Representative Pangalian Balindong (congress.gov.ph photo)
MANILA, Philippines — The House of Representatives has unanimously approved on final reading a bill mandating the teaching of Moro history, culture and identity in college.
House Bill 4832, or the proposed “Moro History, Culture and Identity Studies Act,” will require all tertiary schools to offer an elective subject on the history and cultural heritage of the Moro people, according to the author, Deputy House Speaker Pangalian Balindong.
He said the elective should highlight the positive relations between Muslims and Christians, “including shared origins and other points of commonality even before the arrival of Islam and Christianity.”
“While Filipino and Muslim cultures may have differences, it is a fact that they are bound by a common heritage, the land they call Philippines, and they have a lot in common, on top of which, is the clamor for peace,” said Balindong, a representative of Lanao del Sur.
Under the bill, the agencies concerned shall consult experts on Moro history, culture and identity, as well as resource persons on the Mindanao peace process and the Muslim-Christian dialogue in the formulation and creation of the course, including the writing and publication of textbooks and reading materials.
The proposed elective will incorporate the understanding of the “Mindanao problem” and the “Moro problem” as well as the roots of the conflict and its impact on the rest of the country, Balindong said in an explanatory note.
It will pay appropriate attention to the history of the Muslims and the appreciation of various cultures and ethnic identities, he said.
The elective should also highlight the specific character of Mindanao as an island shared by three peoples: Muslims, Christians and the lumad, or indigenous tribes, he added.
Balindong said the inclusion of the Mindanao peace process in the elective would address both the “structural roots of the Mindanao conflict and the deep social, cultural and religious divergences, which should not be disregarded but respected.”
“The people-to-people interactions and dialogues should help foster important basic values respect, honesty, sincerity, patience, generosity, trust, prudence and love, among others,” he said.
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