Improving the quality of education in the country is a top priority, President Marcos said, stressing that it is the "most important service" the government must provide.
In his speech at the National Higher Education Day Summit, Marcos emphasized that without an educated workforce, any national economic blueprints will be bound to remain as blueprints.
"And that is why improving higher education—and making it responsive to the present and future needs of society—is front and center of this administration’s national development agenda," he said during the event held on Wednesday, May 15.
The President said that the success of many of the government plans "depends heavily on the availability of a strong, resilient, and skilled human resource to drive the nation forward."
"This is the highest priority. I have stated it before but I will state it again that as far as my view of government service is concerned, the most important service that government must provide to its people is a good education," Marcos said.
"No country can prosper without a good educational background," he added.
The Chief Executive underscored that the government's "greatest obligation" is to mold the students to be critical thinkers, problem solvers, and visionaries.
"Without skilled manpower who will run them, industries will grind to a halt, social services will cease to function," he further said.
"Without a national pool of talent who can master new technologies and adjust quickly to tectonic changes, the country will be perpetually catching up, left behind by other societies whose educational system have been made [them] more adept," he added.
Meanwhile, the President also asked the private sector's participation in improving the country's education.
Private parties, he added, should not be shoved to the sidelines in this endeavor.
"When it comes to educating our youth, government and private schools are not competitors but must be regarded as equal partners," he said.
The government should ensure viability and treat them as strategic assets whose existence is guaranteed by nurturing policies and support, he added.
Free education
Marcos also committed that his administration will continue the provision of free tertiary education in public universities and colleges for qualified students.
He cited that the government has allocated close to P134 billion for state and local universities and colleges this year.
"We know that whatever is spent on education, we should never regard as an expenditure. It is an investment in our people. It is an investment in our country. It is an investment in our future," he said.
"Democratizing access to education should not lead to the lowering of academic standards," he added.