Group asks SC to reverse ruling on leaving Filipino out of college curriculum

MANILA, Philippines — Professors and students on Monday trooped to the Supreme Court as Tanggol Wika filed an appeal to overturn the tribunal’s ruling that affirmed the constitutionality of a government memorandum removing Filipino as a subject in college curricula.

In a unanimous decision earlier this month, the SC earlier ruled that the K to12 basic education program of the government is constitutional.

In the same ruling, penned by Associate Justice Alfredo Benjamin Caguioa, the high court affirmed the constitutionality of a Commission on Higher Education memorandum that removed the mandatory Filipino subjects in college curriculum.

Tanggol Wika, Filipino language advocacy group, asked the tribunal to reconsider its decision and “render CHED Memorandum Circular 20, series of 2013 [as] unconstitutional.”

The SC held that the use of Filipino as medium of official communication and language of instruction is still “subject to provisions of law” and is “non-self-executing.”

'No duplication of subjects'

The Court also defended its ruling on the constitutionality of the ChEd memorandum on the removal of Filipino and Panitikan so as “there would no duplication of subjects already taught in Grade 1 to 10, senior high school and college.”

But the petitioners argued that Filipino in college covers topics that are not discussed in basic education.

“Petitioners note that students cannot be left with just basic bokabularyo and balarila (vocabulary and grammar). Mandated Filipino units in college aim to develop and enrich our national language, propagate it by instilling in the youth higher order mastery and practice of the Filipino language,” their motion read.

The topics in tertiary level of education include the study of regional languages, speech and technical writing such as research; the Filipino language in culture and the arts, among others.

They also raised that “Filipino must remain in the general education curriculum of tertiary education in compliance with the mandates of the 1987 Constitution.”

Article XIV of the 1987 Constitution provides: “The national language of the Philippines is Filipino. As it evolves, it shall be further developed and enriched on the basis of existing Philippine and other languages.”

“Subject to provisions of law and as the Congress may deem appropriate, the Government shall take steps to initiate and sustain the use of Filipino as a medium of official communication and as language of instruction in the educational system,” said  the Constitution.

The SC, in its ruling, said that the inclusion of Filipino in basic education curriculum met the constitutional mandate, but Tanggol Wika stressed that “all educational institutions” must have it in the curricula.

 “The Constitution does not provide any distinction as to which level. Where the Constitution does not distinguish, we must do the same,” they added.

The STAR earlier reported that David San Juan, convenor of the group, said the removal of Filipino and Panitikan as mandatory subjects in collage could potentially displace around 10,000 teachers.

CHED chairman Prospero de Vera III said that they would look into San Juan’s claims. — Kristine Joy Patag