Sen. Pangilinan pushes for education on Constitution in senior high school (Senate Bill 1610)

THE SENATE OF THE PHILIPPINES posted a note (Thursday, November 9, 2017) regarding Senator Francis Pangilinan's bill on senior high school education in constitutional law.

"Seeking to develop informed, active, and responsible citizens who value and uphold democracy, Senator Francis Pangilinan has filed a bill that would integrate Constitutional Education in the senior high school curriculum.

Senate Bill 1610, or the Constitutional Education Act, was filed Wednesday afternoon (8 November 2017), a day after over 100 non-politicians took their oath as new members of Partido Liberal and took on the challenge to protect liberal and democratic institutions.
“This is turning a corner for all of us. This is the new Liberal Party. We will promote [and] respect all limitations of power; we will protect individual rights and liberties; we will protect institutions and processes because these are the very things that will bring us to modernity. Ito ho yung ipupundar natin para umasenso ang Pilipinas, para umasenso ang bawat Pilipino (This is our investment so that the Philippines will progress, so that each Filipino will have a better life),” said Raffy Aquino, batch representative of new party members.

The bill, which seeks to raise the level of awareness, understanding, and appreciation of the liberal and democratic provisions in the 1987 Constitution among 17- to 19-year-olds, as well as the oath-taking, is part of the Partido Liberal president’s initiatives to empower Filipino to effect real change in their lives.

"In these present times, when there is disregard of the rule of law and infringement of people's rights, it is important for the youth to have a better understanding of the very law that protects our basic human rights," Pangilinan said.

According to the explanatory note of the bill, the school subject shall cover the Grade 12 senior high school curricula of all public and private schools.

The course will be developed by the Department of Education with the help of concerned government agencies and constitutional experts.

Aside from current issues, the other topics to be covered by the Constitutional Education course include government institutions and processes; rights and duties of citizens, democratic values, social justice, and human rights; and active citizenship and people’s participation in governance.

At the House of Representatives, a counterpart measure was earlier filed by Pangilinan’s fellow Liberal, Representative Kaka Bag-ao (Lone District, Dinagat islands).

***

Sa paghangad na makapag-develop ng mga maalam, aktibo, at responsableng mamamayan na nagpapahalaga at naninindigan sa demokrasya, inihain ni Senador Francis Pangilinan ang isang panukalang batas na may layong pag-aralan ng mga nasa senior high school ang Konstitusyon.

Inihain noong Miyerkules ng hapon (8 November 2017 ) ang Senate Bill 1610, o ang Constitutional Education Act, isang araw matapos manumpa ang higit 100 non-politicians bilang mga bagong kasapi ng Partido Liberal at tanggapin ang hamon na protektahan ang mga liberal at demokratikong institusyon.

“This is turning a corner for all of us. This is the new Liberal Party. We will promote [and] respect all limitations of power; we will protect individual rights and liberties; we will protect institutions and processes because these are the very things that will bring us to modernity (Bagong hakbang ito para sa ating lahat. Bagong Partido Liberal ito. Isusulong natin [at] igagalang ang lahat ng mga limitasyon ng kapangyarihan; poprotektahan natin ang mga indibidwal na karapatan at kalayaan; poprotektahan natin ang mga institusyon at proseso dahil ang mga ito ang mga bagay na magdadala sa atin sa modernidad). Ito ho yung ipupundar natin para umasenso ang Pilipinas, para umasenso ang bawat Pilipino,” sabi ni Raffy Aquino, ang kinatawan ng batch ng mga bagong kasapi ng partido.

Nilalayon ng panukalang batas na iangat ang antas ng kamalayan, pang-unawa, at pagpapahalaga sa mga liberal at demoratikong probisyon na nakapaloob sa 1987 Constitution sa mga edad 17 hanggang 19.

Ang panukalang batas at ang panunumpa ng mga bagong kasapi ng partido ay kabilang sa mga inisyatiba ng pangulo ng Partido Liberal para bigyang lakas ang mga Pilipino na makagawa ng tunay na pagbabago sa kanilang buhay.

"Sa kasalukuyang panahon, kung kailan binabalewala ang mga batas at may paglabag sa mga karapatan, mahalagang may matibay na pang-unawa ang mga kabataan sa mga batas na nangangalaga sa ating mga batayang karapatang pantao,” ani Pangilinan.

Ayon sa explanatory note ng panukalang batas, kasama ang subject na kukunin ng mga nasa Grade 12 senior high school na nasa lahat ng pampubliko at pribadong paaralan.

Bubuuhin ang kurso ng Department of Education sa tulong ng mga kaugnay na ahensya at mga eksperto sa Konstitusyon.

Bukod sa mga kasalukuyang isyu, kasama rin sa Constitutional Education course ang iba pang mga paksa tulad ng: mga pampamahalaang institusyon at proseso; mga karapatan at tungkilin ng mamamayan, mga paninindigang demokratiko, katarungang panlipunan, at mga karapatang pantao; at ang aktibong pakikilahok sa pamamahala.

Sa House of Representatives, nauna nang inihain ang isang counterpart measure ng kapwa Liberal na si Representative Kaka Bag-ao (Lone District, Dinagat Islands)."