Senators welcome signing of GMRC Law
Published Jun 26, 2020 12:00 am
By Hannah Torregoza
Senator Sherwin Gatchalian said he is confident that the signing into law of the Good Manners and Right Conduct (GMRC) and Values Education Act or Republic Act (RA) No. 11476 would still bolster learners’ character development and morals even amid restrictions on face-to-face classes this coming school year.
Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian
(Senate of the Philippines / MANILA BULLETIN FILE PHOTO) Gatchalian made the statement as he lauded President Duterte for signing the measure into law saying that despite the COVID-19 pandemic the law will enable students to receive proper guidance even though they are more exposed to social media and other distraction and less character-building activities under a “new normal” education. The chair of the Senate committee on basic education, arts and culture further said the GMRC and Values Education Act, which is institutionalized in the K to 12 curriculum, will have character-building activities such as role-playing in the classroom, community immersion, teacher-parent collaboration, school-initiated values formation and other forms of experiential learning. While character-building activities would be disallowed this coming school year due to restrictions on face-to-face classes, the senator said these activities will enhance learners’ experience of the subject in the long run. “Bagama’t magbabago ang paraan ng pagtuturo ngayong taon dahil nasa gitna tayo ng isang pandemya, kailangang patuloy ang pagtuturo natin sa mga kabataang Pilipino kung paano ba sila magiging mabuting mga mamamayan (Even though the teaching modes will change this year because we are in the middle of a pandemic, we need to continue teaching young Filipinos how they could be better citizens),” Gatchalian said in a statement. “Dahil batas na ang panukalang pagtuturo ng GMRC at Values Education sa ating mga paaralan, mas madali nating makakamit ang layuning ito, (Because the teaching of GMRC and values education is now a law, we can easily achieve this goal),” he said. The lawmaker also said the new law addresses the lack of expertise of teachers in teaching GMRC and the basic tenets of values education. During Senate committee’s deliberation on the bill, it was learned that 70 to 90 percent of teachers currently teaching values education are not certified to teach the subject. But under the new law, teachers with the certification, diploma and training on values education and allied disciplines would be given preference. The new law also replaces the current Edukasyon sa Pagpapakatao (ESP) subject with GMRC for Grades 1 to 6 and Values Education for Grades 7 to 10. Under the law, values education will be integrated in the current subjects taught to Grade 11 and 12 learners. According to Gatchalian, the inadequate time given to ESP has compromised how students absorb the subject’s lessons. “We need this law and we will try to see if this can be part of the 2020 school year, considering so many things are happening right now,” he said in a separate interview. “But since this is a law, it should be implemented (by the DepEd) right away. But we’ll give them some time to adjust and see how we can do this in the present (set up),” Gatchalian said. Senators Juan Miguel “Migz” Zubiri and Joel Villanueva, principal authors of the law, likewise, welcomed the signing of the GMRC and Values Education Act into law. “It’s now a law and it aims to strengthen the teaching of values education to our youth! Congratulations to the senators who pursued the passage of this very important legislation,” Villanueva said in his Twitter post. Zubiri said he is grateful to the President for his swift action on the measure and expressed hope the DepEd can work on the implementing rules and regulation (IRR) in time for the opening of classes on August 24. “Kids are going to be at home all day, learning in isolation from their peers. They’re not going to have the natural avenues for empathetic learning that springs from face-to-face interaction with their peers and with their teachers,” Zubiri said. “Hopefully, a strengthened GMRC and Values Education program will make up for that,” the Senate Majority Leader stressed.
Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian(Senate of the Philippines / MANILA BULLETIN FILE PHOTO) Gatchalian made the statement as he lauded President Duterte for signing the measure into law saying that despite the COVID-19 pandemic the law will enable students to receive proper guidance even though they are more exposed to social media and other distraction and less character-building activities under a “new normal” education. The chair of the Senate committee on basic education, arts and culture further said the GMRC and Values Education Act, which is institutionalized in the K to 12 curriculum, will have character-building activities such as role-playing in the classroom, community immersion, teacher-parent collaboration, school-initiated values formation and other forms of experiential learning. While character-building activities would be disallowed this coming school year due to restrictions on face-to-face classes, the senator said these activities will enhance learners’ experience of the subject in the long run. “Bagama’t magbabago ang paraan ng pagtuturo ngayong taon dahil nasa gitna tayo ng isang pandemya, kailangang patuloy ang pagtuturo natin sa mga kabataang Pilipino kung paano ba sila magiging mabuting mga mamamayan (Even though the teaching modes will change this year because we are in the middle of a pandemic, we need to continue teaching young Filipinos how they could be better citizens),” Gatchalian said in a statement. “Dahil batas na ang panukalang pagtuturo ng GMRC at Values Education sa ating mga paaralan, mas madali nating makakamit ang layuning ito, (Because the teaching of GMRC and values education is now a law, we can easily achieve this goal),” he said. The lawmaker also said the new law addresses the lack of expertise of teachers in teaching GMRC and the basic tenets of values education. During Senate committee’s deliberation on the bill, it was learned that 70 to 90 percent of teachers currently teaching values education are not certified to teach the subject. But under the new law, teachers with the certification, diploma and training on values education and allied disciplines would be given preference. The new law also replaces the current Edukasyon sa Pagpapakatao (ESP) subject with GMRC for Grades 1 to 6 and Values Education for Grades 7 to 10. Under the law, values education will be integrated in the current subjects taught to Grade 11 and 12 learners. According to Gatchalian, the inadequate time given to ESP has compromised how students absorb the subject’s lessons. “We need this law and we will try to see if this can be part of the 2020 school year, considering so many things are happening right now,” he said in a separate interview. “But since this is a law, it should be implemented (by the DepEd) right away. But we’ll give them some time to adjust and see how we can do this in the present (set up),” Gatchalian said. Senators Juan Miguel “Migz” Zubiri and Joel Villanueva, principal authors of the law, likewise, welcomed the signing of the GMRC and Values Education Act into law. “It’s now a law and it aims to strengthen the teaching of values education to our youth! Congratulations to the senators who pursued the passage of this very important legislation,” Villanueva said in his Twitter post. Zubiri said he is grateful to the President for his swift action on the measure and expressed hope the DepEd can work on the implementing rules and regulation (IRR) in time for the opening of classes on August 24. “Kids are going to be at home all day, learning in isolation from their peers. They’re not going to have the natural avenues for empathetic learning that springs from face-to-face interaction with their peers and with their teachers,” Zubiri said. “Hopefully, a strengthened GMRC and Values Education program will make up for that,” the Senate Majority Leader stressed.