House leader bats for broader education on Anti-Hazing Law
A ranking congressman wants Filipino students to gain a broader knowledge about the Anti-Hazing Act of 2018.
For this purpose, House Deputy Majority Leader and TGP Party-list Rep. Jose "Bong" Teves Jr. filed House Bill (HB) No.7434, titled, An Act strengthening the information dissemination and education campaign about Republic Act (RA) No.7433, also known as the Anti-Hazing Act of 2018.
The measure was referred to the House Committee on Basic Education and Culture last March 8.
The short title of the bill is "Tulong at gabay para sa mga Pilipino kontra hazing educational campaign Act (An Act assisting and guiding Filipinos against hazing educational campaign)".
Under the Teves bill, the Department of Education (DepEd) and Commission on Higher Education (CHEd) "shall actively publish and disseminate information materials regarding the prohibitions contained in the Anti-Hazing Act of 2018, and shall hold dialogues with leaders and members of school-based organizations, associations, societies, fraternities, and sororities".
"The DepEd and CHEd shall include in the curriculum the study of [RA] No.11053 or the Anti-Hazing Act of 2018 in order to fully inform the students of the prohibited acts, negative impact, and penalties of hazing," it stated.
The measure also lays out the roles of the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), Philippine National Police (PNP), and the barangay officials, which "shall actively publish and disseminate informational materials regarding the prohibitions contained in the Anti-Hazing Act of 2018".
"They shall also conduct public seminars and orientations to the public especially in the communities of the ban on hazing as a means of admission and continuing membership to any organization, association, society, fraternity, and sorority," the Teves bill read.
Recently, the death of Adamson University student John Matthew Salilig grabbed headlines. He died from injuries sustained during fraternity hazing.