, persons, and movements to the present, and understand the Filipinos' roots based on facts and historical tradition, patriotism, and national identity.
"Lest we forget the old saying that to deny and obliterate people their own understanding of their history is the most effective way to destroy them. In this representation's hope to steer clear from such peril, the passage of this bill is earnestly sought," Padilla said.
Aside from this bill, Padilla has filed measures seeking to legalize divorce and the use of medical marijuana in the Philippines, as well as a measure that would mandate the government to have a Filipino translation of laws, court orders, among other public documents.
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