CAGAYAN DE ORO 1st District Rep. Lordan Suan has filed a measure providing for the inclusion in the secondary education curricula of the lives and heroism of comfort women during the Japanese Occupation of the Philippines.

Suan’s House Bill 10454 or the proposed Comfort Women Education Act aims to provide a platform for amplifying marginalized voices, challenging historical revisionism, and promoting social justice and reconciliation.

The solon said the inclusion of comfort women’s stories in the secondary education curriculum not only honors their courage and sacrifices but also contributes to preserving historical truth and collective memory.

“By educating students about this dark chapter in our history, we strive to build a more compassionate and empathetic society, committed to upholding the dignity and rights of all individuals, regardless of gender or nationality,” Suan said in his explanatory note.

The solon cited that rough estimations indicate that approximately 1,000 Filipino comfort women were subjected to sexual slavery by the Japanese military during World War II.

“Sadly, due to the trauma and social stigma associated with their experiences, many survivors opted to remain silent,” Suan explained.

As a result, he said, there is no precise count of the remaining survivors, although some advocacy groups speculate that the number could be as low as 10.