President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. is looking forward to the resumption of face-to-face classes this month because it will also trigger a range of economic activities across the country.
In his BBM Vlog #221, titled “Balik Eskwela” and uploaded on Saturday, Aug. 6, Marcos called on local government units (LGUs) to be more aggressive in its Covid-19 vaccination and booster program to ensure the safety of everyone once the school year starts.
He said that the opening of classes this Aug. 22 will signal the start of more economic activities for the transport sector because students need to commute to school as well as for the retail industries since they’ll be purchasing school supplies and food.
The Chief Executive expects an increase in the workforce, too, because parents can go back to work while their children are in school.
“Kapag ito ay naging matagumpay, hindi lang ito balik eskwela, kung di balik negosyo. Balik hanapbuhay at balik kaunlaran. Ito’y masasabi ring malaking tulong sa malawakang kilusan natin nang pagbubukas ng ekonomiya (If this becomes successful, this is not only the return of school, but also of business. Work will return and so does progress. We can also say this is a big help in our move to open the economy),” the President said.
“Maraming industriya ang magiging bahagi at makikinabang sa hakbang na ito kung kaya’t dapat siguruhin natin na ang lahat ay handang handa (A lot of industries will take part and benefit from this step so we need to make sure that everyone is ready),” he added.
As the Department of Education (DepEd), under Vice President and Education Secretary Sara Duterte, prepares for the school opening, Marcos underscored the need for the country to vaccinate more.
He lamented that only 15.9 million Filipinos received their first Covid-19 vaccine booster shot and 1.2 million received a second booster, while 15.2 million students are expected to go back to school.
But students, he said, are not the only ones who will return to the streets once schools reopen because public utility vehicle (PUV) drivers and vendors would also resume their operations.
“Hindi man ito magiging ganun kasimple, pero kapag tama ang paghahanda ay siguradong magiging matagumpay ito (While this will not be that simple, if we prepare properly, it will surely be successful),” Marcos added.