Outgoing Education Secretary Leonor Magtolis Briones was among the Cabinet members who President Duterte recognized for their efforts amid the Covid-19 pandemic in their respective departments.

President Duterte conferred the Presidential Award to several Cabinet Secretaries, members of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID), and other medical experts during the ceremony earlier this month.

Briones expressed her gratitude to Duterte for the said recognition.

“We in the Cabinet and IATF have vowed to always serve the Filipino people, and I have kept this promise close to my heart, especially in responding to the challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic in basic education," Briones said.

Briones explained that the said award also represents the “collaborative programs and projects put together by our hardworking field officials and partners, who have always championed the welfare of the Filipino youth and children.”

During the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, DepEd crafted the Basic Education – Learning Continuity Plan (BE-LCP) to ensure that education will continue for Filipino learners even when they are in their homes.

DepEd has also proactively provided logistical and technical assistance to the field offices and schools, including the distribution of educational gadgets and learning materials to the learners as assistance to the distance learning setup.

Briones, along with the Executive and Management Committee members, has also strengthened the education delivery in the country by virtually upskilling and reskilling teachers on the different learning modalities, among others.

Given these, Briones noted that DepEd “has been true to its mandate in providing inclusive, liberating, accessible, and quality basic education and that is why we formulated policies amid the pandemic that will ensure to prioritize the health and safety of the learners and teachers in this setup.”