The Filipino Subject in the Tertiary Level: Should it be eradicated or retained? 

Mary Catherine L. Mendiola 

1BES1 

PUPRCOM 

 

Culture Appreciation 

            The Commission on Higher Education (CHED), recently removed Panitikan or Filipino as a core subject in college. According to CHED, Filipino was given as a subject in the old curriculum because Grades 11 and 12 were not offered back then. However, now that the Philippines implemented the K-12 program, the subject Filipino will be taught extensively. According to CHED Communications Secretary, Sonny Coloma, “CHED feels the additional two years will allow the Filipino subject to be accommodated in high school. This way, he said college education can focus on interdisciplinary courses.” 

 

CHED’s decision has already been implemented, there are some people who have a different opinion on it. For example, lawmaker Albay Representative Edcel Lagman stated that the “instruction of Filipino and Philippine literature in college is more advanced, intense, and incisive.” He also added that “demoting Filipino and Panitikan as elective subjects in college prevents students from imbibing Philippine history and culture, as well as practicing nationalism and patriotism.” 

 

            Catherine Mendiola believes that both parties have valid stands on the matter. However, she agrees with Albay Represenative Edcel Lagman. She believes that the Filipino subject should still be offered in college, because as one of the students to experience the K-12 transition first hand, she has seen a lot of deficiencies in the said curriculum. An example of those deficiencies would be the lack of extensive teaching of the Filipino subject. When she was in both Grade 11 and 12, the topics that were mostly taught in Filipino were academic paper writing and sometimes literature. As for Catherine’s experience, the teaching of these topics has been repetitive and so many other Filipino topics have not been taught extensively. She also believes that teaching Filipino in college not only makes the youth appreciate it more, but it also makes them more knowledgeable and fluent in the use of the Filipino language. Teaching Filipino also helps the youth strengthen their nationalism and appreciate their culture and language. 

 

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“REMOVAL OF FILIPINO SUBJECT IN THE COLLEGE CURRICULUM: A SIGN OF PROGRESSION OR REGRESSION?”

Amidst the constant outgrowth of Filipinos being non proficient in using their own language, Filipino, CHED stands strong in pursuing the total removal of the subject in the college curriculum. The termination of Filipino subject has already sparked flame way back 2013 as CHED stated that it has already been taught to students from elementary to high school, and that they want to avoid the duplication of subjects. Also, they said that the removal of Filipino as a general education subject may pave way for other specific and more professional subjects that can help college students prepare for their degrees with licensing requirements (De Vera III (CHED), 2018).

Despite CHED’s attempt to reason out their decision, the reaction and response from the Filipino students were nowhere near good. The Filipino subject that is being taught throughout the years in schools has been focusing only on the basic parts of the language and literature and only in college that the students are expected to be taught about the “deepest” parts of the Filipino language and the Philippine Literature as they can appreciate and comprehend it better now than during their elementary and high school days. That’s why it is not surprising to see college students protesting when the order was brought out. Even if Filipino is our mother tongue and we should learn it from home, it is not enough to be fully knowledgeable about the broad parts of the literature, culture and the language itself. Meanwhile, looking at the perspective of professors and teachers, their opinions were divided as some were willing to be transferred to Senior High School to teach Filipino and Literature while others emphasize the incapacity of the country’s educational system to keep up with the constant global changes.

Nevertheless, CHED may have a good reason for their plans, but majority of the Filipino people who will be affected by this decision show disagreement and contradiction. The former withstands the order regarding the removal of the subject as it will bring progress to the country and will make the educational system more globally competitive. But what they do not understand is that the country and the Filipino people themselves are not prepared for this or worse, it might be a sign of regression. Filipino is what binds us to as citizens of this country and to remove it from the college curriculum, is a disrespect to the people. Some might undermine the Filipino subject that is taught in college but it is the time where we realize and recognize the true essence of Filipino and being a Filipino.

James Karl B. Lunas                                                          Purposive Communication 

1BES1                                                                                               November 21, 2018 

            The Filipino subject has always been a part and a requirement in the general education curriculum. The said subject has also taught the foundation knowledge of a Filipino about the components of history, culture, and as well as literature. Furthermore, by teaching this subject, it would give an opportunity to the students to feel the essence of the true identity of being a Filipino. With regards to CHED Memorandum Order No. 20, series of 2013, it suggests that the general education curriculum should be revised
 in a way that it aims the students to be professional, globally competitive, job-ready, and highly skilled.  Moreover, part of this memorandum in 2013 is that the Filipino subject will be abolished. 

             The K-12 Program is also a factor to which CHED decided to eliminate the Filipino subject in the general education curriculum in tertiary level. In addition, the first batch of K-12 who is now first year in college is the first one who will be affected by the said curriculum. According to Senator Tito Sotto, the abolition of Filipino from the curriculum in tertiary level is against the 1987 Constitution which orders to sustain Filipino as the national language of the Philippines. He also added that the Filipino subject is a part of identity as people and that people should do efforts in preserving and strengthening the national language at all times. Some do agree with the CHED’s decision of abolishing the Filipino subject. According to an article entitled “Kto12 Pioneers in the Philippines: At an advantage or a disadvantage?”, the curriculum is beneficial to college students because they will have lesser basic units and they will be motivated. 

            In conclusion, there are mixed reactions regarding this national issue. However, the people and the government should weigh both the pros and cons of the revisions of the curriculum implemented by CHED. The future graduates would be globally competitive enough and highly skilled, on the other hand, the essence of identity of being a true Filipino would be lessened. 

Katrina C. Bunye
 1BES1 

Way back then Filipino people value the sense of colonialism and even until now. Filipinos preferred foreign products. The Filipinos had been a Spanish colony for 333 years and the Americans took over, The sense of foreign influence remained and The Filipinos adapted  the cultures of the colonizers (Spanish influence on Filipino culture. (2018, October 02). Filipinos lack the sense of patriotism and for the main reason the CHED removed Filipino subjects in the college curriculum (De Vera III (CHED),(2018). 

Filipinos lack national identity yet the CHED prefer to remove Filipino subjects. Filipinos lose their nationalism and the culture, language itself. The Filipinos do not appreciate it.