HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT OF THE CURRICULUM IN THE PHILIPPINES

The curriculum and curriculum development in the Philippines were affected by several
factors: economic, religious, social, political, educational and other cultural patterns of
neighboring countries and nations that governed the Philippines for some time.

The Pre-Spanish Curriculum and Curriculum Development

Before the coming of the Spaniards, the Filipinos had a culture of their own although
primitive and at the tribal or barangay level. The Filipinos at that time were not yet united
as a nation.
The Filipinos had some contacts with some Asian nations such as China, Indochina,
Arabia, Borneo and India and they were influenced to a certain extent by the cultures of such
countries. The Filipinos had systems of writing, laws, moral standards and well organized
tribal or barangay governments each ruled by a datu.
Education during the pre-Spanish period was very informal and at the tribal or barangay
level. There was not any formal education at all either on the local or national level. There
were no organized curriculums nor curriculum developments. The chief aims of pre-Spanish
education were to ensure the procurement of food and to be secured from natural dangers
such as typhoons. floods, earthquakes and wild animals. The provision for shelter was also a
prime motive.
How did the children learn? The children learned by observation, participation,
experience, imitation and by simple telling by their parents. The daughters learned
household chores from their mothers and the boys from their fathers how to gather wild
fruits and vegetables, how to catch fish and how to use the bow and arrow and the spear for
hunting and killing wild birds and animals for food.

The Curriculum and Curriculum Development During the Spanish Period

When Spain occupied the Philippines, the Spanish authorities also sent Catholic
missionary priests with the soldiers with the aim of converting the people to Catholic
Christianity. The missionary priests were successful in converting the people under Spanish
control to Catholicism. The people were very submissive to the priests so much so that a
priest could control more people than a group of soldiers could do according to historians.
By the beginning of the 17th century, Spain's suzerainty over the Philippines had been
fairly established and lasted up to 1898, The schools organized during the Spanish regime
were parochial and convent schools set up by the Catholic clergy. The main study materials
were the caton, the cartilla and the catecismo. The method of instruction was predominantly
memorization of lots of prayers and other religions materials.
The Spanish curriculum consisted mainly of reading, writing and religion with undue
emphasis on religion, According to Modesto de Castro, author of Urbana and Felisa (1877),
the curriculum for boys and girls was aimed to (1) teach young boys and girls to serve and
love god, (2) discover what is good for one's self, and (3) enable the individual to get along
with his neighbors. (Cited by Andres and Francisco, p.17)
No school system was organized for the whole country. Nevertheless, there were some
good schools and colleges which were set up by religious orders. Some of those schools and
colleges were converted into good universities. Some of our national heroes like JoOse Rizal
studied in these colleges.
The educational contributions of the Spanish Catholic missionaries have endured up to
the present day and age. Many of the Catholic schools which they established still exist
among which are the University of San Carlos (1595), the University of Santo Tomas (1611),
the College of Sarn Juan de Letran (1630), the Ateneo de Manila University (1859), the
College of San Agustin in Iloilo (1895) and various còlleges for girls such as Santa Isabel
(1632) Santa Catalina (1696), Beatro dela Campania (1694), San Sebastian (1719), Santa
Rosa (1750), La Concordia (1869), Looba (1895), Assumption Convent School (1892), and
the College of San Agustin (1895). (Zaide 1949, p. 233)

