DepEd

Bam: ‘Historical revisionism’ of Martial Law slap in face of victims

Sen. Bam Aquino expressed alarm over the “historical revisionism” efforts to make it appear that the Martial Law era was the golden years in our country’s history saying, “it’s a slap in the face of the thousands who were unjustly tortured and killed during that period”.
 
“Hindi lang siya nakakalimutan, binabago na ang ating kasaysayan. Iyon iyong mas nakakabahala, na tila sinasabi na sa panahon ng Martial Law, walang namatay, walang kinulong, walang tinorture,” said Sen. Bam.
 
“It’s a disservice and a slap in the face for those victims na parang kinakalimutan natin ang masamang nangyari noong panahon na iyon,” added Sen. Bam, chairman of the Committee on Education in the 17th Congress.
 
According to historical records, 3,257 were killed, around 35,000 were tortured while 70,000 were incarcerated during the Martial Law rule, which ran from 1972 to 1981.
 
In addition to the rampant human rights violation, an estimated $10 billion in government money was stolen, according to Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG) records.
 
As part of his advocacy to educate today’s youth about the horrors of Martial Law, Sen. Bam recently conducted an investigation to determine how it is being taught in public elementary, high schools and colleges.
 
During the hearing, the Department of Education, through Sec. Leonor Briones, revealed that the agency would introduce a new curriculum and new textbooks in the next few months that will provide accurate details about the dark side of the Martial Law era.
 
“We’re happy that DepEd is undergoing the change in curriculum at sabi nga nila, ipapakita nila ang mas kumpletong larawan ng Martial Law. Palagay ko kasi, ang lumang textbook natin, ayaw ipakita iyong mga masamang nangyari sa ating bansa,” Sen. Bam said.
 
“Secretary Briones herself said na itong curriculum change, makikita ng mga kabataan natin iyong kasamaan ng Martial Law, which is, of course, the corruption and human rights abuses,” he added.
 
Sen. Bam is confident that if the youth are properly informed about what really occurred during the Martial Law era, they can scrutinize what they see online.
 
“Kung mayroon silang pundasyon kung ano ang tama at ano ang mali, ano iyong nangyari at ano iyong hindi nangyari, pag online na sila ay mas may kakayahan silang suriin kung ano talaga ang katotohanan,” Sen. Bam said.

BIDA KA!: Aral ng kasaysayan

Mga bida, marami sa atin ay pamilyar na sa kasabihang “ang hindi lumingon sa pinanggalingan, hindi makararating sa paroroonan”.

Madalas, ikinakabit ang kasabi­hang ito sa utang na loob sa ­kapwa ngunit ito’y maiuugnay rin sa ­kasaysayan.

Mahalaga na alam natin ang nilalaman ng ating kasaysayan, maging mabuti man ito o masama, upang matuto tayo sa karanasan ng nakaraan.

Kung ito ma’y masama, ang aral ng nakaraan ay magsisilbing paalala sa atin na huwag nang hayaang ito’y mangyari muli.

Sa ibang bansa sa Europa, gaya ng Germany, itinuturo ang holocaust na madilim na bahagi ng kanilang kasay­sayan sa mamamayan upang magsilbing gabay sa kasalukuyan at ­susunod na henerasyon.

May panukala pa silang inilatag upang tiyaking tama at batay sa katotohanan ang mga itinuturo ukol sa malawakang pagpatay sa mga Hudyo.

Dito sa atin, nakasaad sa Section 27 ng Martial Law Victim Reparation Act of 2013 na dapat magtulungan ang CHED at DepEd sa pagpapakalat ng impormasyon ukol sa Martial Law upang hindi na ito muling mangyari.

***

Ito ang isa sa pangunahing dahilan kaya tayo naghain ng resolusyon upang alamin kung paano itinuturo ang Martial Law sa ating mga paaralan.

Ginawa natin ang hakbang matapos tayong tumanggap ng balita na hindi tama at kulang ang impormasyong nakalagay sa mga aklat sa mga eskuwelahan.

