House OKs on 2nd reading Philippine indigenous, traditional writing system bill

The House of Representatives on Tuesday passed on second reading a proposed measure seeking to promote and preserve Baybayin and other Philippine indigenous and traditional writing systems by including it in the country’s basic and higher education programs.

House Bill (HB) 6069 mandates the Department of Education (DepEd) and the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) to insert the writing systems in relevant subjects in their curriculum program as electives or specialized courses.

Likewise, the proposed legislation directs both agencies to conduct “seminars, conferences, conventions, symposia, and other relevant activities on Philippine writing systems, taking into consideration the writing system that is indigenous to a particular region.”

HB 6069 also appoints the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) as the lead agency to promulgate policy guidelines to promote the writing system.

“As we embrace the benefits of modernity and the convenience that it brings into our daily lives, our traditional and indigenous writing systems have become more and more endangered. Despite efforts to revive some of these like baybayin, [it is still] vulnerable to misrepresentation,” said Tingog Party-list Rep. Jude Acidre, author of the measure, in his sponsorship speech.

“Therefore it is incumbent upon us to preserve these traditional writing systems and the bill mandates the NCCA to lead in promulgating policy guidelines in the promotion of these writing systems. The DepEd and the CHED are likewise asked to include these writing systems in relevant subjects in basic and higher education or be offered as an elective or a  specialized course in higher education,” said Acidre.

“We have to start realizing that our indigenous traditions and culture are not just a relic of our history but a crucial element on our journey towards nation-building. It is part of our national identity. If you were to gain respect and recognition of the community of nations, we must first find it within ourselves to learn to recognize, respect, and preserve our own indigenous and traditional culture,” he added.—Sundy Locus/AOL, GMA Integrated News