[lg policy] Philippines: Tanggol Wika asks SC to suspend K to 12, raps scuttling of PH Constitution, language, literature

Wed Apr 15 15:20:31 UTC 2015

Tanggol Wika asks SC to suspend K to 12, raps scuttling of PH Constitution,
language, literature By: *Ernie Reyes, InterAksyon.com*
April 15, 2015 2:34 PM
 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)

InterAksyon.com <http://www.interaksyon.com/>
The online news portal of TV5

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."

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.

These are abolished as mandatory subjects by Memorandum Order (CMO) No. 20,
Series of 2013, which sets the General Education Curriculum  (GEC) to be
implemented in K to 12.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

The petitioners claim that they were never consulted in the crafting of the
assailed CMO.

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).

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.

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.

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.

“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.

The respondents are President Benigno Aquino III and CHED Chairman Patricia
Licuanan.

“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.

http://www.interaksyon.com/article/108852/tanggol-wika-asks-sc-to-suspend-k-to-12-raps-scuttling-of-ph-constitution-language-literature

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