Hindi nakalagay rito ang libu-libo katao na namatay, pinahirapan o bigla na lang nawala o ang sampung bilyong dolyar na ninakaw sa kaban ng bayan.

Maliban pa rito, may tangka rin sa Internet na baguhin ang kasaysayan at palitawin na ang Martial Law ay isa sa pinakamagandang panahon sa ating bansa.

Ang masakit nito, marami sa ating mga kabataan ang ­naniniwala sa mga maling kuwento sa Internet dahil na rin sa kawalan ng sapat na kaalaman sa nangyari noong panahon ng Martial Law.

***

Sa pagdinig noong Martes, natutuwa tayo sa ibinalita ni Department of Education (DepEd) Secretary Leonor ­Briones, na isa ring biktima ng Martial Law, na kasalukuyan nang ­inilalatag ng ahensiya ang bagong curriculum na bahagi ng K to 12 program.

Sa nasabing pagbabago, ilalatag na ang mas kumpetong larawan ng ating kasaysayan, kung saan makikita ng ating mga kabataan ang lahat ng aspeto ng mga nangyari sa naka­lipas, lalo nang katiwalian at pag-abuso na nangyari noong Martial Law.

Ang mga pagbabagong ito ay bunga ng pagtutulungan ng mga personalidad mula sa iba’t ibang larangan, mula sa kasaysayan gaya ng National Historical Commission of the ­Philippines at Commission on Human Rights.

May panawagan din ang DepEd na sa mga susunod na pagbuo ng bagong curriculum at mga aklat na ukol sa kasay­sayan, magtulung-tulong ang iba’t ibang historian, mga abogado at iba pang may alam sa batas upang mabuo ang mas akmang nangyari sa nakalipas.

Ayon sa DepEd, ginagawa nila ang lahat upang mapa­dali ang paglabas ng mga bagong libro na nag­lalaman ng mga bagong detalye ukol sa ating kasaysayan, hindi lang ng Martial Law, kun’di ng iba pang pag-abuso na nangyari sa mga nakalipas na ­panahon.

Kapag kumpleto na ang paglalabas ng DepEd ng mga aklat na naglalaman ng bagong impormasyon ukol sa kasaysayan, magkakaroon ang mga kabataan ng matibay na pundasyon ng kaalaman.

Sa tulong nito, mas madali nilang masusuri at masasala ang nakikita nila sa Internet kung ito ba’y may katotohanan o pawang kasinungalingan lang.

Sabi nga, sa anumang larangan, lamang ang may alam.

***

Mga Bida, makipagkuwentuhan kay Sen. Bam sa fb.com/BenignoBamAquino o sa e-mailbidakacolumn@gmail.com

Bam on Martial Law Education, Historical Revisionism

Transcript of media interview after the Senate hearing of the Committee on Education on Martial Law Education

Sen. Bam: Unang una, iyong mga textbook mismo may problema na. The textbook we showed earlier, although ito iyong nire-replace ng bagong curriculum, talagang walang nakalagay tungkol sa pagnakaw ng panahong iyon, walang nakalagay tungkol sa tens of thousands na kinulong, the thousands na pinatay.

We’re happy that DepEd is undergoing the change in curriculum at sabi nga nila, ipapakita nila ang mas complete picture. Palagay ko kasi, ang lumang textbook natin, ayaw ipakita iyong mga masamang nangyari sa ating bansa.

Maybe it’s human nature that we don’t want to face the ugliness of our history. Ngayon, Secretary Briones herself said na itong curriculum change, sisikapin nila na buo iyong picture, mas makikita ng mga kabataan natin iyong downside ng Martial Law, which of course, is the corruption and human rights abuses.

Palagay ko, kung andiyan ang pundasyon ng kaalaman [ng kabataan], mas madali nilang susuriin ang nakikita nila online.

Kung mayroon silang foundation of what is right, what is wrong, ano iyong nangyari, ano iyong hindi nangyari, pag online na sila ay mas may kakayahan silang suriin kung ano talaga iyong nangyari o hindi.

