KORONADAL CITY, South Cotabato — Vice President Sara Duterte on Tuesday said the key to sustain progress in the community is to protect peace and ensure education among future leaders.

Duterte was guest of honor in this city’s 83rd founding anniversary and 23rd Hinugyaw Festival.

Duterte, who described Koronadal as “the melting pot of cultures in southern Mindanao,” also acknowledged the city for its growth in pursuit of building a better community for its people.

“It has gone a long way and is now a thriving hub that has earned its place as the 3rd Most Resilient Component City during the recognition of the Cities and Municipalities Competitiveness Index last year,” she said.

But the Vice President said development comes with hurdles, and that “we cannot overlook the challenges that may blight our path to progress.”

“One of them is terrorism and the continued recruitment of our vulnerable youth to radical and violent groups. We can no longer count the lives lost to bombings in and around Mindanao, the damage to public and private properties, the fear and the business opportunities lost due to these terror attacks,” she said.

“While our government armed forces are working hard to weed out these groups and keeping civilian Filipinos safe, we must ensure that we do our share to protect our peace and order and keep our communities free from fear and violence,” she added.

The Vice President, who is also the Secretary of Education, said providing quality education to the youth, coupled with the guidance of parents in imparting the significance of necessary knowledge, will breach the walls of recruitment vulnerability to terrorism.

“DepEd (Department of Education) is also working hard to design a national peace curriculum - our long-term solution to insurgency and conflict in our country. Our goal is to equip our children and youth with conflict transformation skills and the strength and discernment to resist recruitment into radical and terror groups,” she said.

“Education is a liberating force. I cannot overemphasised to all the adults here in Koronadal— we must force our children to go to school. The Department of Education is implementing a stronger child protection mechanism in our school communities - another layer of defense against the recruitment and exploitation of children and youth,” she said.

Meanwhile, as part of Koronadal City’s festivities, the Vice President pledged P25,000 to each of the five contingents of Hinugyaw streetdancing competition.

OVP MEDIA