K-12 sucks. The current Philippine K-12 curriculum is inefficient for the learning process of students. Don’t you realize how slow the Philippine curriculum is compared to other countries like India, Canada, or even Australia? Ours consists of problems like implicit or misplaced learning competencies, time constraints in teaching, and inconsistencies with the executions of learnings for the students. These problems called on another rework to the current Philippine curriculum, which is now known as the MATATAG curriculum. Its launch to the public Philippine population has aroused many opinions on it. Now, I write my explicit opinion on how the MATATAG curriculum is a great rework for the betterment of the students.

To give you, the reader, a better understanding of the revised K-12 curriculum, that is the K-10 MATATAG curriculum, here’s a brief overview: it revises the curriculum of Kinder to Grade 10 under the current K-12 curriculum. A common misconception as to why it is called “K-10 MATATAG” is because they’re removing Grades 11 to 12 along with it. Actually, it chunks off part of the present K-12 curriculum as a segment to an ongoing complete revision to the K-12 curriculum. 

“We still have K to 12. We just completed first the review and revision of the MATATAG or the new curriculum for K to 10” Michael Poa, the DepEd spokesperson Undersecretary, explained (Hernando-Malipot, 2023)[1] 

I believe that this improvement of the Philippine curriculum is essential. The K-12 curriculum that we have today faces many challenges. DepEd states in their shaping paper “results of both national and international standardized assessments

reveal no improvement in the academic performance of Filipino learners” regarding the challenges that the curriculum faces[2].  Their “General Shaping Paper” goes on to explain the quality of education and its demand in the 21st century, explaining that K-12 is the main cause of this. The cause? Students are not meeting the standards of the learning competencies. Presently, the K-12 curriculum contains 11,738. If we divide this number by the number of grade levels we have including Kinder, this would get us a rough estimate of how many competencies are to be achieved per grade level. Calculations show approximately 902 competencies per grade level. If we divide this again by 8, the standard number of subjects we have at school (Math, Science, English, Filipino, Araling Panlipunan, TLE, MAPEH, ESP), we’d get this time a rough estimate of the number of learning competencies per subject. This brings us to approximately 112 learning competencies per subject.

That is quite a large amount considering that all of that must fit into a school year.

You, reader, might be wondering what a learning competency is? Take for example, learning how to use Google Sheets for TLE. That is one example of a learning competency.

Now, imagine that you have to do something like that 112 times for each subject in school. That’s quite absurd. I’m probably over exaggerating this, or maybe I’m completely wrong. However, a similar opinion is expressed as DepEd Undersecretary Gina Gonong states: “So now, if the teacher rushes to teach because there are a lot of competencies, children will not learn. So, their skills that should be developed will not be developed. So, when it comes to assessments, they will not be able to show that they can succeed in international and our national assessments”[3]

But, this is an opinion article, and my point is to at least give background and express my stand on the issue.

And the thing is, there is much more to the topic than just about the learning competencies. There is also how the curriculum is structured for each subject, how the curriculum is taught at each school and grade level, and how the curriculum is executed all throughout. All of these things appear to be done at a low level as, according to the Philippine News Agency, “The Philippines ranked 77th out of 81 countries in the recent PISA 2022,”[3] which can summarize the need to implement changes to the current curriculum.

Now, what is the K-10 MATATAG curriculum? It is the said revision to the K-12 curriculum. The name MATATAG actually corresponds to DepEd’s agenda for this curriculum revision:

MAke the curriculum relevant to produce job-ready, active, and responsible citizens

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TAke steps to accelerate the delivery of basic education services and provision facilities

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TAke good care of learners by promoting learner well-being, inclusiveness learning, and positive learning environment

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Give support for teachers to teach better[4]

One of the primary things that it changes is that it decongests the learning competencies down to 3,664. It also implements changes to subjects, such that it focuses on only the essential learning competencies, while also introducing new subjects which are Good Manners and Right Conduct (GMRC), and Makabansa. 

