LAGUNA First District Representative Ma. Rene Ann Lourdes G. Matibag has filed a measure seeking to institutionalize the teaching of local history, culture, language, and arts in all public and private elementary schools across the Philippines.

House Bill No. 5466, or the Local History, Culture, Language, and Arts Education Act, aims to strengthen Filipino children’s sense of identity and pride of place by introducing them early to the heritage of their communities.

Matibag said the bill responds to growing concerns that many young Filipinos are more familiar with foreign cultures than with the history, language, and heritage of their own hometowns.

“A child who appreciates their own roots becomes an adult who values the nation’s diversity and unity,” she emphasized in her explanatory note.

Under the bill, the Department of Education (DepEd) will integrate local history and cultural instruction into the Araling Panlipunan curriculum and related subjects.

The measure also mandates cultural mapping activities in partnership with local government units, the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA), and other heritage agencies to ensure that lessons reflect authentic and accurate community heritage.

To support implementation, DepEd will coordinate with the NCCA, Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino, National Historical Commission of the Philippines, National Museum, National Library, Department of Tourism, and National Commission on Indigenous Peoples in developing localized and age-appropriate learning materials in print, audiovisual, and digital formats.

Teacher training will also be a key component, with assistance from state universities and colleges, the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), TESDA, and local cultural experts.

Local government units (LGUs) will be tasked to provide resource materials, organize student cultural immersion activities, and facilitate access to museums and heritage sites.

Funding for the program will come from DepEd’s budget, with additional support authorized from the local development funds of LGUs.