Duterte vows to fund education program amid COVID-19 pandemic

Published May 29, 2020, 9:05 AM

President Duterte vowed to scrape the bottom of the barrel to fund the blended and distant learning strategy of the Department of Education (DepEd), saying the country will be in trouble if the education of schoolchildren is stopped due to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

In his public address Thursday evening, Duterte expressed support for Education Secretary Leonor Briones’ proposal to utilize television, radio, and the Internet to keep the education of the students going despite the absence of face-to-face or residential classes to keep the youth safe from the virus.

“I’m impressed with the simplicity of the program, ma’am. And I believe that all that you have said is really feasible,” he said.

“I believe we have a very workable program and I support you,” he added.

The President told Briones to go to the other departments for additional assistance or immediately to him should the budget of the DepEd run out, saying they have to “place the premium on education” even though the government was already hard-pressed in its finances due to the pandemic.

“Should you require any help from any of the departments, feel free to communicate to them. If it’s a question of funding, I will — sought to speak, scrape the bottom — the bottom of the barrel,” Duterte said.

“Well, eh kung wala na tayong pera — ilagay na lang sa edukasyon sa mga bata (If we don’t have the money — let’s just place it for the education of the children). We will have to forgo many things along the way because of what happened,” he added.

“But education, I think, if it — if it is compromised, it should be negligible so that it should go on because the future of this country depends on the — how we educate our young people nowadays,” he continued.

Classes in basic education is set to reopen on August 24. However, Duterte said he was not keen on allowing students to go back to school unless a vaccine for COVID-19 is available.

Despite this, Presidential spokesman Harry Roque said formal learning will definitely start on August 24, and enrollment will proceed on June 1.

He said the DepEd was already preparing for the August 24 opening which was based on the assumption that the country will already be under the so-called New Normal by then.

“It means that there’s no more community quarantine enforced because for as long as there is a community quarantine, schools will remain shut,” he told ANC this week.

The New Normal is the next step when an area graduates from the modified general community quarantine (MGCQ). Metro Manila will be placed under the GCQ beginning on June 1.

Meanwhile, President Duterte asked private schools to allow the staggered payment of tuition fees. He likewise vowed to open the Land Bank of the Philippines so parents can borrow money to finance the education of their children.

SOURCE: https://news.mb.com.ph/2020/05/29/duterte-vows-to-fund-education-program-amid-covid-19-pandemic/