SENSTOR Robinhood Padilla has filed a measure seeking to integrate the study of the Abrahamic religions—Judaism, Christianity, and Islam—into the Philippine history curriculum of the country’s basic education system.

Under Senate Bill No. 1301, or the proposed Abrahamic Studies and Religions Act, the Department of Education will be mandated to include lessons on the historical, cultural, and ethical contributions of these religions in history and social studies subjects beginning in Grade 3.

Padilla said the measure aims to foster understanding, respect, and critical awareness among young Filipinos regarding the interconnected histories and shared values of major world religions.

“The Philippines is home to a diverse tapestry of religious beliefs shaped by centuries of cultural exchange, colonization, and migration,” Padilla noted in the bill’s explanatory note. “It is therefore imperative to reflect this reality in the nation’s basic education system.”

The bill emphasizes that integrating Abrahamic Studies is not intended to promote any specific belief system, but rather to cultivate interfaith understanding and appreciation for religious diversity.

According to the 2020 Census of the Philippine Statistics Authority, 78.8 percent of Filipinos identify as Roman Catholic, 6.4 percent as Muslim, and 2.6 percent as members of Iglesia ni Cristo. Other major religious groups include the Seventh-day Adventist Church, Iglesia Filipina Independiente, and the United Church of Christ in the Philippines.