Vice President and Education Secretary Sara Duterte on Monday, March 13, underscored the importance of education to ensure the security of the children’s future as she urged local government units (LGUs) to prioritize educational programs for Filipino children. The official was the guest speaker during the opening program of the 23rd Banigan Festival at the Libertad Municipal Plaza in Libertad, Antique. “Importante po ang edukasyon at importante na ang ating mga anak ay makapag-aral at makakuha ng maayos na edukasyon (Education is important and it is important that our children study and receive quality education),” she said. The Vice President also called on the parents in the audience to ensure that their children will remain in schools. “May I enjoin our parents who are here today to keep your children and youth in school or learning technical skills no matter the challenges,” she added. Duterte, who holds the education post in a concurrent capacity, said it is important for the nation to agree that education is the number one ticket to ensuring that Filipino children will have a secure and better future. In a speech that ran for 26 minutes, the official also stressed that children must stay away from threats brought about by illegal drugs and recruitment of the New People’s Army (NPA). “Importante din na matiyak natin na ang ating mga anak ay malayo po sa landas ng ilegal na droga at sa landas ng insurhensiya. Ang illegal drugs at ang New People’s Army ay parehong sisira sa kinabukasan ng ating mga anak (It is also important to ensure that our children stay away from the path of illegal drugs and from the path of insurgency. Illegal drugs and the New People’s Army can both destroy the future of our children),” she said. The official asked parents not to let evil things happen because they have a responsibility to protect their children from the dangers of illegal drugs and NPA. “Magiging mas maunlad ang ating bayan kung masusugpo natin ang problema sa ilegal na druga at insurhensiya ng NPA (Our country will be more prosperous if we can fight against the problem of illegal drugs and insurgency of the NPA),” she added. Duterte took the opportunity to present how Peace 911, a project in Davao City where she served as mayor, helped transform the city’s Paquibato District which used to be a “stronghold” of the NPA. The district was declared “insurgency-free” before the Vice President ended her term as mayor in 2022. Meanwhile, the Vice President also lauded the the municipality of Libertad and its weavers for their patience, persistence, discipline, and hard work in creating mats and other high quality banig products. Such products, she said, “bring the spotlight to Filipino craftsmanship and creativity.” “May we be forever proud of our cultural heritage and work harder for the preservation of the art of mat weaving and the protection of the source of our livelihood,” Duterte stated. “I hope to see younger generation of mat weavers continuing this living tradition. May you be tireless in promoting our indigenous products here and abroad, and I wish your industry a continued success,” she added.