(Re)framing Citizenship Education in the Philippines: A Twenty-First Century Imperative

In this era of globalization when local issues have global implications and global concerns manifest locally, traditional citizenship education aimed toward national unity and consciousness is no longer relevant. Thus, for nation-states such as the Philippines, there is a growing need to incorporate a global dimension to citizenship education. In this paper, I discuss salient points in the history of the Philippines to help the reader understand the trajectories of the Filipinos as a nation. I then identify the challenges to educate Filipinos to the civic demands of the twenty-first century and consider the value of a critical approach to citizenship education in acting against the legacies of colonization, dictatorship, and neoliberalism. Finally, I explore service learning in (re)framing citizenship education in the Philippines, highlighting the importance of reciprocity and critical reflection to bring about a citizenry committed to social transformation.