Vice President Sara Duterte graces the opening of the Philippine Book Festival at SMX Convention Center in Davao City on Friday, August 18, 2023. MindaNews Photo
DAVAO CITY (MindaNews / 18 September) – Officials of the Davao Historical Society (DHS) on Monday questioned the move of the Department of Education to change the term “Diktadurang Marcos” to just “Diktadura” in the Grade 6 Araling Panlipunan (Social Studies) curriculum.
Speaking during the Kapehan sa Dabaw on Monday, DHS vice president Patmei Ruivivar asked for whose benefit the proposal is and what goal it is trying to achieve.
Ruivivar, however, did not brand the move as another case of historical revisionism, saying she is open to how it will affect the Filipino people.
She said that while change may be positive, it should be studied and scrutinized especially if it would only benefit just one party.
“Kapag any changes na gagawin natin sa narrative, tatanungin natin… Will it benefit the greater good, will it promote the common good, promote peace, justice, the values we hold dear as Filipinos?” she asked.
She said change has to be an inclusive and collective process, not repressing other sides to benefit just one party, but clarified that the organization has not made a stand on the proposal.
For her part, DHS president Amy Cabusao said she is confused why Marcos’s name would be removed when the abuses of his dictatorship were well-documented.
Cabusao worked with the human rights organization Task Force Detainees of the Philippines during martial law.
Ruivivar, in the latter part of the forum, said creativity and imagination are slowly dying as the schools are instead teaching the students to conform.
Teachers groups have criticized the move of DepEd move to change “Diktadurang Marcos” as historical revisionism.
In an interview with GMA Regional TV One Mindanao on Sept. 13, Vice President and concurrent Education Secretary Sara Duterte said she was leaving it to the experts in the agency’s Curriculum and Teaching strand to answer questions regarding the proposal.
In the same forum, Ruivivar announced that during the ““Thursday Throwback Talk Series” called “Before there was EDSA, there was Claveria” from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Sept. 21, women leaders Luz Ilagan and Dr. Rizalina Pangan will talk about their experiences during martial law as part of the Yellow Friday Movement in Davao City. (See related story)
The event will be held at La Herencia.
Ruivivar emphasized they are not out to criticize the current Marcos Jr. administration and do not intend to create a division among its supporters and the opposition.
“This is not to take sides because we have a lot of sides and there are a lot of stories… It’s not you or me, us or them, it is you and me, it’s we. We will talk about history and the stories of women and how they got involved,” she said. (Miah Christine Bontilao/MindaNews)
