DepEd says no final order yet on curriculum change

MANILA - The Department of Education (DepEd) on Monday confirmed that there was a proposal to change some terminologies referring to the Marcos regime in the basic education curriculum, following the flak it received from groups and netizens after a letter supposedly from DepEd made rounds on social media over the weekend.

Director Jocelyn Andaya from the DepEd’s Bureau of Curriculum Development, in an online press briefing, said the letter was in internal document passed form one office to another as part of their standard process of curriculum review.

“Sa curriculum revision process, the document or the curriculum guide goes to different offices involved for vetting or validation. It is (an) iterative process until such time that a consensus is reached as to what should appear in the final curriculum document to be uploaded to the DepEd official website,” Andaya told reporters.

She also explained that the revision of terminologies was suggested only to “organize” the title of the topics in the curriculum outline.

The name of former Pres. Ferdinand Marcos Sr. will still be “inevitably” discussed during the lessons, Andaya said.

“Kasi doon sa preceding hamon sa diktadurya, ang nakalagay doon ay Hamon sa Neokoloniyalismo, tapos nilagay natin political, socio-political. Ang sumundo na doon ay Hamon sa Demokrasya. Ang binigyang diin natin ay tema,” she said.

“Teachers can always use the terms that they think are appropriate as they arise in the discussion and delivery of their lessons. It is important also for teachers to present differing and opposing perspectives and make them co-exist without erasing the other’s truth,” she added.

Andaya also denied allegations by some groups that this a form of historical revisionism led by DepEd.

She said the curriculum outlines the topics including the challenges to democracy, declaration and effects of martial law, weakening of the economy, human rights abuses, ill-gotten wealth issue, EDSA People Power Revolution, among others.

“Hindi po iyan revisionism. Because ultimately, and inevitably in the discussions of these, it will always lead to sino ba ang nagpatupad nito so wala pong revision na nangyayari at mangyayari,” she said.

In a separate interview on Teleradyo Serbisyo Monday afternoon, Andaya said that although there is a directive regarding the change, the DepEd has yet to formally release an order to implement it.

"When I say final, nai-release na po siya sa pamamagitan ng DepEd order. Wala pa po siyang ganoon," she said when asked about the finality of the change.

Teachers Dignity Coalition (TDC), on the other hand, sees no reason to revise the curriculum.

“Sa tingin ko hindi na ito kailangan pang baguhin ano. Iyan na ang napagkasunduan ng subject matter experts at ng mga historians at academic community, so this is no necessary anymore,” TDC’s Chairperson Benjo Basas said.

Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) party-list group Rep. France Castro earlier said this development violates Republic Act No. 10368, the law which provides for "reparation and recognition of victims of human rights violations during the Marcos regime, documentation of said violations, and appropriating funds..."

• No 'Marcos dictatorship?' Lawmaker slams move to revise textbooks