It starts with our educational system. Palagay ko doon talaga magsisimula.

Maganda rin na nasabi ni Sec. Briones na hindi lang itong parte ng ating kasaysayan ang kanilang ni-review. The whole history ni-review. One of the other senators mentioned about the human rights abuses of the Americans. We talked about human rights abuses in other administrations and of course, iyong panahon ng Martial Law.

Magandang pangitain ito na mayroong mga pagbabago tayong makikita at iyong mga textbook natin na kulang-kulang, sana talagang palitan natin at mabago na talaga siya.

Q: After 44 years, alarmed ka ba na nakakalimutan na ang Martial Law?

Sen. Bam: Hindi lang siya nakakalimutan, nababago iyong ating kasaysayan. Iyon iyong mas nakakabahala na tila sinasabi na ang panahon ng Martial Law, walag namatay, walang kinulong, walang tinorture.

In fact, the textbook that I read from noong unang part ng hearing, kung babasahin mo iyon, parang napakasaya ng panahon ng Martial Law.

Nakakahiya sa mga tao gaya ni Sec. Briones. Siya mismo Martial Law victim. Siya mismo nahirapan noong panahong iyon.

It’s a disservice and a slap in the face for those victims na parang kinakalimutan natin ang masamang nangyari noong panahon.

Sometimes, we just have to face the fact na may masamang nangyari sa ating kasaysayan. Kung kinakalimutan natin iyan, we’re bound to repeat the same mistakes.

Q: Sabi ni Sec. Briones, the transition takes time. How soon you want to see the changes?

Sen. Bam: Technically itong curriculum change, 2013 pa ito. Ongoing pa iyong transition. This year, because of the transition, hindi maituturo gamit ang textbook ang Martial Law sa ating mga estudyante. It won’t be taught because it belongs in the old Grade 6 curriculum. Dahil may transition, hindi talaga siya maituturo this year.

Sa ibang mga eskuwelahan, iyong mga teachers ang nagkukusa na maglabas ng sariling learning materials. In fairness to those teachers, they’re doing their best to teach about it but with all of these transitions that are happening, may mga pagkukulang na kailangang punuan.

Alam naman iyan ng DepEd but we’re hoping that in the years to come, itong curriculum na mas kumpleto, mas naipapakita iyong masasamang nangyari din, iyon iyong gamitin sa ating mga eskuwelahan.

Q: Hindi po ba kayo naa-alarm sa efforts online to revise history, lalo na pagdating sa Martial Law?

Sen. Bam: That’s one of the reasons why na siniguro natin na mayroon tayong hearing about Martial Law education. May efforts online pero kung iyong mga eskuwelahan, kumpleto naman iyong tinuturo tungkol sa Martial Law, iyon ang talagang panlaban natin diyan. The NHCP, si chairperson Diokno herself said, historical fact na ang mga bagay-bagay na ito. Hindi na ito disputable. We have laws already talking about the atrocities of Martial Law. Natatakot ba tayo o nahihiya na pag-usapan ang masasamang bagay sa ating kasaysayan? Palagay ko, kailangan nating harapin iyan so we won’t repeat the mistakes of the past at iyong ating bayan din, makita natin na buo ang ating kasaysayan. Wala tayong kinakalimutan na mga bagay bagay.

Q: May efforts iyong online groups to make people aware na medyo niloko daw sila. Iyong mga tinuro sa kanila, like the Aquino family, change history in their favor…

Sen. Bam: Alam mo. Sabihin mo iyan sa mukha ng mga Martial Law victims. Tell it to them. Tell it straight to their face na hindi sila na-torture, hindi sila kinulong, hindi namatay iyong mga taong namatay, namatayan. Sila mismo. The list is quite long. Sabi nga ni Sec. Briones, baka hindi lang iyan 70,000. Baka more than 70,000 pa iyan because hindi pa nailalagay iyong mga victims in the Visayas and Mindanao. We owe it to them to be able to talk about these atrocities.

