HEADLINE 1:

GMRC Bill Sparks

Naguenian Debate
Printer’s Direction: 3-48 TNRB , 2 ds, fl, (36 u.c.)

HEADLINE 2:

President Signs GMRC

Bill – What This Means
For Naguenians
Printer’s Direction: 4-48 TNRB , 3 ds, b, (59 u.c.)

CORRECTED MATERIAL

The Naguenian conducted a survey to determine if the students of Naga City

Science High School (NCSHS) favored the addition of the proposed subject Good
Manners and Right Conduct (GMRC) to the curriculum.

According to the survey, the students expressed mixed feelings regarding the
debated topic of Republic Act 11476 or the GMRC & Values Education Act.
 17 out of 30 students supported the revival of GMRC while the rest claim that it is
unnecessary.

"Teenagers nowadays are slowly losing good manners... GMRC is needed to teach
them how to be disciplined and respectful," 11th grade Elaine Borromeo remarked.

Grade 10 student Julianne Ocampo said, "We already have the subject ESP... the
subjects are similar. Also, the addition of the GMRC subject would change the
schedules of most students and might not benefit them that much [with] more class
hours, no rest, [and more]."

Meanwhile, RA 11476 was signed into law on Thursday, June 25, 2020. Schools are
once again required to have GMRC classes.

"The signing of the GMRC and Values Education Act is really timely, and I want to
thank the President for his swift action on this important measure," said Senate Majority
Co-leader Juan Miguel Zubiri, principal author of the Senate bill.

Amid the growing clamor for the subject's revival, Agnes Dominguiano, NCSHS
guidance counselor, remarked that it is a very bad idea to treat GMRC as a separate
subject in the curriculum in order to fulfill its purpose of educating students about
values.

According to Dominguiano, bringing back GMRC can improve students' 21st century
skills involving technology and cooperation.

"In principle ay okay siya... Yung intention [kasi] is very good kasi kailangan naman
talaga," she said.

Dominguiano stated in an interview that the GMRC subject is valuable for students
but needs to be subject to further study.
 Despite its benefits, the guidance counselor called for the government to further
study the implementation of the subject regarding its implications to the similar
Edukasyon sa Pagpapakatao (ESP), its cost, and the number of teachers available.

"Ang concern ko marami. Implication with [the] ESP, hindi ba magdodoble-doble?

'Yung guro na magtuturo, mayroon ba? May badyet ba rito para sa mga guro? Kasi
kung ganoon, kukuha ka nanaman ng guro na hindi namang kaya ituro yung subject.
Sayang," Dominguiano remarked.

She urged the government to conduct further research in order to verify the
necessity of passing the bill.

While students who opposed the bill recognize the importance of values, they have
raised concerns about its necessity and the burden GMRC classes may become to
students.

All respondents who supported the bill on the other hand believe that GMRC lessons
will help students develop values that will enable them to grow up into functional
members of society with good well-being.

"GMRC is beneficial for the growth of students and preparing them for when they
face society as adults," stated news writer Daniel Isabelle Asinas.

"I hope the Department of Education can work on its Internal Rate of Return (IRR) in
time for the opening of classes on August," she added. "With many schools set on
implementing distance learning, it's going to be even more vital taht we give our
students formative guidance through GMRC and Values Education."