Vice President Sara Duterte has reminded students and their parents the importance of acquiring education is key to breaking the cycle of poverty.

Duterte, who serves as Education secretary in a concurrent capacity, spoke to students of the Lipata Elementary School during a visit in Caramoan, Camarines Sur, on Saturday, Aug. 27.

The schoolchildren, accompanied by their parents, received ‘PagbaBAGo’ school kits from Duterte as part of her education campaign.

She stressed on the students’ need to understand the significance of having quality education.

“Kinakausap namin ang ating mga mag-aaral, ang ating mga anak, at kinakausap namin ang mga magulang para maintindihan nila kung ano ang kailangan nilang gawin para hindi umiikot nang umiikot o bumabalik nang bumabalik ‘yung problema ng kahirapan sa pamilya nila (We are talking to our students, our children, and parents for them to understand on they have to do so that the problem of poverty will not keep on happening to their families),” she said in her speech.

The Vice President then issued a reminder to students to study well and the parents must send their children to schools.

“Nandyan ‘yung paaralan, libre po ang ating mga public schools. Dapat po ang ating mga magulang ay pinipilit natin ang mga anak natin na pumasok sa paaralan (Schools are there, our public schools are free. The parents must push our children to go to school),” she added.

Addressing the parents, Duterte also asked them to practice family planning to ensure that the needs of their children are met and provided.

The Education chief has been going to remote schools in the provinces inspecting school facilities and distributing bags with school supplies and dental kits since early this month.

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In Caramoan, she visited a “last-mile school” in Sitio Lipata, Barangay Gogon to inaugurate the Lipata Elementary School.

The school, which only had a classroom for Alternative Learning System (ALS), now has two three-room buildings.

During the inauguration, Duterte also cited Windel Alvarez, the teacher-in-charge, who sent her office a letter to request for the construction of the school buildings.

“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 (I’m happy that I’m here and I’m happy to receive a letter from Windel to visit you here. It was stated in the letter the school only had a classroom for ALS and our teacher persevered to open an elementary school here at 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.

Duterte commended the teachers for performing their duties despite the huge challenge they face in school. She called 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.