House panel OKs return of GMRC subject for kinder to Grade 3

The House Committee on Basic Education and Culture has approved the measure seeking the return of Good Manners and Right Conduct (GMRC) as a separate subject in kindergarten to Grade 3 levels.

The chamber, in its meeting earlier this week, approve the still-unnumbered substitute bill that consolidates the proposal of no less than Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano and four other lawmakers.

The measure proposes that the GMRC subject be included in the curriculum of kindergarten to Grade 3 levels, taking into account the Edukasyon sa Pagpapakatao Curriculum of the Department of Education's K-12 program.

GMRC, a gauge of how one behaves, was previously part of the curriculum in schools until it was scrapped two decades ago with the introduction of K to 12 and integrated with Social Studies and other related subjects.

Cayetano was elated that his proposal has been approved in the committee level as he stressed the need to inculcate good moral values to the new generation of students.

"We want to reemphasize that learning in basic education is not only intellectual, hindi lang academic, ‘yung spiritual, ‘yung emotional, nandiyan ‘yan," he told reporters in an interview on Friday.

"So, hindi lang ‘yan ang magiging focus ng Kongreso na ‘to, ‘yung music, ‘yung physical education , ‘yung arts na nawala nung dumami, dumami ang estudyante at naging libre ang edukasyon, gusto natin ibalik, pero ang pinakabasic tingin natin, ‘yung good morals and right conduct," he added.

Other lawmakers who proposed a similar measure were Antipolo City Representative Resureccion Acop, Leyte Representative Lucy Torres-Gomez, Bulacan 1st District Representative Jose Antonio Sy-Alvarado, and Bulacan 3rd District Representative Lorna Silverio. —LDF, GMA News