ILOILO City — Amid growing concerns over youth behavior and school safety, the Department of Education (DepEd) in Western Visayas is reinforcing values formation as a core component of the K to 12 curriculum, underscoring a renewed drive to strengthen students’ moral foundation, discipline, and emotional well-being.
The initiative, implemented under Republic Act 11476 or the Good Manners and Right Conduct (GMRC) and Values Education Act, restores GMRC as a standalone subject for Grades 1 to 6 and Values Education for Grades 7 to 10, replacing portions of the former Edukasyon sa Pagpapakatao (EsP) curriculum to place greater emphasis on character formation.
“Previously known as ‘Edukasyon sa Pagpapakatao (ESP),’ the return of GMRC emphasizes our belief that instilling strong moral values is essential for our learners’ character development,” said Donald Genine, chief education supervisor of the Curriculum and Learning Management Division (CLMD) of DepEd Region 6.
“GMRC isn’t just a subject; it’s a vital framework that we’re integrating across all levels of education, ensuring that specific values enhance every learning area,” he added.
Kindergarten to Grade 3 pupils attend GMRC classes from Tuesday to Friday, with Mondays reserved for Homeroom and Guidance sessions that focus on students’ emotional and academic readiness. Grades 4 to 6 follow a similar schedule, while Grades 7 to 10 regularly attend Values Education classes.
GMRC concepts also remain integrated into Grades 11 and 12.
The curriculum requires schools to teach values through practical activities such as role-playing, community immersion, experiential learning, and parent-assisted collaborative activities. It aims to instill respect for human dignity, self-respect, discipline, honesty, sincerity, obedience, concern for others, love of country, and responsible decision-making among learners.
DepEd-6 director Dr. Cristito Eco stressed that parents remain indispensable partners in nurturing children’s emotional and moral development.
“When parents actively participate in their child’s life, it nurtures a culture of trust and reassurance,” Eco said.
“Students should know they always have caring adults willing to listen and assist them,” he added.
To further strengthen school safety, DepEd is also encouraging students, parents, and communities to immediately report incidents or potential threats, promoting a culture of vigilance to help ensure a secure learning environment for all learners./PN
