DepEd, NCCA create arts and culture education program

The Department of Education and the National Commission for the Culture and the Arts (NCCA) have agreed to formulate and implement programs to mainstream arts and culture in the Philippine basic education system. The memorandum of agreement signed by the two agencies is in line with the proposed upgrading of the curriculum under the K to 12 Basic Education Program that seeks to enhance the special education program for the arts. “This means that we are recognizing the arts as one of the innate talents of Filipinos and can be a source of steady livelihood for our people when properly nurtured in the schools” said Education Secretary Br. Armin A. Luistro FSC. As stipulated in the agreement, DepEd and the NCCA will collaborate to conduct cultural education programs that also include teacher training on the aspect of art and culture and the development of training modules and instructional materials. The NCCA is mandated to ensure the widest dissemination of artistic and cultural treasures across the Filipino society here and abroad. It will work closely with DepEd to develop an intensified arts and culture education program in public and private schools and ensure the continuous training of cultural workers and administrators. “Part of our mandate at DepEd is to make schools the most important venue for the teaching and learning of culture and the arts and further enhance our love of country and pride in our rich heritage,” added Luistro.