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Gatchalian honors Jose Rizal’s mother with ‘Nanay-Teacher’ bill

Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC) stalwart Win Gatchalian honored Teodora Alonzo, mother of national hero Jose Rizal, as he pushed for the passage of his bill institutionalizing “Nanay-Teacher” parenting program, an initiative that emphasizes parents’ roles as partners of the government in educating children.

Valenzuela City Congressman Win Gatchalian recently filed House Bill (HB) No. 5243, to be known as the “Nanay-Teacher Parenting Program Act”, which seeks to implement at least one parenting seminar per school annually.

“Rizal will not be Rizal if not for the guidance and love of his mother,” said Gatchalian, a majority member of the House committee on basic education and culture.

“Teodora Alonzo is the perfect example of a nanay-teacher,” he said.

Gatchalian, who represents Valenzuela City’s 1st Congressional District, started the “Nanay-Teacher Parenting Program” when he was still city mayor since he believes that learning begins at home and parents have a role in reinforcing their children’s education.

“Parents should be directly involved in the education of their children through encouragement, moral support, and hands-on facilitation, especially at home,” wrote Gatchalian in his bill.

“Family and school are the twin pillars of youth development. The key to developing responsible, skilled, patriotic, and morally upright children and young adults lies in ensuring effective synergy between these two essential institutions,” he said.

Under the program, parents will be oriented about “best-case practices and other information in facilitating and encouraging continuous learning at home” for them to become more effective parent-teachers.

Gatchalian said parents will also be taught about positive disciplinary methods such as dialogues.

At least one parent or guardian of each student will be required to participate in the parenting seminars. Attendance in such will also be made a requirement in the government’s Conditional Cash Transfer program and other educational assistance programs by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and other government agencies.

HB 5243 mandates the Department of Education (DepEd) and DSWD to craft the necessary curriculum for the program, which will cover all public and private schools in the country from kindergarten to grade 12.

In a 2014 report, the United Nations Organization for Education, Science and Culture (UNESCO) recognized the key role of parents in fostering improved school governance.

UNESCO said parent involvement in schools can contribute to the improvement of physical development, information management, and the teaching-learning process in schools.

As of October, Valenzuela City has signed sisterhood agreement with 54 towns and cities all over the country like Marilao in Bulacan, Angeles City in Pampanga, Sariaya in Quezon province, and Koronodal City in South Cotabato, among others.

Sisterhood agreements are made to strengthen the cooperation among LGUs through sharing of best practices and programs, such as the “Nanay-Teacher Parenting Program”.