HONTIVEROS TO CHED: REEXAMINE REMOVAL OF FILIPINO SUBJECTS IN COLLEGE

Akbayan Senator Risa Hontiveros on Monday called on the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) to reexamine its move to remove Filipino, Panitikan (literature), and Constitution from the college level, saying that removing these subjects endangers Filipino culture and identity.

"Kailangan natin ang ating wika sa lahat ng antas ng edukasyon. I can understand some of the reasons for suggesting their removal, but I believe that in the long run, the loss of these subjects at the college level will be detrimental. Filipino, as the national language, should be preserved not only as a tool for work, but also as a means of discourse, cultural expression and a language for advanced research into our culture," Hontiveros said.

The Supreme Court recently upheld as constitutional the order of CHED to remove the mandatory Filipino subjects in the college curriculum. The high court previously blocked the CHED order through a temporary restraining order. Some advocacy groups have also warned that the removal of the subjects would result in the loss of work for thousands of Filipino teachers. Media reports say that CHED will wait for the SC's final decision before implementing the removal.

"I ask the Commission on Higher Education to seriously reconsider and review its decision, because our language shapes our reality. And I believe that it is possible for the Filipino to become globally competitive without sacrificing our skill in our own language," Hontiveros said.