Congress has approved on second reading House Bill 8785 seeking to promote the Philippine indigenous or traditional writing systems and providing for their protection, preservation, and conservation.
Pangasinan Rep. Leopoldo Bataoil, the measure’s principal author, said the bill shall declare that it is the policy of the State to inculcate, propagate and preserve the cultural heritage, and treasures of the country as a means to promote patriotism among the citizenry.
To generate greater awareness of indigenous or traditional scripts of the Philippines and foster wider appreciation of their importance and beauty, the promotion of the traditional writing systems shall be recognized as part of the country’s cultural treasures and protected and promoted.
Their promotion shall be done by mandating the Department of Education and Commission on Higher Education to include the traditional writing systems in relevant subjects of the basic and higher education curricula and create an elective or specialized course in higher education about the traditional writing systems.
Activities promoting awareness of traditional writing systems during Buwan ng Wika and other similar occasions and events shall be created and supported.
The proper record-keeping of relevant documents and the preservation of oral evidence on the writing systems shall be ensured.
The bill mandates the National Commission for Culture and the Arts to be the lead agency in promulgating policy guidelines in the promotion of the writing systems.
The NCCA shall protect, preserve and conserve the writing systems as a national cultural treasure as provided in Republic Act No. 10066 or the National Cultural Heritage Act of 2009.