THE House committee on basic education and culture has approved a measure which aims to set up a system of specialized high schools across the country focused on honing the artistic skills and talents of young Filipinos.
The substitute bill does not seek to establish new high schools but will instead set up a creative arts system by fine-tuning the curriculum of the arts and design special programs in existing schools supervised by the Department of Education (DepEd).
Davao City Rep. Paolo Duterte, the principal author of House Bill No. 5075, proposed the establishment of the Philippine High School for Creative Arts (PHSCA) System under House Bill (HB) 5075.
With the celebration of National Arts Month this month, Duterte said it is only fitting that the House acts fast in passing the measure “to help ensure the development of the talents of artistically gifted children who will, in the future, lead in promoting and preserving Philippine arts and culture.”
“The special programs for the arts in schools usually suffer from neglect and shrinking budgets. It’s about time that we recognize the importance of developing and sustaining a pool of artistically talented young Filipinos who will keep our culture and creative industries alive,” he said.
Moreover, the bill said “learning about the arts can help students understand the diversity and complexities of different cultures and societies.
“Given that culture and the arts are essential to the holistic development of society, it is imperative to work towards more inclusive opportunities for children to engage in the creative arts, for such measures will provide the foundation for their success in the future,” it said.
The substitute version of the bill incorporates HB 5075’s provision on offering scholarships to deserving students with considerable potential in the fields of the performing arts, creative writing, visual arts and applied arts.
Under the substitute bill, the DepEd will craft the curriculum that will deal with functional literacy. The curriculum on arts and design will be drawn up by the National Commission on Culture and the Arts (NCCA), in coordination with other cultural agencies.
National artists and experts in various fields of the creative arts who have taken the non-Licensure Examination for Teachers would be qualified to teach under the PHSCA system.
