The Commission on Higher Education (CHEd) said on Wednesday听that it will study the issues raised by education stakeholders following the decision of the Supreme Court (SC) to exclude Filipino and Panitikan (Literature) from core subjects in college.
鈥淭he Commission will continue to uphold the rule of law, study the issues raised by education stakeholders,鈥� it said.
The court ruling dated Oct. 9 declared CHEd鈥檚 memorandum on reducing the general education curriculum to a minimum of 36 units as valid.
The CHEd鈥檚 Memorandum Order (CMO), No. 20 Series of 2013, removed Filipino and Panitikan in the core college subjects.
搁贰础顿:听SC: Filipino, 鈥楶anitikan鈥� no longer core college subjects听
The Commission lamented that the current CHEd commissioners were not 鈥減rivy鈥� to the 鈥渃ontext and discussions鈥� about the CHEd memorandum.
鈥淐MO No. 20, Series of 2013 was issued on June 28, 2013. None of the current CHED commissioners were in office at that time, and therefore were not privy to the context and discussions that were the basis for the CHED Memorandum,鈥� it said.
CHEd, however, said that it respects groups鈥� plan to work to reverse the SC ruling.
鈥満诹仙� reports indicate that the groups opposed to the Supreme Court decision may be filing their motions for reconsideration. The CHED respects this decision and will wait for the Supreme Court to decide finally on the issue,鈥� it said in a statement.
University and college professors, national artists and lawmakers under the Alyansa ng Mga Tagapagtanggol ng Wikang Filipino (Tanggol Wika) argued that the CHEd memorandum violated the Organic Act of the Komisyon on Wikang Filipino, the Education Act of 1982, and the Organic Act of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts.
However, the SC said the petitioners鈥� allegations that CHEd 鈥渞emoved鈥� the study of FIlipino and Panitikan from the general education curriculum was 鈥渋ncorrect.鈥�
The court added that changes in the core subjects ensure that there is no duplication of subjects in grade school, high school, and college. /ee