Angara calls on DepEd to fully implement Integrated History Law in schools
Published Oct 21, 2018 04:28 pm
By Hannah Torregoza
Sen. Juan Edgardo “Sonny” Angara has called on the Department of Education (DepEd) to fully implement the Integrated History Law in all schools nationwide in order to create “a truly inclusive history that accounts for all Filipinos.”
Senator Juan Edgardo “Sonny” Angara
(Sonny Angara Facebook page / MANILA BULLETIN) Enacted in 2016, Angara said the law mandates the teaching of indigenous peoples (IPs) history in both basic and higher education in the country, but noted that not all schools have included this in their curriculum. “By including this subject in our education system, we effectively instill further understanding of IP history, culture and identity in the minds of the youth,” said Angara as the country celebrates the National Indigenous Peoples Month which aims to promote the preservation of their culture. Under Republic Act 10908, also known as the Integrated History Act of 2016, which Angara authored, the history, culture and identity studies of IPs and of Filipino-Muslims should be integrated in the formulation of the curriculum for the study of Philippine history, including the writing, printing and publication of textbooks and other reading materials. According to the DepEd, the law is currently being implemented but only in select schools, mostly in Mindanao. The senator said he hopes that the government would be able to fast track its full implementation in all schools nationwide soon. “This way, we can better foster a culture of peace,” said the senator. Angara said data from the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) shows that there are around 15-million IPs in the country, mainly concentrated in Mindanao and Northern Luzon. A United Nations report on the State of the World showed that IPs “make up one-third of the world’s poorest peoples, suffer disproportionately in areas like health, education, and human rights, and regularly face systemic discrimination and exclusion." To help address this, Angara said he also filed Senate Bill 978 that seeks to establish Resource Centers in all indigenous cultural communities to enhance the delivery of basic and necessary services such as training programs, grant of scholarships, employment, livelihood, and health services. The bill, he said, primarily aims to enhance the delivery of basic, social, technical and legal services to the indigenous cultural communities and the IPs in the country that remain the most disadvantaged and the poorest in the country.
Senator Juan Edgardo “Sonny” Angara(Sonny Angara Facebook page / MANILA BULLETIN) Enacted in 2016, Angara said the law mandates the teaching of indigenous peoples (IPs) history in both basic and higher education in the country, but noted that not all schools have included this in their curriculum. “By including this subject in our education system, we effectively instill further understanding of IP history, culture and identity in the minds of the youth,” said Angara as the country celebrates the National Indigenous Peoples Month which aims to promote the preservation of their culture. Under Republic Act 10908, also known as the Integrated History Act of 2016, which Angara authored, the history, culture and identity studies of IPs and of Filipino-Muslims should be integrated in the formulation of the curriculum for the study of Philippine history, including the writing, printing and publication of textbooks and other reading materials. According to the DepEd, the law is currently being implemented but only in select schools, mostly in Mindanao. The senator said he hopes that the government would be able to fast track its full implementation in all schools nationwide soon. “This way, we can better foster a culture of peace,” said the senator. Angara said data from the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) shows that there are around 15-million IPs in the country, mainly concentrated in Mindanao and Northern Luzon. A United Nations report on the State of the World showed that IPs “make up one-third of the world’s poorest peoples, suffer disproportionately in areas like health, education, and human rights, and regularly face systemic discrimination and exclusion." To help address this, Angara said he also filed Senate Bill 978 that seeks to establish Resource Centers in all indigenous cultural communities to enhance the delivery of basic and necessary services such as training programs, grant of scholarships, employment, livelihood, and health services. The bill, he said, primarily aims to enhance the delivery of basic, social, technical and legal services to the indigenous cultural communities and the IPs in the country that remain the most disadvantaged and the poorest in the country.