Curriculum and Curriculum Development During the American Period

It should be remembered that our national heroes fought very hard to free the
Philippines from the control of Spain. Unfortunately, however, when the Spanish forces were
on the verge of collapse, another colonizer arrived, the United States of America. Because of
their superior arms and well trained army, the Americans were able to silence the arms of
the Filipinos in a short time. Thus, the Philippines passed from the hands of the Spaniards
into the hands of the Americans.
There was a great difference, however, in the kind of treatment received by the Filipinos
from the Spaniards from the kind of treatment they received from the Americans as far as
education was concerned.
Immediately, the Americans opened primary schools in places under their complete
control with their soldiers handling the teaching jobs. Then on January 21, 1901, the Second
Philippine Commission passed Act No. 74 which established the initial structure of the
Philippine educational system. The Act provided for the establishment of Department of
Public Instruction headed by a General Superintendent of Public Instruction. The General
Superintendent was to fix the curriculum for each for elementary and high school. He was
also to divide the country into not more than ten divisions, each division under a division
superintendent. A school was to be opened in every pueblo or town if practicable and placed
under the management of a principal.
Schooling was free but each municipality had to support its own school. The American
devised curriculum was of course heavy laden with American cultural patterns, ideals and
traditions. Most of the materials of study were American oriented possibly because we did
not have yet the necessary instructional materials based on Filipino culture and traditions,
Hence, the Filipino pupils had to sing American patriotic songs and studied the lives of great
Americans like Washington, Lincoln and others.

The primary curriculum had the following offerings: physical education, singing,
drawing dancing, English, writing, arithmetic, work education, phonetics, spelling and in the
upper grades, geography and civics were added. Science consisting the study of plan life,
physiology and sanitation was also added.
In the collegiate level, normal schools were opened to train Filipino teachers who would
replace the American teacher soldiers and the so-called Thomasites, a group of American
teachers who rode in the steamer Saint Tomas in coming to the Philippines to teach in the
first opened schools. In the American curriculum, subjects were taught separately. Group
teaching was also adopted, that is, a class composed of a group of students was handled by a
teacher. English was used as a medium of instruction in all levels because of the lack of a
common language among the Filipino people.
One notable feature of the American curriculum that differed markedly from the Spanish
curriculum was that while religion was greatly emphasized in the Spanish curriculum the
teaching of religion was prohibited in the American curriculum. This was due to the principle
of the separation between the church and the state which was and still highly cherished by
the Americans. Another important feature of the American curriculum was the teaching of
the essence of democracy. The curriculum was democracy oriented.
During the American regime, many good state schools were opened which are the
University of the Philippines, the Philippine Normal School now the Philippine Normal
University, Polytechnic College of the Philippines now the Polytechnic University of the
Philippines, and several agricultural and trade schools some of them now universities.
America had greatly advanced the education of the Filipinos.

Curriculum and Curriculum Development During the Commonwealth

During the Commonwealth regime, 1935-1946, we witnessed Some improvements in

the curriculum and curriculum development. The Filipinos who obtained training in the field
of education in the United States were applying the effective educational principles, methods
and techniques they learned in America. Another improvement was the employment of
graduates from collegiate normal schools who took the two-year post-secondary normal
course and graduated with the title "Elementary Teachers Certificate". Previously, most
elementary school teachers were graduates from secondary normal schools.
However, great drawback was caused by the passage of Commonwealth Act 586 which
reduced the elementary course from seven to only six years and the adoption of the double
single session in which the children were given only one-half day in school. The pupils who
attended school in the morning did not attend school anymore in the afternoon and those
who attended school in afternoon did not attend school anymore in tre morning. The reason
given for adopting the two school set-ups was the lack of funds. But certainly, the two
arrangements reduced the quality of the elementary school curriculum.

The Japanese Sponsored Curriculum and Curriculum Development

During the Second World War, the Japanese Imperial Forces occupied the Philippines
from 1941 to 1945. The Japanese immediately revised the curriculum by requiring the
teaching of Nippongo and all textbooks were revised removing all portions that referred to
America. Required was the teaching of the principles about East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere
which was supposed to be an economic block among East Asian nations to which the
Philippines was to become a member and Japan was supposed to be the leader.

