Solon says no dictatorship sans a dictator; DepEd sponsor cites focus on ‘themes’

Kabataan party-list lawmaker Raoul Manuel on Wednesday challenged the Department of Education on its plan to change the term “Diktadurang Marcos” to “Diktadura” in its new curriculum for elementary students during the plenary deliberations on the DepEd’s proposed P758.6-billion budget for 2024.

“Wala pong diktadura kung walang diktador. Sino po iyong tinutukoy ng 'Diktadura'?” Manuel said.

(There is no dictatorship without a dictator. So who would 'dictatorship' be referring to?)

Earlier this month the DepEd confirmed that its Bureau of Curriculum Development had proposed the change to the Grade 6 Araling Panlipunan curriculum in a September 6 memo.

“Hindi po ba nag-aambag tayo sa disinformation because it is a locally and internationally recognized fact na diktador si dating Pangulong Ferdinand Marcos, Sr.?” Manuel added.

(Wouldn't we be contributing to disinformation because it is a locally and internationally recognized fact that the dictator is former president Ferdinand Marcos Sr.?)

Davao de Oro Representative Carmen Zamora, who stands as the sponsor of DepEd’s proposed budget, said that the new Araling Panlipunan curriculum will focus on "themes and concepts."

“The reason of the removal of 'Marcos' in 'Diktadurang Marcos' is to be able to be consistent in the framing of the portion of new Araling Panlipunan curriculum which is focused on historical themes and concepts, not Presidential terms,” she said.

“Historical themes and analysis of these may be in the context of one or more presidential terms,” Zamora added.

Zamora said the terms to be used in the subject will include "Pagpapatupad ng Diktadura," "Epekto ng Diktadura," and "Paglaban sa Diktadura."

“Discussions on the dictatorship in the Philippines in the 1970s will be an inevitable point to the discussion of administration of former President Marcos, Sr.,” Zamora added.

Manuel, however, countered that the Martial Law regime cannot be discussed in vague terms.

“At a time when there are systematic attacks to make the people forget  what happened in the past, the government should always strive to do better on how to teach this topic. Instead of stepping back, the government should step up,” Manuel said.

“Mahalaga na mapangalanan ‘yun,” Manuel added. 

(It is important to put a name to it.)

During Albay Representative Edcel Lagman's interpellation, Zamora said the Marcos dictatorship is a factual part of the country’s history.

“During that black era, locally and internationally, we called it Marcos dictatorship. Is that correct?” Lagman asked.

“History would tell us that that [to call it Marcos dictatorship] is correct,” Zamora said.

The DepEd's Bureau of Curriculum Development (BCD) said that it had merely wanted to organize the curriculum guide, and that the curriculum would still discuss the Martial Law period.

“Meron pa rin tayong pagkakataon na tingnan ulit ang curriculum ng ating mga nag-aaral, ng ating mga guro, at ng iba nating kasamahan sa education sector at kung merong mga changes or mga comments tungkol dito, susuriin po ulit natin,” DepEd BCD Director Joyce Andaya said.

(Our students, our teachers, and our other stakeholders in the education sector still have the opportunity to review the curriculum and if there are changes or comments about it, we will review it again.) — BM, GMA Integrated News