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Sunday, June 26, 2005
NegOr legislators support California's legislature
By Edmund Sestoso
NEGROS Oriental Board Members joined hands with their counterparts in Leyte province in the passage of a bill in the California legislature in the United States of America encouraging school districts in the state to include instruction on the role of the Filipinos in the last World War II as part of their social studies curriculum.
The Assembly Bill Number 15 of the California legislature is currently pending approval before the two houses.
Under the said bill, it allows teachers to use not only instructional materials such as textbooks, but oral and video archives as well. Unfortunately, the same bill was vetoed by the state governor.
In the governor's message, he stated that he would like to stay away from "prescribing too much of the details of the school curriculum on the role and gallantry and heroism of Filipinos in World War II.
However, the bill clearly states that it is not mandated and only provides the option for them to include curriculum on the role of the Filipinos.
Currently under the existing law in California, provides instruction in social sciences for grades 7 to 12, particularly encouraging that curriculum contain instruction on the Vietnam war, including the secret war in Laos, and the role of the Southeast Asians in that war.
To recall, according to the board members pointed out that when WWII began, the Philippines were a United States territory and the Filipinos were recognized as US nationals.
Vice Governor Jose Petit Baldado pointed out that there were approximately 142,000 Filipinos fought alongside with US soldiers under the American flag, fighting the enemy with as much heroism.
The vice governor however lamented that while Filipinos played an important role in WWII, but whose heroism and contribution to the American nation have been unrecognized and undocumented.
The board members in support of the approval of the bill also pointed out that future generations ought to be educated on the pivotal role Filipinos played.
(June 26, 2005 issue)
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