Curriculum and Curriculum Development During the Philippine Republic, 1946-1972

Some changes in the curriculum were made when independence of the country was
granted by the United States in 1946. Two important experiments were conducted by Jose
V. Aguilar that caused some changes in the curriculum of the Philippine educational system.
The first experiment of Aguilar was on the concept of community. school in which the aim
was to improve pupil and community relations through the curriculum. The successful
implementation of the community school concept led to its recognition by the Bureau of
Public Schools in June, 1949.
Another experiment conducted by Aguilar was on the use of the vernacular in the first
two grades of the primary course. Evaluation of the experiment showed that the
experimental classes did equally well with the controlled classes and did even better in
language arts and social sciences. Presently, all public and most private schools are using.
the vernacular in the first two grades. (Andres and Francisco, pp. 19-20)
Another tendency of note in Philippine schools was the increasing use of instructional
materials that are Filipino oriented. As much as possible, books and other instructional
materials used in school were those written by Filipino authors. This was to inculcate
nationalism in the minds of the students.
Another technique of teaching nationalism was to encourage the students to patronize
Philippine made products and industries. The study of the lives of Our great men was also a
must in the schools. Our cultural heritage is also rich and it was taken up in schools. Our
cultural heritage is embodied in our native language, native dances, folk songs, customs and
traditions.
Vocational education was also given emphasis in the elementary school. This was to train
the youth in some important vocational skills, make them feel that there is dignity in labor
and make them realize that no individual, community or nation can progress without labor
especially manual labor. The six vocational areas given emphasis were agricultural
education, business education, fishery, home economics and trade and industrial education.
To give respectability to technical education, vocational schools were organized where
different kinds of crafts were taught. These vocational schools could help very much in
training young people in the middle level skills needed by the growing industrialization of
the country.

Curriculum and Curriculum Development in the New Society, 1972-1986

Pursuant to Proclamation No. 1081, dated September 21, 1972 and General Order No. 1,
dated September 22, 1972, the President of the Philippines, Ferdinand E. Marcos, issued
Presidential Decree 6-A otherwise known as the Educational Decree of 1972 with the
following goals:

(a) To achieve and maintain an accelerating rate of economic development and social
progress;
(b) To assure the maximum participation of all the people in the attainment and enjoyment
of such growth; and
(c) To strengthen national consciousness and promote desirable cultural values in a
changing world.

To achieve the above mentioned goals, it shall be the objectives of the Philippine educational
system to:
(a) Provide for a broad education that will assist each individual, in the peculiar ecology of
his own society, to (1) attain his potential as a human being, (2) enhance the range and
 quality of individual and group participation in the basic functions of society; and (3)
acquire the essential educational foundation of his development into a productive and
versatile citizen;
(b) Train the nation's manpower in the middle level skills required for national
development;
(c) Develop the high level professions that will provide leadership for -the nation, advance
knowledge through research, and apply knowledge for improving the quality of human
life; and
(d) Respond effectively to changing needs and conditions of the nation through a system of
educational planning and evaluation.

In order to lay the foundation and to advance the attainment of the objectives, a
ten-year national development program was formulated based on the following principles:

(a) Improvement of curricular programs and quality of instruction of at levels by way of

upgrading physical facilities, adoption of cost Saving instructional technology, and
training and retraining of teachers and administrators;
(b) Upgrading of academic standards through accreditation schemes, admission testing and
guidance and counseling
(c) Democratization of access to educational opportunities through the provision of financial
assistance to deserving students, skills training programs for out-of-school youth and
continuous education program for the non-literate adults;
(d) Restructuring of higher education to become responsive to national development needs
through a planned system of incentives and assistance to both public and private
colleges and universities and synchronization of curricular programs, staffing patterns
and institutional development activities;
(e) Expansion of existing programs and establishment of new ones designed to train middle
level technical and agricultural manpower; and
(f) Instituting reforms in the educational financing system to facilitate the shift of funding
responsibility for elementary and secondary education from the national to the local
government, thereby increasing government participation in higher education.

