Panitikan or Philippine Literature is the face of our identity. With younger Filipinos spending less and lesser time on reading and studying them, removing it from the General Education Curriculum (GEC) of tertiary education will tarnish our nationalism and love for our own language.

 

With the threat of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) to remove Filipino and Panitikan as core subjects in college following the implementation of K-12, the following generations will not be as appreciative and understanding of the culture we Filipinos have.

 

Despite studying Filipino from elementary to senior high school, there is still much more knowledge to be cultivated beyond the grammar lessons and stories. Some of the literature I learned from school showcase the rich culture of various ethnic groups like the Ifugao people.

 

“Makakapagpataas pa ng pagiging makabayan at makabansa natin ang pagbabasa at pag-aaral ng panitikan,” Madeline Supan, a Filipino teacher stated. Studies also show that younger generations no longer read Panitikan as much, but learning them in college may pique their interests and strengthen their sense of nationalism.

 

Literature does not simply expand one’s imagination, these stories are the foundation of our history and the various struggles Filipinos faced and surpassed together. This is particularly true in the works of Jose Rizal (Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo) that raised and challenged the issues during Spanish colonial rule.

 

Through the understanding of the truths behind our literature and boosting it as a subject, we can grasp the importance of nationalism and produce generations of Filipinos who know their identity and are proud of their own language and art.