CARAMOAN, Camarines Sur — Vice President and Education Secretary Sara Duterte on Saturday led the inauguration of two three-room buildings in a “Last Mile School” in a remote village here.
What used to be an Alternative Learning System classroom is now the Lipata Elementary School, with six classrooms for schoolchildren.
“I am certain-- our teachers, our parents, our education stakeholders, and our local government leaders --that these are more than just two buildings. They symbolize the beginning of dreams coming true,” Duterte said as she personally visited the school in Sitio Lipata in Barangay Gogon.
The school belongs to the Department of Education’s ‘Last-Mile Schools Programs’ aimed at resolving learning gaps in remote communities through converting makeshift classrooms into standard ones, making it conducive for learning and constructing more facilities to accommodate schoolchildren.
“Ang Lipata Elementary School ay kabilang sa ating Last-Mile Schools Program kung saan mahigit 7,000 schools sa buong Pilipinas ay kailangan ng bagong mga silid-aralan,” she added.
“Inilunsad ang programang ito sa ilalim ng administrasyon ni Pangulong Rodrigo Duterte at narito tayo ngayon para ituloy ito sa ilalim naman ng Pangulong Bongbong Marcos,” Duterte said.
Duterte also cited Windel Alvarez, the teacher-in-charge, who made the coordination to make the construction of the buildings possible.
“Ako ay masaya na nandito ako at masaya na nakatanggap ako ng sulat galing kay Windel para bumisita dito sa inyo. Nakalagay po doon sa sulat na noon po ay ALS lang ang nandito at nagpursige po ang ating teacher na magbukas ng elementary (school) dito sa inyo sa Sitio Lipata,” she said.
Alvarez is an awardee of 2018 Dangal ng Bayan Awards conferred by former President Rodrigo Duterte. He was also a 2020 Global Teacher Prize Finalist.
Irene Priol, a sixth grader, was thankful for the new facility.
“[Ako po] ay nagpapasalamat sa mga taong nasa likod para magkaroon ng paaralan dito sa aming lugar. Naniniwala ako na ito ang magiging susi para marating namin ang aming mga pangarap sa buhay,” she said in a message before education leaders and teachers.
Duterte also thanked the teachers for the sacrifices made in instilling knowledge to the young learners, calling them “brave and selfless heroes.”
“Teaching in a last-mile school requires courage and every dose of persistence in your being. I commend you for your hard work and dedication, and I hope that you will continue to persevere against all challenges to teach our children 21st-century skills and develop them to become productive and responsible citizens of the country,” she said.
OVP MEDIA