Marcos frustrated with SHS curriculum: Wala namang advantage

President Ferdinand 'Bongbong' Marcos Jr. has expressed frustration over the Senior High School Curriculum, noting that the system has "no advantage."
In an episode of the BBM Podcast, Marcos was asked about the call of Senate President Pro Tempore Jinggoy Estrada to rationalize the basic education system in the country by removing the senior high school under the K to 12 program.
'It's just expressing the same frustration that I expressed in the first place. It's costing more for the parents kasi nadagdagan ng two years pa... Sa ten years, wala namang advantage, wala namang naging advantage, hindi naman nakukuha sa trabaho eh. That's his frustration, that's also my frustration,'' Marcos said.
(It's costing more for the parents because there's an additional two years. In ten years, there's no advantage. They are not hired. That's his frustration, that's also my frustration.)
'So we'll see what the Congress will do. But while the law is still K to 12, basta't ang sinabi ko kay Sec. Sonny Angara, pagandahin natin nang husto habang nandiyan pa 'yan (let's improve it until it's still there),'' he added.
In August 2024, Marcos directed the rationalization of the SHS Curriculum as he wanted to ensure that SHS graduates could acquire high-quality jobs.
Meanwhile, in filing Senate Bill No. 3001, Estrada said that the SHS 'still has not fully achieved its goal' to produce skilled and job-ready graduates 12 years after the enactment of Republic Act No. 10533, also known as the Enhanced Basic Education Act of 2013.
Under the proposed measure, Estrada seeks to retain the fundamental principles of RA 10533, sans the SHS level in a bid 'to simplify the high school system while still making sure students get quality education that meets global standards.'
He recommended a one-year kindergarten education, followed by six years of elementary education, and four years of secondary education.
The revised SHS curriculum, which underwent extensive review and consultation from education stakeholders, will also be piloted in School Year 2025-2026. There are 841 schools set to participate in the pilot run.
One of the key features of the new curriculum is the reduction of core subjects from the 15 being offered per semester to just five that will be offered for a full year in Grade 11. —VAL, GMA Integrated News

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Learn with AIFact CheckingText to SpeechAI Summary

Related Articles

GMA Network

3 hours ago

• GMA Network

Marcos wants Filipinos to remember 'change for better' under his term

When his term of office finally comes to a close, President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. wants his administration to be remembered as one that had an impact in improving the lives of Filipinos. In an interview on the BBM Podcast released Saturday, Marcos spoke about the need to make "tangible changes" for his countrymen under his watch. Asked about how he wants to be remembered, Marcos said: "We made a change for the better. This has been my guide in all the positions I've taken." "So, I absolutely insist that in 2028, when I leave this office, there are significant and tangible changes for the better in the life of each Filipino," Marcos said. Marcos is set to deliver his fourth State of the Nation Address (SONA) before Congress on July 28 at the halfway point of his six-year term. The SONA has been a platform for presidents to highlight past accomplishments, and to rally support from Congress to pass priority pieces of legislation. Marcos' fourth SONA will be held just two months after the 2025 midterm national and local elections. The President has expressed dismay with the poll results, saying these showed that Filipinos have grown tired of politics and that they do not feel government services. Promptly after making the pronouncement, Marcos ordered the courtesy resignation of Cabinet secretaries to "realign" his administration "with people's expectations." This led changes at the helm of multiple government agencies, with Malacañang saying officials under the Marcos administration will undergo periodic reviews. "The worst thing that can happen is umupo ka doon sa posisyon mo, na nagsilbi ka, umalis ka, walang pinagbago," Marcos said. (The worst thing that can happen is you took on your post, you served, you left, and nothing changed.) West PH Sea Marcos was also asked how he would like to be remembered with regard to the territorial dispute with China over the West Philippine Sea. He said, "We did not yield. We continue to protect the sovereignty of the Republic. We continue to defend the territory of the Republic. And we continue to protect and defend the people of the Republic." Retired Supreme Court senior associate justice Antonio Carpio, a vocal advocate of the Philippines' sovereignty, has described the issue as an "intergenerational struggle for Filipinos." Marcos has taken a stronger stance against China compared to his predecessor, former President Rodrigo Duterte. His administration has sought to forge stronger military alliances with key allies, but this has not deterred China from taking aggressive actions against Philippine vessels in the contested waters. "Hindi naman tayo nakikipag-away. Pero huwag niyong binabangga 'yung mga mangingisda, hindi ba? Huwag niyo kaming hinaharang doon sa teritoryo namin. Iyon ipaglalaban talaga namin 'yan," Marcos said. (We are not picking a fight, but don't ram the boats of our fishermen. Don't block us in our territory. We will really assert our rights with these things.) "Because kung ibigay mo 'yan, bibigay mo ng– (Because of you give that,) like they say: You give them an inch, they will take a mile. So, you cannot allow it even the one inch," the President said. Beijing claims almost the entire South China Sea, a conduit for more than $3 trillion in annual ship commerce. Its territorial claims overlap with those of the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Brunei. Manila refers parts of the waters within its exclusive economic zone as the West Philippine Sea. In 2016, an international arbitration tribunal in the Hague ruled that China's claims over the South China Sea had no legal basis, a decision Beijing does not recognize. — VDV, GMA Integrated News

