Competence is learning how to learn throughout one’s life in this changing world entails the secure attainment of functional literacy, which includes essential abilities such as linguistic fluency and scientific numerical competence. In the Philippines basic education, mastery of this essentials implies that Filipino, English, Science, and Mathematics are indispensable learning areas in the restructured curriculum. They are considered the basic tool subjects. In general, the time allotment for these subject will be increased not to burden the learners with additional dispensable content but to increased the time for task and activities to gain mastery of the basic competencies and to help the learners reflect and contextual zed content.

          Among the tool subject, the integration of English, Science and Mathematics will be emphasized through innovative and interdisciplinary modes of instructional delivery. As for the teaching of the Filipino, it will be enriched through the integration of the vocabulary, values and competencies form the social sciences.

         Even with the integration of values and life skill in Filipino, English, Science and Mathematics, however it is inevitable that these learning areas will accentuate the development of linguistic and logical mathematical intelligences. Thus there is a need for one other learning area to provide more opportunities for the learner to pursue other meaningful interest and to develop interpersonal, spatial, musical and bodily-kinesthetic intelligences.

         The fifth learning are in the restructured curriculum will be a “ laboratory of life” or a practice environment. Among the learning areas, it will be the most experiential, interactive, interdisciplinary and value-laden (cultural, aesthetic, athletic, vocational, politico-economic and moral values). It will be the learning area that will provide the Filipino learner the quality time to demonstrate practical knowledge and life skills that have been gained especially the skills of emphy, vocational efficiency and problem-solving in daily life.

           Love of country serves as the unifying principle for the diverse values in the fifth learning area, which is thus called Pagkamakabayan or Makabayan for short. Love of country, which Andres Bonifacio described as Banal na pag-ibig, serves as a high light that radiates the rainbow-like diversity of values in the learning area. As a practice environment. Makabayan will cultivate in the learner a healthy personal and national self-concept.