Q: Nabanggit po sa hearing sa Germany mayroong law to make sure na magtuturo ng holocaust…

Sen. Bam: Mayroon na tayong batas niyan. Iyon iyong isang bagay na ni-raise ko during the hearing. Our Martial Law Victim Reparation Act of 2013, Section 27, nakalagay doon na kinakailangan na iyong ating CHED at DepEd, pag-usapan iyong mga nangyari noong Martial Law, the atrocities para hindi na ito maulit uli.

It’s already in our laws, kailangan lang talaga itong i-implement nang maayos.

Senate Bill No. 672: Peace Education Act

Conflict is one of the biggest hindrances to achieving national unity and economic development and, sadly, the Philippines is not exempt from problems of ethnic conflict, amongst a host of other types of conflict.

Media coverage, with catchy headlines and limited word counts, can often further narrow public understanding of complex issues that surround conflict leading to a greater gap between different groups in Philippine society.

In a global environment where extremism threatens our democratic ideals, it is imperative for our nation to introduce Peace as an integral part of our school curriculum. By doing so, we can ensure that our youth and future generations are in a better position to unite, founded on a solid understanding of our multicultural nation.

This bill seeks to introduce Peace Education in the school curriculum at all levels, in both public and private educational institutions. Under the Department of Education (DepEd) and the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), a Peace Education Advisory Council would be formed whose mandate would be to formulate the syllabus, learning materials and facilitate teacher-training and evaluation of the Peace Education program.

By introducing topics such as religious pluralism, gender and sexuality, cultural diversity, and conflict management into classroom discussions, we may begin to develop our youth’s openness to meaningful expressions of diversity. In creating this conversation within a safe and moderated school environment, we can bridge together the many different ideas that, left unexplored, threaten to pull our nation apart.

Conflict has great economic and social costs, and most importantly, leads to many human casualties. To achieve prosperity as a nation, we must take the necessary steps in uniting our diverse population through formal education on Peace.

in view of the foregoing, the passing of this bill is earnestly sought. 


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Senate Bill No. 694: Pagkaing Pinoy Para Sa Batang Pinoy Act

“You cannot feed the mind on an empty stomach.” This is a truth that millions of Filipinos know and feel all too well. Every day, millions of Filipino children trek to school, underfed and undernourished, yet expected to fully absorb the lessons of the day.

In a study called “The State of Food Insecurity in the World 2012”, conducted by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), a total of 16 million Filipinos were considered undernourished 2010 to 2012, even as the number of chronically undernourished people dropped in all other Southeast Asian countries. Despite our growing economy, there are more underfed people in the Philippines today than there were two decades ago.

Meanwhile, another recent study on “the role of early childhood nourishment and health in connection with human capital accumulation”, published by Dartmouth University in 2012, revealed that the long-term detrimental effects of childhood hunger have a greater impact on school children than the effects of substandard schooling, infrastructure, classrooms, and textbooks.

This is perhaps one of the main reasons why Filipino children continue to lag behind our Asian neighbors in standardized tests. How can we expect them to do well in school when we have not given their brains the proper nourishment and fuel for the tasks that lie ahead of them?

Thus, the proposed “Pagkaing Pinoy para sa Batang Pinoy” bill seeks to alleviate childhood malnutrition in the Philippines through a feeding program for infants, public kindergarten and elementary school children. It will promote the health of children who are most in need, by providing regular and free access to nutritious food within a safe and clean school and community environment.

The benefits of the bill do not end there. To enhance the social value of this proposed measure, the feeding program will utilize, when possible and available, locally- sourced and locally-produced food products in order also to support local farmers and farming communities, and thus provide direct support to local agricultural communities. By providing a regular market for the products of local farmers and small entrepreneurs, this feeding program will help address not only child malnutrition but also poverty in the countryside.

This bill will entail partnerships with the Department of Agriculture (DA), the Department of Health (DOH), the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), the Department of Education (DepEd), and local government units.