GMA Network

6 hours ago

• GMA Network

Marcos on influencing Sara Duterte impeachment: I choose not to

President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. has said it is his decision not to influence the impeachment proceedings against Vice President Sara Duterte, insisting that the matter is in the hands of the Senate and the House of Representatives. Marcos made the remark in an episode of the BBM Podcast on Saturday, when he was asked about views that the President has a say in the decision of the impeachment court even with separation of powers between branches of government. "If a president chooses to do that, I choose not to," Marcos said. Duterte has brushed off Marcos' pronouncements that he was not in favor of her impeachment, as their feud continued to simmer with lawmakers pressing forward with House investigations and endorsing the impeachment complaint to the Senate. Advocacy groups, meanwhile, have called out Marcos for conveying a supposed lack of urgency to make Duterte accountable. Marcos has said the impeachment will take Congress' attention away from passing important pieces of legislation. Speaking on the podcast, Marcos reiterated that he has been preoccupied with lowering retail prices of rice and improving public transportation, among other initiatives of his administration. The Chief Executive stood pat that the impeachment process lies with the legislative branch. "That's not my, I'm busy with the transport, with the rice, all of the different things that we are doing, that, that nauubos ang oras ko doon. Put it bluntly. Wala naman akong papel doon sa impeachment eh," the President said. (That's not my, I'm busy with the transport, with the rice, all of the different things that we are doing. My time is devoted to these things. I have no role in the impeachment.) Senate President Francis "Chiz" Escudero has denied that Marcos was behind the delay in the presentation of the Articles of Impeachment to the Senate. Relations between Marcos and Duterte, running mates in Eleksyon 2022, have turned frosty following House probes into the drug war under the administration of her father, former President Rodrigo Duterte, as well as the handling of confidential funds by offices under her leadership. Last Thursday, House Secretary General Reginald Velasco said the Vice President will not be attending Marcos' fourth State of the Nation Address (SONA) on July 28. Malacañang has said it is her choice if she prefers not to attend the event. — VDV, GMA Integrated News

GMA Network

20 hours ago

• GMA Network

House prosecution says impeachment court spox should not speak for VP Sara

Senate impeachment court spokesperson Regie Tongol should speak for the court, not for the camp of Vice President Sara Duterte, House prosecution panel spokesperson and lawyer Antonio Bucoy said Friday. Bucoy was reacting to Tongol's comments on Thursday when he said that there is a high chance that the Vice President will make a motion to dismiss the impeachment complaint. Tongol said, 'Ang action na ini-expect natin from the defense by filing an ad cautelam appearance—na magpa-file sila ng either answer with affirmative defense questioning the jurisdiction, or a motion to dismiss the case for lack of jurisdiction.' (We expect the defense to question the jurisdiction of file a motion to dismiss the case for lack of jurisdiction.) 'As spokesperson, he is the mouthpiece of the court. He expresses the mindset of the court. [But] he's telegraphing the defense to file a motion to dismiss,' Bucoy told GMA News Online in a text message. 'Recall that the partiality of some members of the court had already been raised as an issue. I priorly stated that while I am prepared to give the judges the benefit of a doubt, the spokesperson's subject statement convinces me otherwise,' Bucoy added. House spokesperson Princess Abante agreed. 'Do not speak for the defense. Speak for the impeachment court,' Abante said of Tongol. 'That is why we are saying that what we want is a Senate impeachment court that is ready to accept the evidence, listen to the evidence and decide based on the evidence presented,' Abante added. In a "24 Oras" report by Saleema Refran, Tongol said, "Hindi pag-aabogado sa isang panig o paglilito sa publiko ngunit pagsagot lamang sa scenario setting na tanong sa akin nang naayon sa aking karanasan sa litigation." "Ito ay bahagi ng ating tungkulin hindi lamang bilang spokesperson ngunit bilang abogado rin upang ipaliwanang ang legal proceedings sa lahat," he also said. "The Impeachment Court is committed to neutrality, fairness and due process. Respect for the court is fundamental to democracy, so it is vital for the stability of this democracy for all to work together with mutual respect…and for litigants to avoid unnecessary attacks that only serve to hinder our collective efforts to proceed with the impeachment process," Tongol added. In a separate statement, House lead prosecutor and 4Ps party-list Representative Marcelino Libanan commended the senator-judges who uphold decorum and refrain from public commentary, but he did not mention names. 'We commend our senator-judges who have chosen the high road of restraint. Silence, in the context of an ongoing trial, is not passivity—it is professionalism,' Libanan said. 'In this highly charged political moment, those who speak least may actually understand the gravity of their judicial role the most. They recognize that the Senate, sitting as an impeachment court, is a constitutional tribunal—not a venue for political theater," Libanan added. Libanan then cited the Constitution's demand for neutrality from judges in any legal or quasi-legal proceeding. 'Every statement a judge makes outside the courtroom is a potential challenge to fairness inside it. The discipline shown by some senators is therefore not just admirable—it's essential,' Libanan said. 'We urge all senator-judges to uphold the same level of discretion. Let the facts and the Constitution—not noise—shape the outcome of this process,' he added. Over 200 lawmakers endorsed the impeachment complaint against Vice President on February 5, accusing her of betrayal of public trust, culpable violation of the Constitution, graft and corruption, and other high crimes.—LDF, GMA Integrated News