DepEd set to implement curriculum covering WPS issues

By Ernie Delgado

LEGAZPI CITY --- Beginning next year, elementary school students will study the West Philippine Sea (WPS) as part of a curriculum initiative by the National Task Force for the WPS and the Department of Education (DepEd), to counter China’s disinformation on its unfounded territorial claims in the South China Sea.

“Right now, we are formulating the curriculum adjustment for the Grades 4, 6 and 10 that would already include the West Philippine Sea as part of their curriculum,” Commodore Jay Tarriela, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) spokesperson for the WPS, said during a press conference in Camarines Sur on September 3.

“Even at a young age, they would know about the West Philippine Sea and understand its significance for future generations,” he added.

Tarriela said a comic book produced by the NTF-WPS and titled “The Stories of Teacher Jun” will be used in schools.

While holding a copy of the book, Tarriela stated, “This comic book is now an official reference for the DepEd in educating our youth in Grades 4, 6, and 10 as part of their curriculum next year.”

Unveiled last January at the National Library of the Philippines, the 40-page comic book features caricatures of a Filipino teacher and his young students discussing the intricate territorial dispute in simple terms, emphasizing the Philippine position.

“The University of the Philippines, the Department of Justice, the Department of Foreign Affairs, the National Security Council, (Former Supreme Court Senior Associate) Justice Antonio Carpio, and Attorney (Jay) Batongbakal collaborated with the NTF-WPS to come up with the comic book,” he said.

WPS refers to the maritime areas located on the western side of the Philippines.

This includes the Luzon Sea and the surrounding waters of the Kalayaan Island Group and Bajo de Masinloc, with some areas occupied by China.

China’s intrusions align with its illegal assertion of sovereignty over nearly the entire South China Sea, including most of the WPS.

In 2016, an international arbitration panel rejected China’s broad claims, but Beijing continues to disregard this ruling, which was grounded in the 1982 U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea.

Chinese officials, along with state-sponsored media and individuals, have been spreading distorted narratives to discredit Philippine initiatives and justify their unlawful claims.

Tarriela said he does not believe that China’s illegal occupation of parts of the WPS will be resolved during President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s term.

“That is why we engage our youth today, to help them understand that the responsibility of fighting for the West Philippine Sea is one they must continue in the years to come.”

With the integration of WPS into classroom lessons, Filipino children will learn about their country’s maritime rights and entitlements, as well as China’s unlawful activities, aggressive behavior, and bullying tactics.

“We have to thank Education Secretary Sonny Angara because through him we can now institutionalize the teaching of the West Philippine Sea,” Tarriela said. (PIA Bicol/Masbate)