BACOLOD CITY Rep. Greg Gasataya pushed for the integration of local history in the teaching of Philippine History or Social Science in elementary and high school.

He filed House Bill 2693 or the proposed Local History Act which seeks to make the teaching of local history mandatory.

Gasataya said that history helps fortify a nation.

“To stimulate the interest of the students and for them to develop a more profound sympathy to our country and their respective communities, it is but a strategic move to incorporate primary and local sources into classroom discussions,” he said in his explanatory note.

“While Philippine history in its national scope and coverage is being taught in our schools, we cannot also discount the fact that localities are also rich in their respective historical experiences which are equally important to be widely introduced and oriented to the constituents in the locality,” Gasataya added.

The lawmaker said that the State must foster the preservation, enrichment and dynamic evolution of Filipino culture.

“Government shall endeavor to impress upon the minds of Filipino children the rich cultural and historical heritage of their own native place to allow them to appreciate the legacy and origin of their ancestors,” he said.

House Bill 2693 aims to assimilate national foundations under the same national pride and prestige.

Gasataya further said that teaching local history will enable students to understand the present and to empower them to face the future.