Art by Jun Dizon
Aside from calls to bring back Philippine History subject in high school, an advocacy group plans to further enrich history education by introducing specialized topics in senior high school.
Local history, Moro history, Indigenous People history, West Philippine Sea history, and gender history are among the proposed special history topics by the High School Philippine History Movement (HSPHM).
“May iba’t ibang bahagi ng ating kasaysayan na hindi nako-cover ng normal contemporary Philippine history o ng elementary Philippine history, at ito yung mga tutugunan natin,” said Jamaico Ignacio, HSPHM president
Localized narratives
Localized narratives in history, according to Ignacio, are important to be discussed thematically to find out how these contribute to the national Filipino identity.
“[Kung kayo ay] sa Cebu, talk about the involvement of Cebu with the Katipuneros during [the revolution]. In addition to that, Moro history. Mahalagang i-integrate ang ating mga kapatid na Moro,” explained Ignacio.
To better understand the issue on the West Philippine Sea, Ignacio insisted on including in class discussions the history of the country’s diplomatic claims, international laws and treaties, and the history of neighboring countries who also have claims over the disputed territories.
Marginalized sectors’ history
Furthermore, the movement president highlighted the need to study the Indigenous Peoples history like the Cordilleran narrative for the people to understand their struggles.
“Bakit nung mga ilang dekadang nakaraan, laganap ang kanilang paglaban sa national government? Kasi they felt marginalized. Tignan natin ang kasaysayan kung paano sila na-marginalize,” added Ignacio.
The group also aims to include gender history, especially female history, to make students aware of the struggles experienced by women in the Philippines throughout history.
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