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Bam: K to 12 exceeds expectations with 1.5M enrollees in Senior High School

The K to 12 program exceeded expectations with the number of enrollees in Senior High Schools (SHS) surpassing the 1.5-million mark for school year 2016-17.

 This was reported by the Department of Education (DepEd), led by Sec. Leonor Briones, during the hearing of the Senate Committee on Education, Arts and Culture on the status of the K to 12 education program.

 “This figure debunks news reports on inaccessible senior high schools,” said Sen. Bam Aquino, chairman of the Committee on Education, Arts and Culture.

 Of the 1,517,610 SHS enrollees, 1,460,970 were Grade 10 completers, 54,262 were Balik-Aral students and 2,378 were Accreditation and Equivalency (A&E) passers.

 According to Sec. Briones, the number of Grade 10 completers who continued to SHS was equivalent to 98 percent of the students who finished Grade 10.

 “The fact that so many continued on to senior high school shows that if the state provides free schooling, Filipinos will seize the opportunity to get an education,” Sen. Bam said.

 However, Sen. Bam stressed that this high turn out brings added challenges like backlogs in classrooms and trained teachers.

 “We need to work quickly to meet these challenges head on and make free access to quality education a reality for every Filipino family,” Sen. Bam asserted.

BIDA KA!: Isang Simpleng Parangal sa ating Big Brother

Mga bida, isa sa mga hinahangaan at tinitingala kong personalidad ay si dating Education Sec. Bro. Armin Luistro, isa sa pinakamasipag na miyembro ng Gabinete sa nakaraang administrasyon.

Nagsimula si Bro. Armin bilang religion teacher sa De La Salle Lipa noong dekada otsenta. Mula noon, umangat siya sa posisyon at naging pinuno ng walong institusyon ng De La Salle bilang pangulo at CEO ng De La Salle Philippines (DLSP).

***

Noong 2010, sa unang pagkakataon ay sumabak si Bro. Armin sa paglilingkod sa gobyerno nang italaga siyang kalihim ng Department of Education (DepEd).

Agad napasabak sa mga hamon si Bro. Armin. Sinalubong siya ng katakut-takot na problema, gaya ng kakulangan na 61.7 milyon sa libro, 2.5 milyon sa upuan, 66,800 silid aralan at 145,827 guro.

Maliban pa rito, si Bro. Armin din ang naatasan sa preparasyon at paglalatag ng kontrobersiyal na K to 12 Program.

***

Hindi naman nagpatinag si Bro. Armin sa mga gabundok na problema na sinalo ng Aquino government na kailangan niyang tugunan.

Hinarap niya ang mga problemang ito para na rin sa kapakanan ng milyun-milyong estudyante sa buong Pilipinas.

Sa gitna ng batikos sa kanyang bawat kilos at galaw, epektibo at tahimik na nagampanan ni Bro. Armin ang tungkulin.

Sa isang panayam kay Bro. Armin bago siya bumaba sa puwesto, sinabi niyang nabura ang backlog sa silid aralan nang makapagpatayo ang ahensiya ng 118,000 bagong classrooms mula 2010 hanggang 2016.

Maliban dito, may 66,000 pang classrooms ang kasalukuyan nang itinatayo kaya aakyat sa 185,000 ang silid aralan na naipatayo sa ilalim ng dating administrasyon.

Nasolusyunan din ang kakulangan sa guro sa pagkuha ng mahigit 258,000 guro mula 2010 hanggang 2016.

Isinulong din ni Luistro ang pagpapaganda ng pasilidad, paglalagay ng internet at ICT at makabagong modules para mapaganda ang kalidad ng edukasyon sa bansa.

Pinangunahan din ni Luistro ang maayos na pagpapatupad ng K to 12 Program, kabilang ang pagsisimula ng unang batch ng Grade 11 noong Hunyo.

Nabawasan din ng halos kalahati ang bilang ng out-of-school youth sa bansa sa pamamagitan ng Abot Alam Program.

