THE Department of Education (DepEd) clarified a few-year-old news report recirculating online, which claims that Araling Panlipunan (AP) and Mapeh are being merged into a single subject called "Sikap."
In a statement posted on its official social media accounts, DepEd said the claim traces back to an April 2023 PTV News report and does not reflect the department's current policy.
Under the revised K to 10 Matatag Curriculum, DepEd said "Makabansa" is a distinct, foundational learning area taught during Key Stage 1, covering Grades 1 to 3. It is not a combination of AP and Mapeh, the department clarified, but a transdisciplinary subject designed to build young learners' self-awareness, cultural appreciation, and civic understanding.
Starting Grade 4, AP and Mapeh — Music, Arts, Physical Education, and Health — continue to be taught as separate subjects, DepEd said.
The claim isn't entirely made up, as it traces back to a 2023 DepEd curriculum draft that floated merging AP and Mapeh into "SIKAP."
Teachers' group Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) pushed back at the time, warning it would eat into instructional time for both subjects. That version never made it into the Matatag Curriculum DepEd rolled out starting SY 2024-2025.
Matatag is being implemented in phases, according to DepEd's own rollout schedule. Kindergarten, Grade 1, Grade 4, and Grade 7 shifted to the new curriculum in SY 2024-2025; Grades 2, 5, and 8 followed this school year; and Grades 3, 6, and 9 are set to transition in SY 2026-2027, with Grade 10 completing the rollout in SY 2027-2028.
DepEd urged the public to check the context and release dates of content before sharing it online, noting that the recirculated report has no basis in the department's present curriculum. GRS