Educational Development Projects. The above stated objective shall be attained through
the undertaking of the following educational development projects:

(a) Management study of the Department of Education and Culture and institution of
administrative improvement therein;
(b) Establishment and/or operation of improvement of secondary schools which may
include provision for extension services, facilities and equipment to allow the use of
expanded and improved curriculum;
(c) Establishment and /or operation, upgrading or improvement of technical institutes,
skills training centers, and other non-formal training programs and projects for the out-
of-school youth and the unemployed in collaboration with the programs of the National
Manpower and Youth Council;
(d) Curriculum and staff development including mathematics and science teaching
(e) Expansion of agricultural secondary and higher education programs of extension
activities which may include radio broadcasting and rural training services and the
provision of facilities therefore including seed capital and revolving funds.
(f) Design, utilization and improvement of instructional technology and
development/production of textbooks and other instructional materials; and
(g) Assistance and incentives, including loans and grants, toward the planned development
and improvements of programs and facilities in, both public and private universities,
colleges and schools.

Among the curricular reforms were the teaching of land reform and taxation,
cooperatives, family planning, the teaching of the Constitution as a mandatory subject in
college and mandatory textbooks written by Filipinos.
The thrust of the New Society curriculum was redirection of education towards what was
relevant to national development. There were certain actions taken to Improve the collegiate
curriculum for this purpose such as the opening of ten manpower training centers, three
technical institutes, two agricultural universities, one at Musuan, Bukidnon and another in
Muñoz, Nueva Ecija, upgrading of 100 agricultural schools, improvement of the science
education center at the University of the Philippines, and four regional science teacher
education centers, one in Laoag for Northern Luzon, one at Central Luzon Teachers College,
one in the Western Visayas and one at the, Zamboanga State College. (Andres and Francisco,
p. 27)

Voluntary Accreditation and College Entrance Examination. There were two

important steps taken in improving education: (1) voluntary accreditation and (2) college
entrance examination. In voluntary accreditation, an authorized accreditation agency
inspects and evaluates the educational activities of the school which volunteers to be
accredited. Among the aspects considered are qualifications of faculty, adequacy of
instructional materials, measurement of classrooms and campus, quality of instruction
(classes are observed), administration and school climate (faculty members are observed)
administration and school climate (faculty members are consulted in a meeting) and some
other minor things. An accredited program is given very much less government supervision.
The implementation of the college entrance examination started during the school year
1974-1975. According to Presidential Decree No. 146, all secondary school graduates
aspiring to take academic or professional courses requiring four years to finish shall first
pass a national college entrance examination popularly known as the NCEE, The purpose
was to exclude all those students who could not really tackle college work.

Ownership of Private Schools. Another important step taken by the New Society was
the issuance of Presidential Decree No. 176 concerning the ownership and management of
schools. The decree provided among others that:

(1) All schools, colleges and universities shall be owned solely by Filipinos or
corporations whose capital is sixty percent (60%) owned by Filipinos.
(2) All schools, colleges and universities shall be managed by Filipinos.
(3) All schools shall offer curriculums like those offered by schools fully owned by
Filipinos or those approved by the Department of Education and Culture.
 (4) No school shall enroll aliens whose number exceeds one-third of the total enrolment.
(5) Schools not owned by Filipinos are given up to the beginning of the school year 1976-
1977 to comply with requirements of ownership.

However, schools owned or to be established by religious orders, mission boards and

charitable organizations were exempted from the ownership requirement. Regulation of
Tuition Fee Increase. On November 12, 1974, Presidential Decree No. 451 was issued to
regulate the increase in tuition fee. The decree mandated among other things that;

(1) No increase in tuition fee shall exceed fifteen percent of the current school s of the school
applying for the increase
(2) Sixty percent of the increase shall go to salary increases of faculty and faculty
development
(3) Twenty-eight percent shall be used to improve the instructional facilities of the school
especially library facilities; and
(4) Twelve percent of the increase shall be for return on investment.

Presidential Decree No. 451 prevented the schools from unduly increasing their school
fees, boosted the morale of the teachers, improved the facilities of the schools to a certain
extent. and gave a fair satisfaction to the students and their parents, thus fairly increasing
the efficiency of the curriculum and curriculum development.