Dahil nakita kong epektibo ang nasabing programa, isinumite ko ang Senate Bill No. 172 o ang Abot Alam Bill upang maipatupad ito sa buong bansa.

Kapag naisabatas, tutugon ito sa pangangailangan ng mga kabataang Pinoy na may edad pito hanggang 24 na hindi nag-aaral sa paglikha ng programa na magbibigay ng edukasyon sa bawat Pilipino, lalo na ang out-of-school youth (OSY).

***

Naisip ko na bakit hindi ipinagmamalaki ni Bro. Armin ang kanyang mga nagawa.

Pero naalala ko ang kanyang binanggit noon na ito’y tungkulin natin bilang lingkod-bayan at hindi dapat mag-antay ng anumang kapalit at mga papuri dahil ito’y para sa pangangailangan at kapakanan ng taumbayan.

Maliban pa rito, palagi ko ring naririnig na sinasabi ni Bro. Armin na kahit maraming batikos sa pagganap niya ng tungkulin na makapaglingkod sa kapwa, lalo siyang napapalapit sa Diyos.

Ang tagumpay ni Bro. Armin sa kabila ng mabigat na hamon ay nagbibigay sa akin ng inspirasyon upang pagbutihin pa ang paglilingkod sa taumbayan.

Umaasa tayong marami pang Bro. Armin ang lilitaw at magsisilbi sa pamahalaan.

Article first published on Abante Online

 

The K to 12 challenge

As we welcome a new school year, we are reminded of our need to constantly improve the quality of education for Filipinos across the country.

Aligned with this goal is the Enhanced Basic Education Act of 2013 or Republic Act No. 10533, which was signed into law on May 15, 2013 and resulted in the implementation of the K-12 Basic Education Program.

The last country in Asia with a 10-year pre-university cycle, the Philippines is one of only three, along with Angola and Djibouti, stuck in a 10-year basic education system.

Far from being a quick fix to our laggard status, the K to 12 program was carefully studied and designed by both private and public education stakeholders based on research from other countries and our own local successes and failures in education.

Many would agree that actualizing the K-12 system in the Philippines would result in more young Filipinos equipped with the necessary knowledge, skills and attitudes to enter the workforce.

And even though there are those that disagree and question whether or not we should transition to a K to 12 education system, this article is not about that.

The challenge we face now, in my view, is not whether we should or shouldn’t, but whether we can or can’t.

Are we ready to bring the K to 12 vision of progressive and transformative education to reality? Are we ready with classrooms and infrastructure to accept 2 more grade levels? Are we ready with the curriculum to move our education system to the world-class standard we have long been aspiring for?

To be fair to the Department of Education (DepEd), they have made progress in terms of infrastructure and curriculum development.

The backlog of 66,800 classrooms in 2010 was addressed with DepEd building over86,478 classrooms from 2010 to 2014 with plans to build over 40,000 more this year.

The shortage of 145,827 teachers in 2010 was addressed with DepEd hiring over 128,000 teachers from 2010 to 2014 with over 39,000 more to be hired this year.

Increased budget

But what about the 25,000 or so teaching and non-teaching staff that will be displaced once the K-12 program is completely implemented? DepEd reports that there will be at least 30,000 teaching positions in public senior high schools open for hiring, not to mention the need for principals and other non-teaching staff.

A P12-billion Tertiary Education Transition fund is also in the pipeline to offer grants, scholarships, and financial assistance to displaced employees so they may be qualified to continue working in the field of education.

With more classrooms and more teachers, congestion in our public schools has gone down and this is evidenced by the big reduction in schools that employ a two, three, even four-shift system. When in 2011, 21.24% of our elementary schools resorted to shifting, only 3% utilized a shifting system in 2014.

(Writer’s Note: Most of the schools that fall under the 3% are located in the National Capital Region (NCR) where DepEd has no more space or land to expand schools and build new facilities.)

Looking at these figures, we can clearly say that tremendous improvements have been made. But, to be frank, not a lot of our citizens know that DepEd has hit these numbers in the last 5 years. In fact, when I go around schools, students still ask me why the government keeps cutting the budget for education.

