MANILA, Philippines — The Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) yesterday condemned the Department of Education (DepEd)’s directive to change “Diktadurang Marcos” to simply “Diktadura” in the Grade 6 Araling Panlipunan syllabus under the new Matatag curriculum.
Yanking out the Marcos family’s identity from the grade school lessons on Ferdinand Marcos’ dictatorship is distortion and sabotage of truth about one of the darkest periods in Philippine history, the teachers’ organization said.
“Ferdinand Marcos Sr. ruled the Philippines with an iron fist, suspending civil liberties, suppressing dissent and committing numerous human rights violations during his regime,” ACT chairman Vladimer Quetua said in a statement.
“To reduce his oppressive rule to a mere “Diktadura” is a disservice to the countless victims of his dictatorship and an affront to the pursuit of historical accuracy and truth,” he added.
While DepEd has yet to comment on the memo, a supposed copy surfaced in digital spaces over the weekend.
Dated Sept. 6, 2023, the agency’s Bureau of Curriculum Development memo stated that the directive was made after an “arduous” review and revision under the scrutiny of experts, a review of stakeholders and, allegedly, public consultations.
The measure was met with strong opposition from the education sector, students and critics who believe that this was yet another effort of the Marcos family to burnish their names at the expense of thousands killed, tortured and imprisoned during the late dictator’s martial rule.
“DepEd bears a solemn responsibility to provide students with an accurate and comprehensive understanding of their country’s history. By attempting to sanitize and whitewash the term ‘Diktadurang Marcos,’ it is failing in its duty to promote critical thinking and historical consciousness among Filipino youth,” Quetua said.
“We call on DepEd to immediately retract this directive and ensure that the Grade 6 Araling Panlipunan Curriculum accurately reflects the historical truths of the Marcos dictatorship. We urge them to uphold the principles of truth, justice, and accountability in teaching history, crucial for the development of informed and responsible citizens,” he added.