PASIG CITY — Vice President and Education Secretary Sara Duterte on Tuesday was firm in her direction to strengthen the country’s education system, saying it drives the path to growth and development.

“Education is the driving force behind a country’s growth and development, and with more than 30 million young people, the largest in our country’s history, we are poised to benefit from this demographic dividend,” the Education Secretary Duterte said in a speech during the celebration of the International Day of Education (IDE) at the Department of Education Central Office.

The IDE is observed every January 24 in accordance with the proclamation adopted during the United Nations General Assembly on December 3, 2018.

With this year’s theme: “to invest in people, prioritize education,” Duterte said “the new administration is on the right track.”

“At the UN Transforming Education Summit in September last year, President Marcos announced our commitment to recover the learning losses from the pandemic and rebuild our education to be more inclusive, relevant, and resilient to future shocks and disruptions,” she said.

She also underscored that the education sector had received an increased budget for 2023 to actively support more learning programs and boost capacities of the teaching force.

“Following the eight-point socioeconomic agenda of the Marcos administration, the Department of Education received an increased budget for the fiscal year 2023. From P631 billion in 2022, we now have a budget of P719 billion for 2023, making the education sector’s percentage share of the total government appropriations within the recommended of 15–20 percent,” she elaborated.

“I am confident that this is only the beginning of our renewed commitment to investing more in education and prioritizing the development of a future-ready workforce,” she added.

The Vice President also reported initiatives implemented to make educational facilities a safe space for children.

“In November last year, we launched the Learner Rights and Protection Office with its own website and a hotline called the Learners Telesafe Contact Center Helpline. As of December last year, our hotline has received 78 complaints,” she said.

“The second batch of our Child Protection Specialization Course for focal persons in the Central Offices, Regional Offices, and Schools Division Offices is ongoing. Our Child Protection Specialists will, in turn, empower Child Protection Committees in schools, to protect our learners from abuse and support their overall well-being,” she added.

The IDE celebration was also participated in by other education stakeholders, students, teachers, school administrators, and partners from local and international institutions. OVP MEDIA