In truth, we’ve actually increased the budget by over 200% from 2010 to 2015, from P174.75 billion to P364.66 billion.

These gains we have had in the past years put into perpective the ability of DepEd and our education stakeholders to make necessary preparations and improvements in the condition of education across the Philippines. These small victories should give us reason to believe in our ability to overcome challenges in improving the quality of Philippine education, or at least dispel any doubts about our capability to perform.

But the truth of the matter is, even with these numbers facing us, there is so little trust in the government’s ability to implement major reforms. And from the feedback of some of our countrymen, a number of Filipinos don’t believe we can get this done by 2017.

Definitely, there are legitimate concerns that demand solutions. Definitely, a lot of work still needs to be done. Definitely, there will be unforeseen challenges along the way. It will definitely not be easy.

But the good news is, we still have time. There is an entire year before the full nationwide implementation of the K-12 Program and the performance of DepEd thus far gives us enough reason to trust that we can get this done together.

Now is the time for our communities to get involved. Now is the time for the private sector to offer their expertise and resources. Now is the time for all of us to get behind a program that will empower our youth with knowledge and skills that can propel them and their families to live better, more comfortable, and more meaningful lives.

Now is not the time to hit the brakes on a national reform we desperately need and have been working towards for the past years. Now is not the time to prematurely declare that we cannot make it happen. We have a year to implement this major education program and DepEd has asked for our help (For concerns and suggestions, email action@deped.gov.ph or call (02)636.1663 / (02)633.1942.)

For those who believe that we need to improve our educational system in the Philippines, this is our chance. We must not miss another opportunity to raise the level of our education to one that is world class. Let us support DepEd in creating a better, more robust, more effective, and more progressive education system for our young Filipinos through the K to 12 Basic Education Program.

First Published on Rappler.com

Bam: Help DepEd Prepare for K-to-12 Challenges

Senator Bam Aquino urges different stakeholders to help the Department of Education (DepEd) prepare for the challenges ahead regarding the K-to-12 Program, instead of tearing down this crucial educational reform initiative.

“The challenges ahead are real but we still have time. Change is difficult. Reforms are difficult but they need to be done,” said Aquino during the Senate Committee on Education hearing on the implementation of the K-to-12 program.

“From where we are now and where we need to be next year, needs a lot of cooperation from many different sectors,” the senator stressed.

Sen. Bam suggested the creation of K to 12 Local Readiness Councils composed of teachers, parents and businesses to help address any gaps left for the K-to-12 Program.

“The DepEd can convert existing Brigada Eskwela structures in localities to be their main partners on the ground to support the K to 12 implementation,” suggested Sen. Bam, chairman of the Senate Committee on Youth.

During the hearing, Sen. Bam emphasized that concerned government agencies must be prepared for challenges ahead as they implement the program that is expected to modernize the country’s educational system.

“Now is the time to work together for our youth, not tear down reforms that we need to be globally competitive,” added Sen. Bam.

DepEd officials, led by Secretary Armin Luistro, expressed confidence that the department can fill up around 30,000 vacant teaching positions needed to effectively implement the program.

“We need to ensure that we can get teachers who are competent and have the right discipline to match the needs the schools have,” Sen. Bam said.

During its presentation, the DepEd said it is currently training 70,000-plus teachers for elementary and 80,000-plus teachers for high school as of 2015 to prepare them for the program.

“We’ve been doing the reforms for five years now.  Ngayon pa ba tayo bibitiw? Kailangan lahat ay kasama rito – ang pamahalaan, ang private schools, ang mga teachers’ groups, mga estudyante, pati business sector – dapat magkaisa sa pagpapatupad ng repormang ito,” the senator said.

 The DepEd also plans to conduct a massive information campaign, including the establishment of help desks in schools, to enlighten the public about the program.

“The Philippine education reform is not only the DepEd’s responsibility, it’s everyone’s responsibility,” added the senator.

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