Pangilinan bill mandates teaching of Constitution to Grade 12 students

Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan has filed a bill mandating the teaching of the 1987 Constitution to Grade 12 senior high school students.

Pangilinan filed Senate Bill No. 1610 or the Constitutional Education Act integrating education on the Constitution in the senior high school curriculum in all public and private educational institutions.

“When enacted into law, this bill will empower young Filipinos with the knowledge of the most fundamental law of the land, which defines their rights, duties and values,” Pangilinan said.

“This allows them to become informed citizens who take active participation in the affairs of the State, and provides them with a deeper appreciation of our democracy.”

Under the proposal, the Department of Education (DepEd), with the assistance of concerned government agencies and constitutional commissions and experts on the Constitution from the academe, will develop the Constitutional Education course.

The course, Pangilinan said, should develop the students’ “appreciation and exercise of democratic values, such as transparency, accountability, and respect for human rights and dignity.”

It shall also “equip them with the knowledge of the Constitution that they can use in their analysis and involvement in public issues.”

A similar bill has been filed by Dinagas Islands Rep. Kaka Bag-ao at the House of Representatives. —Kathrina Charmaine Alvarez/KBK, GMA News