Why study Philippine history?

            Most Filipino students nowadays find the subject Philippine history boring. I have taught history in  the primary,intermediate and secondary level and I have seen many students treat the subject as if it was nap time. One cannot blame them. Most of the time it is the teacher who makes the subject uninteresting. After teaching the subject for almost 5 years, I realize that history should be enjoyed by everyone. The common mistake of a history teacher is that he/she thinks that he is the source of all knowledge. I must admit that this was my thinking before. I would spend most of my time facing and reading my powerpoint presentation in a monotonous tone. After a 50 minute lecture, I would then give them quizzes to see if they understood what I said. These quizzes would contain facts that I have mentioned during my discussions. Most kids would get low grades simply because they failed to remember the facts that I said. During my first year of teaching, most of my students got low grades. It was during this time that I had to re-evaluate my teaching methods. 

          After reflecting on my teaching methods, I realize that in order to make history interesting to my kids, I have to answer one important question. Why study Philippine history? In order to know the answer I have to put myself in the shoes of my students. Hmmmm. If I were the student, what is its relevance to me. After careful reflection I was able to come up with an answer. I should learn about history because it is the story of my people. If I am to understand the present then I must understand the past. I realize that there are many problems in Philippine history that keep on surfacing. It is as if we never learn from our mistakes. One of these problems is the problem of corruption. Corruption is  not just a modern day problem. It has been a problem for centuries and still it is still present up until now. Corruption became a problem during the Spanish period when some friars misused Church funds for their own benefit. Another problem is the moro problem in Mindanao. For years, the brave Moros have fought all the invaders and have remained independent.Then after the Philippines gained its independence, they were suddenly part of the Philippine government. That is why some Moros still fight up until today, believing that Mindanao belongs to them.  Learning about patterns and movements in history weill help us understand the present. 

  

                  Another reason why we should learn Philippine history is that, history is a story. Like in any other story, it is filled with action, danger,triumphs and defeats. In order to win over the hearts of your students, a teacher must teach History as if he was a story teller. Lastly, We should study Philippine history because of the many values that we can derive from it. Values and traits which were exemplified by the many heroes that fought for our independence. Traits such as bravery like like the one displayed by Gregorio Del Pilar in Tirad Pass. Leadership like the one shown by Emilio Aguinaldo. As one studies Philippine history, he will be able to develop a close relationship with it. It is the responsibility of Filipino to learn about,teach and appreciate history. Read a book,watch a documentary,go to museums and historical landmarks. History is all around us, we only have to open our minds and heart to it.