DepEd: Teachers, learners 'receptive' to

MATATAG Curriculum
By Wilnard Bacelonia

September 26, 2023, 11:43 am

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REFORM. Vice President and Education Secretary Sara Duterte speaks to

learners during the inspection of free fiber optic Internet connection and
installation of smart TV at the Pinaglabanan Elementary School in San Juan
City on Dec. 13, 2022. The Department of Education announced that the first
day of the pilot implementation of the MATATAG K to 10 Curriculum on
Monday (Sept. 25, 2023) was positively met. (PNA file photo by Joey O. Razon)

MANILA – The Department of Education has announced that the first day of
the pilot implementation of the MATATAG K to 10 Curriculum was positively
met.

DepEd spokesperson Undersecretary Michael Poa, in a message to reporters

Monday night, said learners and teachers were receptive to the new
curriculum.

"The participating regions reported that teachers were adequately prepared

for the pilot implementation, due to capacity building activities and
orientation sessions on the new curriculum conducted prior to the first day of
implementation," Poa told reporters in a Viber message.

He also clarified that the class program designs of the MATATAG K to 10

Curriculum are still undergoing further adjustments in some schools "to
address the changes in time allotments of particular learning areas."

"This period of adjustment is expected – as the very purpose of the pilot

implementation is to monitor and determine areas that may need to be
improved or enhancements that may be put in place in preparation for the
nationwide phased-implementation of the MATATAG Curriculum come SY
2024-2025," Poa added.

Officially launched last month, the MATATAG Curriculum is expected to

decongest the present K to 12 Curriculum by reducing the number of
competencies and focusing more on the development of foundational skills,
such as literacy, numeracy, and socio-emotional skills of kindergarten to Grade
3 learners.

The new basic education curriculum was initially implemented in 35 schools in

seven regions – Ilocos, Cagayan Valley, Central Visayas, Soccsksargen,
Cordillera Administrative Region, Caraga, and the National Capital Region.

Vice President and Education Secretary Sara Z. Duterte said in an interview on

Monday that the pilot implementation of the MATATAG K to 10 Curriculum is
also in preparation for its phased implementation next year.

"Meron tayong pilot ngayong taon na ito para makita natin kung ano yung
mga problema sa implementation para sa susunod na taon sa phased
implementation natin ng MATATAG Curriculum, konti na lang yung mga
kailangan nating ayusin na gusot (We have the pilot this year to see the
problems in the implementation so that in the phased implementation of the
MATATAG Curriculum next year, we will have less problems to fix)," Duterte
said.

Beginning SY 2024-2025, the phased implementation of the MATATAG K to 10

Curriculum will be applied to Kindergarten, Grades 1, 4, and 7; to Grades 2, 5,
and 8 in SY 2025-2026; to Grades 3, 6, and 9 in SY 2026-2027; and to Grade 10
in SY 2027-2028. (PNA)
 DepEd launches MATATAG Curriculum to
address basic education woes
By Wilnard Bacelonia

August 10, 2023, 6:45 pm

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STRENGTHENING BASIC EDUCATION. Department of Education Secretary

Vice President Sara Z. Duterte leads the launch of the MATATAG Curriculum at
the Sofitel Hotel in Pasay City on Thursday (August 10, 2023). Duterte said the
revised basic education curriculum is tailored to produce competent, job-
ready, active, responsible, and patriotic citizens. (Screenshot from DepEd
YouTube livestream)

MANILA - Department of Education Secretary and Vice President Sara Z.

Duterte vowed that the current K to 12 Curriculum will be decongested by the
MATATAG Curriculum which was officially launched on Thursday at the Sofitel
Hotel in Pasay City.

In her speech, Duterte cited revisions in the new basic education curriculum
which include the reduction in the number of competencies, and more focus
on development of foundational skills such as literacy, numeracy, and socio-
emotional skills to kindergarten to Grade 3 learners.
She also cited the intensified formation of learners' values and character
development in adherence to the Good Manners and Right Conduct (GMRC)
and Values Education Act as well as the articulation to 21st Century Skills.

She said among the features of the MATATAG Curriculum are the peace
competencies highlighting the promotion of non-violent actions, and
development of conflict resolution skills.

"This curriculum will be integral in DepEd's MATATAG Agenda unveiled in

January this year. DepEd's track remains to be fundamentally illuminated by
the wisdom of our slogan 'MATATAG: Bansang makabata, batang makabansa',
meaning DepEd's programs and reforms are intentionally tailored to produce
competent, job-ready, active, responsible, and patriotic citizens," Duterte said.

