Education Secretary Leonor Briones urged teachers to enlighten the students further on the victories of Filipinos during the pre-Spanish era as the country continues to face challenges brought by the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.
Briones, in a statement issued Monday, June 7, enjoined teachers - both in private and public schools - to discuss deeply among their students the efforts of Filipinos especially during the pre-Spanish era.
These topics, she said, can be discussed in subjects such as Araling Panlipunan (AP) and Edukasyon sa Pagpapakatao (EsP) - noting that Filipino heroism and bravery will serve as “inspiration” in the nation’s fight against COVID-19.
During the Virtual Symposium on the 2021 Quincentennial Commemorations in the Philippines (2021 QCP), Briones has also looked to history to rally stakeholders in contributing to the improvement of the public health situation.
In particular, Briones cited the victory of Filipinos during the Battle of Mactan will be the nation’s inspiration towards victory against COVID-19.
“The bravery and victory of Baganis will be our inspiration towards victory against COVID-19...the time will come when we will defeat COVID-19,” she said. “Let us sustain within us the spirit of heroism and humanity in fighting the challenges of our time,” she added.
Briones noted that since most of the accounts on the Battle of Mactan are Euro-centric, “I grew up thinking that we were discovered by the Spaniards.” She added that “we used the Philippine Readers as elementary students from 1920 to 1960s. Now, how many million learners whose minds were conditioned to this thinking?”
Given this, Briones said that DepEd has a “lot of work to do” - especially in breaking this “perception of being discovered and teach learners that even then, we have a vast culture of victories.”
Briones also mentioned that she grew up reading comic books with Bagani as characters. Bagani is a Manobo word for “warrior” and “leader” and it also the title of the theme song of the 2021 QCP.
“When we think of Baganis and defenders, they lead where he needs to lead without expecting any return – not thinking that he should do something to become a hero,” Briones said.
Undersecretary for Finance Annalyn Sevilla, who served as the DepEd’s representative in the National Quincentennial Committee, also elaborated the essence of celebrating the historic event that happened on April 27, 1521.
“It ignited the Filipino spirit of bravery, humanity, unity, and heroism. Our founding fathers have offered and sacrificed everything to ensure and secure our independence as a nation,” Sevilla said.
“Therefore, it is our obligation as successors to fill in and safeguard our independence that our heroes earned,” she added.
Undersecretary for External Partnerships Tonisito M.C. Umali, Esq. Also discussed on the legal bases of the commemoration and its present importance at the latter part of the virtual symposium.
Meanwhile, history professor Xiao Chua from De La Salle University gave a lecture titled “Tagumpay at Pakikipag-Kapwa Tao: 500 Taon ng Kagitingan at Tagumpay ng Pilipino.”
In celebration of the 500th anniversary of this historical event, DepEd, alongside the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP), hosted the said virtual symposium to open the discourse on the role of the Philippines in the first circumnavigation of the world, victory in the Battle of Mactan, and other related events.