Comparing the K-10 MATATAG to the current K-12 by their Mathematics curriculum guides provided by DepEd, it appears that there is much more content to be studied for every grade level. Just skimming at the paper of the curriculum guide shows how much more there is compared to K-12. This probably goes the same for all subjects, so I’m not going to cover each one. But, the main point is that there’s so much more to learn for each grade level due to how the learning competencies are decongested from Kinder to Grade 10.

The comparison of the two curriculums are also shown as DepEd Undersecretary Gina Gonong states: “So now, if the teacher rushes to teach because there are a lot of competencies, children will not learn. So, their skills that should be developed will not be developed. So, when it comes to assessments, they will not be able to show that they can succeed in international and our national assessments”

I’m very optimistic about the MATATAG curriculum considering the aims and goals of DepEd on improving the quality of education in the Philippines. As Michael Poa states: “the MATATAG Curriculum, although it was not triggered by PISA, there was really a need to review our curriculum. Of course, we are expecting that the MATATAG Curriculum also helps improve our performance in international assessments,”[3] expressing their view on the improvement of education.

It looks very promising. Advancing the learning competencies while at the same time decongesting the amount expected for mastery of each skill seems too good to be true. Isn’t this what everyone wants? A fully-developed society of people whose skills are further enhanced for any job to be done, which is only achievable through a good education.

However, it probably is too good to be true. It isn’t uncommon knowledge that our country, the Philippines, is really poor economically. This is evident in how much the informal sector has grown compared to those that really matter for economic development. To add more salt to the wound, education is really being underpowered today. Notice the trending topics on teachers today on all social media platforms? Those videos portray the stereotype of teachers today, showing how students are taught in most public schools. Don’t you see how our public schools are built? Most public schools are built with only the bare minimum that the government allocates the budget for. Compare their facilities to American public schools. See the difference? Additionally, especially notice how private schools have better facilities than public schools. Obviously it’s a private school, but shouldn’t everyone have access to facilities that can further enhance their learning experience? Private schools aren’t cheap either, they require a hefty tuition for those who are ambitious to go to one.

Honestly, it’s a 50/50 if the MATATAG curriculum becomes a success. It always comes down to how the government executes these ambitious projects. The execution is especially critical as we’re talking about the future of the Philippines for these children who will eventually be the ones who will carry the Philippines to greater good.

As for us students, what we can do best now is to do well in our studies. Protesting and raising awareness will only do so much for little. But if we study how we are expected to, then we become proof that the curriculum actually works.

But, I’m still glad that DepEd is making their moves to show that they’ve noticed what should be focused on. Let’s hope that this new curriculum goes as expected for the sake of saving our nation, the Philippines.

Patriarchy, one of the biggest problems that women face in our society. Us women are often perceived as having inferior potency than men in, well, everything. People won't give you any chance to live up to their expectations of you, but if you do, you'll immediately encounter criticism. It's said that you have to stand up for yourself, and at what cost?

I've noticed that whenever I establish my authority as a female student leader, others tend to consider me to be overly "bossy" or they’ll disregard what I’m saying and turn it into a joke instead. I can already expect to hear remarks like "You are overly emotional," "You're just exaggerating," and "Why can't you take a joke?" when I react to anything that was recently said about myself. Why do women encounter devaluation as soon as they pursue leadership roles? Knowing that people are unfamiliar with women establishing more profound positions. Is it really crucial for society to treat us so unfairly, purely because they refuse to believe women are capable of succeeding as much as others?

As a woman, I have to deal with more than just this. When I speak up for myself, people accuse me of being too self-centered. I don’t like to wear heels? It means I am less of a girl. I prefer the color blue? That’s an indication that I am masculine.  Most people think that women are supposed to take care of the household and obey whatever orders are given by men. People tell me to be more polite, but how exactly? When some get taken advantage of merely because it is expected of us to behave quietly along with decency.