"MATATAG" stands for "MAke the curriculum relevant to produce job-ready,

active, and responsible citizens; TAke steps to accelerate the delivery of basic
education services and provision facilities; TAke good care of learners by
promoting learner well-being, inclusiveness learning, and positive learning
environment; and Give support for teachers to teach better."

Duterte noted that the review of the K to 12, which was started during the
time of former DepEd Secretary Leonor Briones, was an "extensive and
painstaking" process that demanded the collaboration of education
stakeholders.

"Pursuing these reforms has been marked by foresight and demonstrated

DepEd's desire to change the learning landscape of the Philippines for the
sake of the future of our learners," she said.

In her presentation, DepEd Bureau of Curriculum Development Director

Jocelyn Andaya said the review, which took them two years, was able to
decongest the curriculum by 70 percent.

Andaya said it includes developing and drafting of Shaping Papers and

Curriculum Guides, which were validated, revised, and went through a public
review before being finalized.
"After going through the revision process, we have subjected the curriculum
to a public review, which I have previously mentioned, is something novel as
this is the first time that a national curriculum was subjected to public
scrutiny," she said.

"Shaping Papers gained 96 percent public approval rate in a survey with 4,843
respondents which includes students, teachers, public/private school owners,
government agencies, private organizations, and non-government
organizations," she added.

The review, Andaya noted, was guided by the curriculum review findings,
international large-scale assessments and benchmarks, as well as the
MATATAG Education Agenda.

The Philippines adopted the K to 12 Program by virtue of Republic Act 10533

which aimed to enhance the Philippine Basic Education System by
strengthening the curriculum and increasing the number of years of basic
education from 10 years to 12 years.

Before the implementation of K to 12, the Philippines had been one of the
only three remaining countries in the world, the other two being Djibouti and
Angola, to have 10 years of basic education.

The phased implementation of K to 12 was adopted starting in School Year

(SY) 2011-2012 and was implemented in the succeeding years, where Andaya
admitted the DepEd "hit snags."

She also noted that the shifting local and global landscapes created an impact
in various sectors, including education.

The review's findings, Andaya said, include congested curriculum content,

misplaced prerequisite learning competencies, and cognitive demand
imbalance.

The DepEd announced that the MATATAG Curriculum will be implemented in

SY 2024-2025 for Kindergarten, Grades 1, 4, and 7.
In SY 2025-2026, Grades 2, 5, and 8 will be under the new curriculum with
Grades 3, 6, and 9 in SY 2026-2027. Grade 10 learners will join them on SY
2027-2028. (PNA)
 Philippines unveils new basic education curriculum
The Philippines’ Department of Education (DepEd) has launched a revised basic education
curriculum.

Labelled 'MATATAG', the curriculum will be implemented in phases, from August 2024 to
2028. DepEd’s MATATAG Agenda aims to produce competent, job-ready, active, responsible
and patriotic citizens.

The new K to 10 curriculum decongests the existing K to 12 curriculum by 70 per cent, by

reducing the number of competencies, whilst focusing on the development of 'essential elements'
from kindergarten to grade 10, including language, reading and literacy, mathematics,
makabansa (patriotism), good manners and right conduct.

Upon full implementation of the new K to 10 curriculum, Filipino and English will be introduced
later in grade 2, science in grade 3, and social studies, music, arts and physical education in
grade 4. 'Mother Tongue' and humanities will be dropped as subjects.

The new curriculum gained 96 per cent approval among 4,843 respondents, including students,
teachers, school owners, government agencies, private organisations, and non-government
organisations.

What this means for the UK sector

The launch of the new K to 10 curriculum comes soon after Senior Deputy Speaker Gloria
Macapagal-Arroyo filed a bill with the House of Representatives to revamp the K to 12 basic
education programme to a K+10+2.

While the new curriculum will not immediately impact the UK sector (implementation of the
curriculum for grade 10 will only take place in school year 2027-2028), it could positively
impact the development of students in the Philippines and raise learning outcomes, leading to a
stronger pool of post-secondary students in the future.

The review of the curricula for grades 11 and 12, which is ongoing, will hold greater
implications for the UK. We expect more details to be released in mid-2024.

A comprehensive assessment of the country’s education sector, due in 2025 courtesy of the
Second Congressional Commission on Education, will likewise be informative.

In the meantime, the DepEd has assured that the rollout of the new K to 10 programme will be in
conjunction with the continued implementation of K to 12. Barring any changes to the grade 11
and 12 curricula before 2028, the UK ENIC’s recently revised guidance that bachelor’s degrees
from the Philippines awarded from 2022 onwards are considered comparable to a UK bachelor’s,
should continue to hold.