The House of Representatives on Tuesday approved on third and final reading the bill institutionalizing the inclusion of Good Manners and Right Conduct as a separate subject in Kinder to Grade 3 levels.
The chamber in plenary session passed the substitute bill by 225 votes.
The substitute bill consolidates several proposals filed at the House, including Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano’s HB 1.
Last November, the House Committee on Basic Education and Culture chaired by Rep. Roman Romulo of Pasig City approved the proposed “Good Manners and Right Conduct [GMRC] Act of 2019,” which provides for the inclusion of the GMRC subject, taking into account the Edukasyon sa Pagpapakatao Curriculum of the Department of Education’s K-12 program.
The bill defines GMRC as basic social values and etiquette. It pursues the State policy to develop the character of the youth by making them recognize their intrinsic human value, enabling them to cultivate their ability to make excellent choices for themselves in relation to the greater community, thereby creating a culture of respect and love for oneself, for others, and the country.
In the bill’s explanatory notes, Cayetano pointed out that there is a “pressing need” to strengthen the common core values and inculcate universally acceptable moral standards “in light of the changing times and the height of Internet use where the youth is exposed to all sorts of information and disinformation.”
“In the advent of social media and how it has evolved to be indispensable in our daily lives, it is important that Etiquette and Moral Uprightness is also introduced and taught for all of us to keep up with the modern era and act accordingly to a customary set of behavior,” he said.
“As the Philippines develops and [our] economy grows, it is essential that we do not forget who we are as a people, our divine purpose, and duties to our nation,” he added.