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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider DepEd's Briones says her age doesn't slow her down

DepEd's Briones says her age doesn't slow her down

Published Jan 27, 2020 12:00 am
By Genalyn Kabiling Education Secretary Leonor Briones may be the oldest Cabinet member, but she assured the public she remains capable of doing her job. Education Secretary Leonor Briones (DepEd / MANILA BULLETIN) Education Secretary Leonor Briones (DepEd / MANILA BULLETIN) Briones, a former national treasurer and teacher, asserted there is no relation between her age and wisdom. “There is no correlation between the state of my knees and the state of my brains. The quickness of mind or the slowness of mind is not determined by age,” the 79-year-old Cabinet official said in a Palace press briefing. “If one is born already with generous amount of matter between your ears, whether you're 18 or 80 (years old), it's there. But if you're born with very little, then whether you are only three years, it's not there. Age is not a factor especially at this time," she added. Briones said she considers herself a "teenager" based on historian Yuval Noah Harari's belief that people living to 150 years could be possible in the future. Harari, internationally best-selling author of “Sapiens," wrote the sequel "Homo Deus: A Brief History of Tomorrow" on the future of humankind and the influence of godlike technologies. "Harari is talking about, first about Homo sapiens, the development of human society. His latest is "Homo Deus" that men and women are headed towards immortality. And perhaps in a matter of 30 years, the lifespan of a human could increase to even 150 years, so by such standard, I'm just a teenager," she said in jest. Briones appeared in the "Laging Handa" press briefing at the Palace to give updates on the education department's preparations for the reopening of classes in Taal-affected areas. She also made an appeal to local governments to establish evacuation centers, saying turning schools into shelters during natural calamities and other emergency situations should only be a last resort. Health Secretary Francisco Duque III, who also attended the press conference, also recognized that Briones is one of the hardworking Cabinet members. "There's a saying that ‘Years wrinkle the skin but to lose enthusiasm wrinkles the soul' so that's probably one of the messages that we would like to impart to you,” Duque told reporters at the Palace.
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