Good Manners and Right Conduct (GMRC) Curriculum signed into law and reintroduced in the K-12 Curriculum in 2021
Good Manners and Right Conduct (GMRC) was first introduced in June 1991 to high school students. Loosely implemented, Party List Representative Bong Belaro pushed to make it into a school subject in 2017. It gained traction and was signed into law by President Duterte in 2020.
DepEd downplayed GMRC in 2013
DepEd Mona Valisno realized the threat of children being exposed to the internet and gadgets. However, despite lawmakers’ push, GMRC was scrapped as an independent subject during the K12 transition. Instead, it was integrated with Social Studies in 2013.
In 2017, Party-list Representative Bong Belaro proposed to revive GMRC as an independent subject through House Bill No. 6705 (Act to Revive Good Manners and Right Conduct).
Disintegrating morals through popular media
For decades, the moral values of Filipinos have been threatened by “bomba movies” that began in the 1970s. But when internet access erupted in the 2000s, the number of young Filipinos exposed to porn, cussing, and hedonism that leads to sin and depression naturally increased.
Politicians like Risa Hontiveros have pushed for LGBTQ rights through the SOGI Bill, while CBCP, PCEC, NCCP, and CCF are up and arms in pushing for righteous politics.
In 2021, the young and controversial director Darryl Yap directed a series of “soft porn” comedies. His movies Paglaki Ko Gusto Kong Maging Pornstar‘ (I want to be a pornstar when I grow up) and ‘Ikalawang Putok‘ (Second explosion) may be box office hits. But it also degrades women and promotes immoral and licentious behavior.
Philippines Senators Ejercito, Villanueva, Zubiri push DepEd to implement GMRC
Senator JV Ejercito introduced SB 1855 in June 2018, which mandates, in part, that the Department of Education should include GMRC as a separate subject in K to 12 programs.
“… which shall inculcate among our students the basic tenets of the promotion and observance of respect for oneself, others, and our elders, as well as the teaching of the values of patience, perseverance, industry, honesty, and good faith in dealing with other human beings.”
Senate Bill 860 (Comprehensive Values Education Act), penned by Senator Joel Villanueva, was introduced in August 2019. It also urged DepEd to reintroduce GMRC in the curriculum.
In February 2020, Senator Zubiri authored Senate Bill No. 310, institutionalizing GMRC. He said, “It is evident that the moral values and character formation of those teenagers have gone wrong. There are many examples in the news and on social media.“
GMRC Institutionalization signed in 2020
Finally, President Duterte signed Republic Act 11476 (An Act Institutionalizing Good Manners and Right Conduct and Values Education in K12 Curriculum, June 2020), which institutionalizes GMRC as a subject under the K-12 curriculum.
“The signing of the GMRC and Values Education Act is timely, and I want to thank the President for his swift action on this important measure,” said Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri, principal author of the SB 310.
