Disjunctures in Philippine History Education since the K to 12 Reform

The unfortunate reality is that what the teaching of Philippine History suffers is symptomatic of a greater, more sinister ill that has long affected Philippine education in general. This crisis predates even the onset of the global COVID-19 pandemic that has overtaken conventional educational approaches in the country. Republic Act No. 10533, or the Enhanced Basic Education Act of 2013, not only added two years to basic education but also restructured the curriculum to be “pedagogically sound,” globally competitive,” and “at par with international standards”. With it came reduced time allotment for Araling Panlipunan (AP, Social Studies). Later, the dedicated Philippine History subject was all together removed from the high school curriculum.