malaysiangEducation Secretary Sonny Angara on Friday lauded President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. for his dedication to serving all teachers and learners as the country celebrates the President’s 67th birthday.
‘Ipagdiriwang po natin ang kaarawan ng isang dakilang Pilipino, isang mahusay at ehemplong lider ng ating bansa. Nakita ko up close, walang kapagod-pagod itong mama, patunay na may malasakit po sa atin (We are celebrating the birthday of a great Filipino, one who is competent and a leader by example in our country. I’ve seen it up close, the man is tireless, which only shows that he cares for us),’ he said in a speech during Marcos’ aid distribution in Aurora.
Angara attested to the Chief Executive’s desire to improve the current quality of education in the Philippines, saying it remains the top mission of the Department of Education (DepEd) under his helm.
‘Binigyan tayo ng instruction ng ating pangulo pagdating po sa ating pang-edukasyon, mahalin, tulungan, at alagaan ang ating mga (We were instructed by the p
resident that when it comes to education, we should love, help, and care for our) teachers. Tulungan natin ang ating mag-aaral para gumanda po ang kalidad ng ating edukasyon (We must also help our learners to improve our quality of education),’ he said.
Earlier, Angara vowed to advance efforts to address learning and skills mismatch, employability challenges of Senior High School (SHS), and improve learners’ performance after the Philippines landed among the bottom 10 of 81 participating nations in the Programme for International Assessment Report (PISA) in science, mathematics, reading comprehension, and creative thinking in 2022, among others.
‘Alam ng Pangulo iyan at very concerned, nagmamahal po si Pangulo sa ating kabataan (The President knows that and is very concerned, the President loves our youth),’ he said.
The DepEd also assured that more benefits for eligible public school teachers and non-teaching staff are underway, including the implementation of salary differential, increase in teaching all
owance to PHP10,000 from the previous PHP5,000, a PHP7,000 medical allowance, and the implementation of expanded career progression for more positions, including the teaching track with Teachers IV, Teacher V, and Teacher VI, as well as streamlining of administrative items including School Principal I, II, III, and IV, among others.
Angara, meanwhile, urged the public to support and pray for President Marcos and his family in realizing crucial programs for Filipinos for the remaining years of his term.
Some lawmakers also expressed their gratitude for the Marcos administration’s efforts, particularly in improving the lives of civil servants, senior citizens, and rural communities.
Bohol 3RD District Rep. Kristine Alexie Tutor highlighted the positive impact of the President’s initiatives on government workers and professionals.
Tutor pointed out that aside from the first of four-tranche salary increase for government workers given retroactively this year, better benefits and access to Philippine Health In
surance Corporation (PhilHealth) are being rolled out gradually.
“The President also extended to December 2025 the work contracts of contractual employees in government. That should give the Civil Service Commission enough time to implement some permanent solutions to regularize most of the contractuals,” Tutor said.
Tutor likewise noted the favorable economic climate under Marcos’ leadership with some forecasts projecting as much as 7 percent gross domestic product (GDP) expansion.
She said employment opportunities are on the rise, as unemployment dipped to 3.1 percent in June this year, while underemployment is in the 9.9 percent to 14.6 percent range.
“I am confident the President has the right economic team and progressive policies to push GDP growth to as high as 7.5 percent before the end of his term in 2028,” she said.
Senior Citizen Party-list Rep. Rodolfo Ordanes said social welfare and PhilHealth benefits have “greatly improved” for elderly Filipinos ever since Marcos became President.
“We hav
e felt how public servants have been more energized and cheerful in serving us seniors, so for that we are truly grateful,” Ordanes said.
Ang Probinsyano Party-list Rep. Alfred Delos Santos, meanwhile, attributed the growth in job opportunities, the expansion of businesses, and the construction of vital infrastructure in rural areas to the President’s initiatives.
He also emphasized the increase in the minimum wage and improved government services in rural areas, all of which have had a positive impact on the lives of Filipinos.
“These marked positive changes in governance have not gone unnoticed and have changed Filipinos’ lives for the better,” he said.
Source: Philippines News agency
