The Supreme
Court (SC) has ruled with finality that the Filipino and Panitikan or
Philippine Literature can be excluded as core subjects in college. “No further
pleadings or motions shall be entertained in this case. Let entry of final
judgment be issued immediately,” said SC clerk of court Edgar Aricheta.
The SC en
banc stood by its ruling last Oct. 9 in a five-page resolution after
petitioners failed to present substantive new arguments that would have swayed
the justices to change their opinion.
This decision
has been criticized by those who believe that it is a necessity to include the country’s
native language in core curricula.
In
a statement, CHED Chairperson Prospero de Vera III said promoting Filipino
language is not limited to teaching it in schools.
Moreover, De
Vera said -
"The
accusation of critics that CHED is anti-Filipino is wrong,"
"The
Commission believes in the fundamental role played by language in education. To
be properly cultivated, Filipino cannot merely be taught as a subject, but must
be used in oral and written forms, across academic domains."
"CHED
did not abolish Filipino and Panitikan in the General Education Curriculum.
Instead, these were transferred to the Senior High School level since these are
important building blocks in the preparation of senior high students to be
university-ready when they graduate,"
He also
called on colleges and universities to exercise their academic freedom "to
include innovative reforms in their various curricula that may include language
proficiency not just in Filipino but also other Philippine languages such as
Ilocano, Waray, Cebuano, Ilonggo, Pangasinan, Bicolano, and Asian languages
that will make graduates regionally and globally competitive."
De Vera
likewise assured the public that “CHED will support colleges and universities
that will pursue language innovation while providing scholarship and
professional education assistance to affected Filipino and Panitikan teachers
through the K to 12 Transition Program Fund.”
Upon the
implementation of the K-12 program in 2011 which have added two more years of
senior high school, I think it is just right to exclude Filipino and Panitikan
in college core subjects. However, it should depend also on the college course.
Some courses in college like BSEd, ABCommunications and the likes still have
the need to include it in their core curricula.
It is public
knowledge that Filipino and Philippine Literature were already taught in the basic
education curriculum: elementary, junior and senior high school level. Instead of teaching other foreign
language, in my opinion, it is best to focus on these two subjects to engrave Patriotism
and knowledge in our own culture.
Since
Filipino and Panitikan were delisted as mandatory subjects in some college
courses, it does not mean that we already have forgotten our native language.
College subjects should focus on exposing students to different channels of
knowledge to develop intellectual competencies and capabilities to prepare them
to actual realities of life after graduation.
Now, my take
on this matter is definitely Aye! What about you?
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