The Curriculum and Curriculum Development Under the 1987 Constitution

Article XIV of the 1987 Constitution gives a complete description of the current
curriculum. Following are the provisions of the 1987 Constitution concerning the current
curriculum and educational set up:

Section 1. The State shall protect and promote the right of all citizens to quality education
at all levels and shall take appropriate steps to make such education accessible to all.

Section 2. The state shall:

(1) Establish, maintain and support a complete, adequate, and integrated system of
education relevant to the needs of the people and society;
(2) Establish and maintain a system of free public education in the elementary and high
school levels. Without limiting the natural rights of the parents to rear their children,
elementary education is compulsory for all children of school age;
(3) Establish a system of scholarship grants, student loan programs, subsidies, and other
incentives which shall be available to deserving students in both public and private
schools, especially to the underprivileged;
(4) Encourage non-formal, informal, and indigenous learning systems, as well as self-
learning, independent, and out-of-school study programs particularly those that
respond to community needs; and
(5) Provide adult citizens, the disabled, and out-of-school youth with training in civics,
vocational efficiency, and other skills.
Section 3.

(1) All educational institutions shall include the study of the Constitution as part of the
curricula.
(2) They shall inculcate patriotism and nationalism, foster love of humanity, respect for
human rights, appreciation of the role of national heroes in the historical development
of the country, teach the duties and rights of citizenship, strengthen ethical and spiritual
values, develop moral character and personal discipline, encourage critical and creative
thinking, broaden scientific and technological knowledge, and promote vocational
efficiency.
(3) At the option expressed in writing by the parents or guardians, religion shall be taught to
their children or wards in public elementary and high schools within the regular class
hours by instructors designated or approved by the religious authorities of the religion
to which the children or wards belong, without additional cost to the Government.

Section 4.

(1) The State recognizes the complementary roles of public and private institutions in the
educational system and shall exercise reasonable supervision and regulation of all
educational institutions.
(2) Educational institutions, other than those established by religious groups and mission
boards, shall be owned solely by citizens of the Philippines or corporations at least sixty
percent of the capital of which is owned by such citizens. The Congress may, however,
require increased Filipino equity participation in all educational institutions.

The control and administration of educational institutions shall be vested in citizens of

the Philippines.
No educational institution shall be established exclusively for aliens (foreigners) and no
group of aliens shall comprise one-third of the enrollment in any school. The Provisions of
this subsection shall not apply to schools established for foreign diplomatic personnel and
their dependents and, unless otherwise provided by' law, for other foreign temporary
residents.

(3) All revenues and assets of non-stock, non-profit educational institutions used actually,
directly, and exclusively for educational purposes shall be exempt from taxes and duties.
Upon the dissolution or cessation of the corporate existence of such institutions, their
assets shall be disposed of in the manner provided by law. Propriety educational
institutional, including those cooperatively owned, may likewise be entitled to such
exemptions subject to the limitations provided by law including restrictions on
dividends and provisions for reinvestment.

(4) Subject to conditions prescribed by law, all grants, endowments, donations, or

contributions used actually, directly, and exclusively for educational purposes shall be
exempt from tax.
Section 5.

(1) The State shall take into account regional and sectoral needs and conditions and shall
encourage local planning in the development of educational policies and programs.
(2) Academic freedom shall be enjoyed in all institutions of higher learning.
(3) Every citizen has a right to select a profession or course of study, subject to fair,
reasonable and equitable admission academic requirements.
(4) The State shall enhance the right of teachers to professional advancement. Non-teaching
academic and non-academic personnel shall enjoy the protection of the State.
(5) The State shall assign the highest budgetary priority to education and ensure that
teaching will attract and retain its rightful share of the best available talents through
adequate remuneration and other means of job satisfaction and fulfillment.

Reference: Calderon, J. F. (2004). Curriculum and Curriculum Development. Manila:

Educational Publishing House.