Hontiveros calls on CHED to reexamine move to remove Filipino, Panitikan and Constitution from college level
By Mario Casayuran
Opposition Senator Risa Hontiveros called on the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) on Monday to reexamine its move to remove Filipino, Panitikan (literature), and Constitution from the college level.
Senator Risa Hontiveros
(Senate of the Philippines / MANILA BULLETIN) Hontiveros, a member of the Senate minority group, warned that removal of these subjects endangers Filipino culture and identity. “I can understand some of the reasons for suggesting their removal, but I believe that in the long run, the loss of these subjects at the college level will be detrimental. Filipino, as the national language, should be preserved not only as a tool for work, but also as a means of discourse, cultural expression and a language for advanced research into our culture,” she said. The Supreme Court recently upheld as constitutional the order of CHED to remove the mandatory Filipino subjects in the college curriculum. The high court previously blocked the CHED order through a temporary restraining order. Some advocacy groups have also warned that the removal of the subjects would result in the loss of work for thousands of Filipino teachers. Media reports say that CHED would wait for the High Tribunal’s final decision before implementing the removal. “I ask the CHED to seriously reconsider and review its decision, because our language shapes our reality. And I believe that it is possible for the Filipino to become globally competitive without sacrificing our skill in our own language,” Hontiveros said.

(Senate of the Philippines / MANILA BULLETIN) Hontiveros, a member of the Senate minority group, warned that removal of these subjects endangers Filipino culture and identity. “I can understand some of the reasons for suggesting their removal, but I believe that in the long run, the loss of these subjects at the college level will be detrimental. Filipino, as the national language, should be preserved not only as a tool for work, but also as a means of discourse, cultural expression and a language for advanced research into our culture,” she said. The Supreme Court recently upheld as constitutional the order of CHED to remove the mandatory Filipino subjects in the college curriculum. The high court previously blocked the CHED order through a temporary restraining order. Some advocacy groups have also warned that the removal of the subjects would result in the loss of work for thousands of Filipino teachers. Media reports say that CHED would wait for the High Tribunal’s final decision before implementing the removal. “I ask the CHED to seriously reconsider and review its decision, because our language shapes our reality. And I believe that it is possible for the Filipino to become globally competitive without sacrificing our skill in our own language,” Hontiveros said.