Senator Erwin Tulfo filed Senate Bill No. 1625, known as the “West Philippine Sea (WPS) Education Act,” which mandates the Department of Education (DepEd) and the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) to include learning topics and materials regarding the issue in the basic and higher education curricula.
“We have to stand as a unified nation in defending what is ours. A good way to do it is to capacitate Filipinos with accurate, evidence-based information. This will empower Filipino citizens to actively participate in the protection of our maritime rights,” said Tulfo.
“We have to stand as a unified nation in defending what is ours.”
Citing the recent aggression at Escoda Shoal which hurt Filipino fisherfolk, the legislator declared:
“We cannot be idle while our fellowmen guarding the WPS, especially our fisherfolk, continue to be hurt. We have to be informed about our rights and the policies that must be complied with. What’s ours is ours.”
Under the lawmaker’s measure, a comprehensive WPS Education and Awareness program will be institutionalized in both basic and higher education curricula.
It likewise directs DepEd and CHED, in coordination with the National Mapping and Resource Information Authority (NAMRIA), the National Security Council (NSC), the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), and other relevant government agencies, to develop standardized and updated learning materials on the WPS, conduct capacity-building programs for teachers, and ensure accessible digital and printed community-based learning resources.
The bill also aims to launch a nationwide information campaign and research to promote awareness of Philippine maritime rights, the protection of marine ecosystems in the WPS, and public discourse on WPS issues.
“This has to stop.”
“Despite the West Philippine Sea being a critical area, there remains limited public awareness and understanding of the WPS. This has to stop,” the senator said.
“We have legal rights over it and we have to ramp up our efforts so every Filipino will be able to defend our rights over the WPS,” he concluded.
