Department ready for VP-elect Duterte's leadership, DepEd chief says
MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Education is ready for Vice President-elect Sara Duterte to take its helm, Education Secretary Leonor Briones said in a congratulatory message.
Duterte, currently mayor of Davao City, will take her oath of office in her home city on Sunday afternoon. Her term as vice president begins on June 30.
"I look forward to turning over to you the leadership of DepEd," Briones, a former professor of public administration, said.
Briones said that she has "laid the foundations" for DepEd to address problems in the basic education system and that she is confident that Duterte's leadership of the department "will see the fruition of basic education's pivot to quality, enhanced by your new insights and innovations."
"That the department will be concurrently led by no less than the vice president speaks to the highest priorty that education will be given under the incoming administration," she also said.
Duterte, who was elected by a landslide in the May polls, had initially indicated she would like to head the defense department but accepted the offer to be education secretary instead, saying the country needs a "future generation of patriotic Filipinos that advocate peace and discipline in their respective communities."
Briones, in her message, added: "The overwhelming mandate that you received in the last election, garnering the highest number of votes for any individual national position in Philippine electoral history, is testament to the nation's trust in our vision and leadership to lead the country in the coming term alongside President-elect Ferdinand Marcos Jr."
Issues in basic education
As education chief, Duterte, currently the mayor of Davao City, is expected to deal with and address what has been called a deep-rooted and complex education crisis.
Poor teaching and learning conditions, student test scores that lag behind Southeast Asian peers and insufficient instructional facilities worsened by the coronavirus pandemic are seen among the most immediate problems to address in the sector.
Duterte, a lawyer, has a bachelor's degree in respiratory therapy from San Pedro College in Davao. She also attended San Beda University, her father's alma mater, and obtained a law degree from San Sebastian College-Recoletos in Manila.
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