QUEZON CITY - Davao City First Congressional District Representative Paolo Duterte has called for the swift passage of a measure that aims to set up a system of specialized high schools across the country focused on honing the artistic skills and talents of young Filipinos.

With the celebration of National Arts Month this February, Duterte said it is only fitting that the House act fast in passing this measure to help ensure the development of the talents of artistically gifted children who will, in the future, lead in promoting and preserving Philippine arts and culture, Duterte said.

With Benguet Rep. Eric Yap and ACT-CIS Partylist Reps. Edvic Yap and Jeffrey Soriano, the Davao City lawmaker proposed the establishment of the Philippine High School for Creative Arts (PHSCA) System under House Bill (HB) 5075.

The House Committee on Basic Education and Culture has already approved the substitute bill consolidating HB 5075 with other similar measures.

“We thank the committee for approving the measure last November and hope that Congress will pass it soon. The special programs for the arts in schools usually suffer from neglect and shrinking budgets. It’s about time that we recognize the importance of developing and sustaining a pool of artistically talented young Filipinos who will keep our culture and creative industries alive,” Duterte said.

Moreover, “learning about the arts can help students understand the diversity and complexities of different cultures and societies,” the bill’s authors added.

“Given that culture and the arts are essential to the holistic development of society, it is imperative to work towards more inclusive opportunities for children to engage in the creative arts, for such measures will provide the foundation for their success in the future,” they added.

Duterte said the committee-approved measure will not establish new high schools but will instead set up a creative arts system by finetuning the curriculum of the arts and design special programs in existing schools supervised by the Department of Education (DepEd).

The substitute measure incorporates HB 5075’s provision on offering scholarships to deserving students with considerable potential in the fields of the performing arts, creative writing, visual arts and applied arts.

Under the substitute bill, the DepEd will craft the curriculum that will deal with functional literacy. The curriculum on arts and design will be drawn up by the National Commission on Culture and the Arts (NCCA), in coordination with other cultural agencies.

National artists and experts in the various fields of the creative arts who have taken the non-Licensure Examination for Teachers would be qualified to teach under the PHSCA system.

Governed by a board of trustees, the PHSCA System under the measure shall be administratively attached to the DepEd in consultation with the NCCA.