On social media and in everyday life, I often stumble across statements from women that always start with, "I don't understand why males have such big egos." Knowing that it was stated that a man with a large ego considers himself to be far more sophisticated than a woman. I highly stand with this argument. Men typically proclaim that they are always more competent than us, yet whenever we succeed in beating them, they presume that we have somehow done some sort of illicit activity. Presumably, the primary cause why guys think so highly of themselves and frequently discriminate against women is due to the fact their ego is sometimes the sole basis of their confidence. When a woman criticizes them, they frequently get defensive due to the fact that they assume they're in a position of power to judge every single work that the women around them do. As soon as a woman establishes leadership in a group, you can hear guys muttering behind her back. Some of them even start spreading deception about them out of fear that her abilities are capable of surpassing them. The point that I make is that, though men are praised for taking on women's labor, women who begin to carry out what men do suffer a lot of condemnation.

Women are often labeled as "rude" the moment they speak for themselves. Given that society limits a woman's opportunities to succeed, some of them are amongst the most accomplished individuals in the world. Their achievements in arts, science, politics, and the music industry have shown their capacity for success. It is important that we honor and recognize the accomplishments and struggles made by women throughout history. It's extremely upsetting given that women are not adequately represented in leadership positions or high-level professions even though they are capable of working just as tough as men, but they usually get less appreciation and respect for their efforts.

What our backgrounds, experiences, identities, and traditions that identify us as women are unique. Nevertheless, every woman has the capability of advocating for herself alongside others. For me, being a woman is both a difficult and wonderful thing. Despite the double standards, hypocrisies, and misogyny. You are going to be assured that other women will hear your stories, take action, express support, and help contribute to the creation of a society with greater justice. 

Remember the fact that there are various other women here going through identical obstacles as yours. Therefore, in honor of Women's History Month, let us commemorate the past, reflect on our progress, and celebrate the wide variety of experiences that women have had throughout their lives. Towards a better future in which women are valued, honored, and empowered worldwide. As women, let's take an unequivocal stand for each other, with each other hand in hand!

As our environment continues to change after the pandemic, students of APEC Schools were given different opportunities to choose their learning modality. Their decision is often prompted the question, “Why move from homeschooling to blended?” My answer is merely about getting ready for something outside our comfort zones and the interactions homeschooling may not always provide.

Homeschooling is a perfect opportunity for individuals to learn at their own pace, improving their flexibility and time-management skills. It tests homeschoolers’ independence, self-motivation, and discipline. The convenience of working in familiar, comfortable surroundings was something to cherish for a long time, as well as the supportive subject matter experts and relationships built online with people from a distance, making me fond of the idea of meeting them. 

However, homeschooling has its shortcomings when it comes to its interaction. Some classmates would seem to be out of reach — and it was almost too painful to think about the distance. The idea of waking up to rush to school, wearing a uniform, chatting with classmates in real life, and getting a school allowance were some things we might only experience in blended learning. This led me to the decision to transition from homeschooling to blended learning.

Based on personal experience (moving from APEC SmartClass to Agile), adjusting and adapting to a new learning mode is challenging. The decision was final, I sacrificed my comfort zone and left to experience something new. I was approaching a more strict environment where being on time, following schedules, and adapting to the workings of classroom interactions were expected. 

Despite the challenges, it was worth it to see and get to know classmates and learning facilitators in real life. The laughter from each interaction, jokes, and collaboration outweighs the struggles we face in this learning modality. Most importantly, we hone skills essential in this fast-paced world, preparing us students for traditional higher education learning. Being able to be a part of these learning modalities helps build our development and self-growth. 

Experiencing homeschooling was something to always treasure and the lessons learned there from the advanced use of technology to the basic skills needed in real life will always be applied and useful in this different learning mode. The unparalleled interactions of blended learning, in my opinion, are the essence of this preference. Blended learning allowed us, students, to adapt to our world through interactions of our shared experiences and knowledge. 

In conclusion, the decision to step out into something unfamiliar, blended learning, was a significant change filling our lives with interactions that can’t be matched by other learning modalities. When homeschooling teaches us to work at our own pace, blended learning teaches us to keep up in this fast-paced environment. We experience challenges that are made worth it by these interactions. The range of class interactions, the shared experiences in collaborations, and the structured environment helped us grow, adapt, and be open efficiently.