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History lessons should include dark parts of PH past, teachers' group says

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<p>MANILA <strong>(UPDATED)</strong> — A teachers&#x27; group has welcomed President Ferdinand Marcos Jr&#x27;s directive to the Department of Education to teach more Philippine history, adding teaching should go beyond just names and dates of events.</p><p>Speaking to Teleradyo Serbisyo on Saturday, Teachers&#x27; Dignity Coalition chairman Benjo Basas added that lessons should cover even the darker aspects of Philippine history.</p><p>&quot;Ano ba yung dapat tinuturo natin sa history? Ang tinuturo natin &#x27;yung impact, ang tinuturo po natin &#x27;yung relasyon nitong nakalipas natin sa ating hinaharap,&quot; he said.</p><p>(What should we be teaching about history? We teach the impact, we teach how the past relates to the country&#x27;s future.)</p><p>He added history lessons should help students be more aware of social and national issues and teach them to be more nationalistic.</p><p>History is not taught as a separate subject but is instead integrated with other learning competencies.</p><p>Marcos Jr. said this week that he has asked Sen. Juan Edgardo &quot;Sonny&quot; Angara, who will be taking over as education secretary, to have DepEd teach more Philippine history.</p><p>&quot;That is what will make a child understand what it means to be a Filipino,&quot; the President said.</p><p>TDC and other education advocacy groups have been campaigning to make history a separate subject to be taught in high school.</p><div><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/08/29/23/students-return-to-schools-as-philippines-set-to-test-new-curriculum">READ: Students return to schools as Philippines set to test new K to 10 curriculum<br/></a></div><div><strong>BEYOND NAMES AND DATES</strong></div><p>Basas said history lessons should also include the dark parts of Philippine history.</p><p>&quot;Kahit yung mga negatibo, mga madidilim na bahagi ng ating kasaysayan. Kolonyalismo, yung mga pagta-traydor, yung mga pang-aabuso — including of course itong diktadurya, itong Martial Law ay kailangan po nating ituro,&quot; he said.</p><p>(Even the negative and dark parts of history. Colonialism, treason, the abuses — including, of course, the dictatorship and Martial Law, should be taught.)</p><p>He added that Filipinos should also reexamine the colonial past, particularly the period of US colonization.</p><p>&quot;May apperance na napaka-friendly doon sa ating mga libro, sa ating kultura mismo na nabuo. Sa ating mass media, sa ating mga aklat,&quot; he said of the US.</p><p>(They are made to seem very friendly in our books and our culture. In our mass media and in our books.)</p><p>Around 200,000 Filipinos died in the Philippine-American War that erupted after the US annexed the Philippines. Some estimates put the number civilians killed at as high as 1 million.</p><p>Progressive and activist groups say that US influence in domestic policies and issues has continued despite the recognition of Philippine independence in 1946.</p><div><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/specials/return-of-balangiga-bells">RELATED: &#x27;THE BELLS TOLL FOR MY ANCESTORS&#x27;</a></div><p>&quot;Medyo kailangan po ito na tingnan. Bakit ngayon parang love na love natin ang Amerika, may problema tayo sa appreciation sa ating history,&quot; Basas said.</p><p>(We have to look at this and ask why we love America so much. There is a problem with the appreciation of our own history.)</p><p>The US is the Philippines&#x27; only defense treaty ally and the two countries have seen a return to warmer relations during the Marcos Jr. presidency.</p><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO</strong></div><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/2YMV3ftGDsk?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div>

<p>A teachers' group has welcomed President Ferdinand Marcos Jr's directive to the Department of Education to teach more Philippine history, adding teaching should go beyond just names and dates of events.</p>

A teachers' group has welcomed President Ferdinand Marcos Jr's directive to the Department of Education to teach more Philippine history, adding teaching should go beyond just names and dates of events.