Former Education secretaries and officials have declared their support for Vice President Leni Robredo and Senator Francis "Kiko" Pangilinan in their bid for the two highest positions in the country.
Through a statement, six former secretaries of the Department of Education (DepEd) namely Edilberto de Jesus, Fe Hidalgo, Mona Valisno, Jesli Lapus, Florencio Abad, and Br. Armin Luistro; teachers, officials, and staff endorsed Robredo for presidency and Pangilinan for vice presidency.
The group said the Robredo-Pangilinan tandem "bring solid experience and a grounded understanding of the education sector, its challenges, and what needs to be done."
“A vote for them on May 9, 2022, goes beyond electing sincere, genuine, and competent leaders. A vote for them is a vote for quality education for all Filipino learners," the group said.
They said that the country needs leaders who will advocate lifelong learning for all Filipinos; understand the value of education in every person's life and as the foundation of the country's development and growth.
They stressed that the nation needs leaders who will use their clear and in-depth understanding of the education sector and of pervading systemic issues to chart the right priorities and evidence-based programs that will have a sustained positive impact on teaching and learning.
The nation’s leaders, they added, need to “seek measures to promote and secure the welfare of teachers and all education workers; strengthen the largest government bureaucracy with honest and effective governance, and learning delivery that will bring government even closer to the margins where its presence is most needed.”
Robredo and Pangilinan barnstormed Central Mindanao, Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), and the Zamboanga Peninsula this week.