Vice President and Education Secretary Sara Z. Duterte expressed confidence that the Department of Education (DepEd) can overcome various challenges hampering the sector’s delivery of services.
During her remarks to education stakeholders and local government officials at the Brigada Eskwela’s national kickoff at the Imus Pilot Elementary School in Cavite, Duterte narrated the difficulties the DepEd had to overcome.
She cited the typhoon “Odette” in December 2021, the discovery of the country’s first case of monkeypox, and the magnitude 7 earthquake that struck the province of Abra and other areas of Northern Luzon.
“We continue to face the threats of the Covid-19 pandemic, along with many other unexpected challenges that hamper our daily progress for our learners — monkeypox, flood, typhoon, earthquake — all of that will come. What is important is that we have the determination to succeed in our mission,” Duterte said.
The Vice President added that the government has sent aid to earthquake-affected areas. Nonetheless, the Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Service estimated that the 451 classrooms destroyed and 706 damaged by the earthquake were worth P1.4 billion.
Meanwhile, Duterte said she visited Clarin National School of Fisheries in Bohol two weeks ago and saw the traces of the destruction of typhoon “Odette” that ravaged the island as she cited that the typhoon destroyed many schools not only in the Visayas but also in Mindanao.
Duterte underscored the devastation caused by natural disasters poses a significant challenge for the DepEd as it attempts to transition learners from distance learning to face-to-face classes.