<div dir="ltr"><span class=""><h1>Tanggol Wika asks SC to suspend K to 12, raps scuttling of PH Constitution, language, literature</h1>
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By: <b>Ernie Reyes, InterAksyon.com</b><br>
April 15, 2015 2:34 PM </span>
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Members of Tanggol Wika asked the High Court to declare
unconstitutional a Commission of Higher Education order that jettisons
from the K to 12 program curriculum such basic subjects as Filipino
language, Literature, and Philippine Government and Constitution.
(InterAkson.com)
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<p class=""><a href="http://www.interaksyon.com/">InterAksyon.com</a><br>The online news portal of TV5</p>
<p><span>MANILA – Various personalities including a national
artist, several lawmakers and academicians from public and private
schools, student and union leaders, writers, cultural workers and
concerned citizens petitioned the Supreme Court Wednesday for the
suspension of the K to 12 program, which they described "anti-Filipino."</span><br><br><span>Calling
themselves the Alyansa ng Mga Tagapagtanggol ng Wikang Filipino/Tanggol
Wika (Alliance of Defenders of the Filipino Language) Tanggol Wika, the
petitioners asked the High Court to declare unconstitutional a
Commission of Higher Education order that jettisons from the K to 12
program curriculum such basic subjects as Filipino language, Literature,
and Philippine Government and Constitution.</span><br><br><span>These are abolished as mandatory subjects by </span><span>Memorandum Order (CMO) No. 20, Series of 2013, which sets the General Education Curriculum (GEC) to be implemented in K to 12.</span><br><br><span>The
petition filed Wednesday by the group led by Dr. David San Juan,
professor at the De La Salle University. They asked the Supreme Court to
issue a temporary restraining order (TRO) and Writ of Preliminary
Injunction against K to 12 program.</span><br><br><span>They said the
new college curriculum – which abolishes mandatory subjects in the
current curriculum such as Filipino language, Literature, and Philippine
Government and Constitution – was implemented via the Commission on
Higher Education/CHED Memorandum Order (CMO) No. 20, Series of 2013.</span><br><br><span>Tanggol
Wika said the Supreme Court should declare CMO 20 unconstitutional to
avoid massive labor displacement – job losses of around 78,000 workers –
in the tertiary level.</span><br><br><span>More important, the
petitioners argue that CMO No. 20 violates five constitutional
provisions, including provisions on the national language, Philippine
culture, nationalist education, and labor policy, contained in Article
XIV, Section 6; Article XIV, Sections 14, 15, 18; Article XIV, Section
3; Article II, Section 17; Article XIV, Section 2 and 3; Article II,
Section 18; and Article XIII, Section 3.</span><br><br><span>With regard
to the Constitution, the group said CMO No. 20 disregards the
pro-national language spirit of the framers of the Constitution, the
Constitution’s emphasis on nationalism and cultural awareness as core
values of Philippine education, and the Constitution’s pro-labor
provisions that give workers – including teachers and workers in the
education sector – the right to participate in policy-making activities.</span><br><br><span>The petitioners claim that they were never consulted in the crafting of the assailed CMO. </span><br><br><span>The
group also asserts that the CMO violates Republic Act 7104 (Organic Act
of the Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino/KWF/Commission on the Filipino
Language), Republic Act No. 232 (Education Act of 1982), and Republic
Act No. 7356 (Organic Act of the National Commission on Culture and the
Arts/NCCA).</span><br><br><span>With regard to RA 7104, the petitioners
argue that CHED violated the law when it usurped one of the KWF’s
functions – which is to formulate language policy. The KWF has released a
resolution in August 2014, supporting Tanggol Wika’s call for the
inclusion of 9 units of Filipino subjects in the new curriculum.</span><br><br><span>Earlier,
in June 2014, the National Committee on Language on Translation (NCLT)
under NCCA released a resolution advocating the same. Related to this,
the CMO violates RA 7356 as it does not promote nationhood and cultural
education, mandated by the law.</span><br><br><span>They also point out
the CMO violates the Education Act of 1982 because it does not comply
with the law’s provision on a nationalist-oriented general education
curriculum in college, as it abolishes subjects that are vital in
promoting national identity, indigenous culture, and responsible
citizenship – such as Filipino Language, Literature, and Philippine
Government & Constitution.</span><br><br><span>“With regards to the
Constitution, the CMO No. 20, Series of 2013, disregards the
pro-national language spirit of the framers of the Charter, the
Constitution’s emphasis on nationalism and cultural awareness as core
values of the Philippines education, and the Constitution’s pro-labor
provisions that gives workers-including teachers and workers in the
education sector – the right to participate in policy making
activities,” Tanggol Wika said in the petition.</span><br><br><span>The respondents are President Benigno Aquino III and CHED Chairman Patricia Licuanan.</span><br><br><span>“Papatayin
ng bagong General Education Curriculum (GEC) na nais ipatupad ng CHED
sa pamamagitan ng CMO No. 20, Series of 2013, ang wikang Filipino – ang
wikang pambansa ng Pilipinas – at iba pang asignaturang mahalaga sa
pagpapatibay ng pambansang identidad, kamalayang pangkultura at
nasyonalism gaya ng Panitikan/Literatura at Philippine Government and
Constitution,” the group said.</span></p><p><span><a href="http://www.interaksyon.com/article/108852/tanggol-wika-asks-sc-to-suspend-k-to-12-raps-scuttling-of-ph-constitution-language-literature">http://www.interaksyon.com/article/108852/tanggol-wika-asks-sc-to-suspend-k-to-12-raps-scuttling-of-ph-constitution-language-literature</a><br></span></p></div><br clear="all"><br>-- <br><div class="gmail_signature">**************************************<br>N.b.: Listing on the lgpolicy-list is merely intended as a service to its members<br>and implies neither approval, confirmation nor agreement by the owner or sponsor of the list as to the veracity of a message's contents. Members who disagree with a message are encouraged to post a rebuttal, and to write directly to the original sender of any offensive message. A copy of this may be forwarded to this list as well. (H. Schiffman, Moderator)<br><br>For more information about the lgpolicy-list, go to <a href="https://groups.sas.upenn.edu/mailman/">https://groups.sas.upenn.edu/mailman/</a><br>listinfo/lgpolicy-list<br>*******************************************</div>
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