NOTING how some youngsters nowadays no longer practice basic Filipino traditional values of respect such as simply saying ‘po’, ‘opo’, ‘thank you’ and ‘excuse me’ for instance, Mayor Isko Moreno vowed that the city of Manila will go full blast in pushing for the restoration of good manners and right conduct (GMRC) among the youth, as he encouraged parents to start working on it now.
Moreno said the city government will allot a good portion of its resources in full support of the implementation of Republic Act 11476 or the GMRC and Values Education Act, which was signed in June by President Rodrigo Duterte and which institutionalizes GMRC as a subject under the K-12 curriculum.
In line with President Duterte’s goal, Moreno also vowed to complement the inclusion of GMRC into the curriculum by actively campaigning for the revival of long-treasured values which seem to be waning these days as the younger generation become more and more exposed to modern-day culture and technology which give them unlimited access to all sorts of information.
The pronouncements were made by Moreno during a meeting with officials of the Department of Education (DepEd) and Division of City Schools-Manila headed by its superintendent Magdalena Lim, where he also vowed to support the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) program to enhance the full potential of students in Manila in the said fields of endeavor.
Having gone to school where GMRC used to be taught as a full subject, Moreno said he saw its importance and how it shaped him and his fellow youngsters at that time to become God-fearing citizens who have high respect for the elders, women, parents and even their fellow kids not only in school but also within the family, society and now, in government.
Being taught these values during a person’s formative years will eventually also instill the values of discipline and compassion for other, from where a lot of good things may spring such as good behaviour, integrity, morality, honesty, discipline, respect, patriotism, civility, responsibility and over-all good character, Moreno said.
During the meeting, Moreno was told that the implementing rules and guidelines for the said law on GMRC are yet to be formulated. Just the same, Moreno is already drumming up support for complementary measures on the part of the city government.
Moreno said the GMRC and Values Education Act was signed into law in view of the normal setup where children spend time longest in schools in which case, the parents or guardians are called upon to follow through by also teaching GMRC within the confines of the home.
However, with online classes presently in place in lieu of the face-to-face ones due to the pandemic, Moreno notes that the students are now spending more time with their parents, guardians and other family members.
As such, he is appealing to the students’ constant companions at home to do their share in inculcating the values of GMRC among the students.
“We have to empower our youth for them to become responsible citizens and future leaders of the country,” Moreno stressed.
The law mandates the integration of GMRC into daily activities at the kindergarten level. It will be taught as a separate subject from Grades 1 to 6 while students from Grades 7 to 10 will be taught Values Education into which GMRC will be incorporated. Values Education will be integrated into all subjects under the K-12 curriculum for those in Grades 11 and 12.
