DAVAO CITY, Philippines — President Duterte is considering two persons to join the Presidential Commission on the Urban Poor (PCUP).
Duterte earlier fired all the commissioners of the PCUP, led by Terry Ridon, over alleged excessive travels abroad and failure to carry out their mandate.
The President is considering pushcart educator and CNN Hero of the Year awardee Efren Peñaflorida and schoolteacher and Ramon Magsaysay awardee Randy Halasan for the PCUP.
“Both are qualified to be in the PCUP,” Duterte said.
The President announced the names of Peñaflorida and Halasan during a Christmas party he hosted for members of the Davao media at the Malacañang of the South on Friday night.
Peñaflorida, a Filipino teacher and development worker based in Central Luzon, was cited by CNN International in 2009 for creating school settings in unconventional locations such as cemeteries and dumps in order to educate the street children.
In giving him the award, CNN said Peñaflorida gives Filipino youth an alternative to gang membership through education.
His Dynamic Teen Company’s 10,000 members taught basic reading and writing to 1,500 children living in the slums.
Meanwhile, Halasan was named the Ramon Magsaysay awardee for emergent leadership in 2014 for helping students in the hinterlands of Pegalungan, Davao City and their community transform their lives through quality education.
Halasan also taught the community to create sustainable livelihood while respecting their uniqueness as indigenous peoples and preserving their integrity.
Duterte directed his special assistant Christopher Go to look after the needs of Peñaflorida and Halasan like barong when they discharge their functions as PCUP commissioners.
Meanwhile, presidential spokesman Harry Roque said the President wants somebody from the poor and marginalized sector to head the PCUP.
He said Duterte wants someone who could help solve the problems of the poor and activate pro-poor programs.
“Nothing is certain at this point. Everything has to go through a process. The parties need to discuss and thresh out expectations of the job and the position,” he said.
Duterte said he is still scouting for other qualified men and women to fill the vacancies at the PCUP. – With Christina Mendez