Bataan First District Representative Geraldine B. Roman recently filed House Bill 7245 or the “Mandatory Constitutional Education Act of 2020.”
“Ang pag-aaral ng Saligang Batas ay mahalaga sapagkat ang bawat henerasyon ay kailangang malaman hindi lamang ang mga karapatan at pribilehiyo na ipinagkaloob ng Konstitusyon kundi pati na rin ang mga obligasyon ng mga mamamayan nito,” Congresswoman Roman said thru her Facebook Page post.
HB 7245 is a bill integrating the teaching of the 1987 Philippine Constitution in the Secondary Education Curriculum of all public and private educational institutions.
“Pinaguutos mismo ng Saligang Batas, pero kailangang kalabitin ang Kongreso upang ipatupad ito, kaya naghain ang kapatid ko ng kaukulang panukalang batas,” Atty. Antonino “TonyBoy” Roman III, chief legal counsel of Congresswoman Roman explained.
Under House Bill 7245, the Department of Education in collaboration with the Philippine Supreme Court, the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP), and the legal academe, will develop the Constitutional Education Course or Program (CECP) that will be integrated in the secondary education curriculum in all public and private educational institutions and taught at the Grade 10 level.
In this regard, Rep. Roman added, the Supreme Court and the IBP will collaborately encourage lawyers to participate pro bono in teaching or conducting the CECP.
“Article 14, Section 3 Paragraph 1 (of the Philippine Constitution) mandates that we include the teaching of the Constitution in our educational institution’s curricula. Moreover, Article 14, Section 3 Paragraph 2 also states that educational institutions should inculcate patriotism and nationalism. For this to happen, we need an enabling law. This is exactly the reason why I filed this Bill,” Congresswoman Roman further explained.
Atty. Roman, Rep. Roman’s brother who advocates critical thinking among youths reiterated, “Habang laganap ang paggamit ng social media at fake news, mahalagang maunawaan ng kabataan ang mga prinsipyong itinataguyod ng pamahalaan, ang mga karapatan at obligasyon ng mamayan, at ang mga katungkulan ng iba’t ibang sangay ng pamahalaan.
Layunin ng panukalang batas na mabigyan ang kabataan ng impormasyong kailangan nila para makilahok sa mga usaping makabuluhan.”