A group of teachers and education workers welcomed the resignation of Vice President Sara Duterte as the Secretary of the Department of Education (DepEd).
“She is one thorn less in the side of the teachers and the education sector,” the Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) Philippines said in a statement on June 19.
ACT noted that Duterte, during her stint as Education Secretary, has “not resolved any of the problems of education.” The group also lamented that she “incessantly red-tagged” ACT for its “demands for more teachers and classrooms.”
“She has never sided with our call for a salary increase and better benefits, instead scrambled to secure confidential and intelligence funds for her own political ends,” ACT said.
The group also alleged that Duterte “only used the education post to boost her political viability” but failed as her programs like the MATATAG agenda were “problematic” to begin with.
For ACT, Duterte has “no legacy to speak of” and will only be remembered for “red-tagging, Confidential Intelligence Funds (CIF), and bankrupt policies.”
“Her resignation only indicates the worsening rift between the Marcos and Duterte camps,” ACT said. “The preoccupation of these equally abominable ruling dynasties with their power struggle is detestable and serves none of the real interests of the people,” the group added.
Duterte, in a press conference on June 19, confirmed that she sought an audience with President Marcos and tendered her resignation as the DepEd Secretary effective July 19, 2024.
“I have given my 30-day notice to ensure the proper and orderly transition for the benefit of the next Secretary,” Duterte said.
While she confirmed her resignation, Duterte did not cite specific reasons for her
decision.
“Mga Kababayan, ang aking pagbitiw ay hindi lulan ng kahinaan ng loob, kundi dala ng tunay na malasakit para sa ating mga guro at sa kabataang Pilipino. (My fellow countrymen, my resignation is not born out of weakness but out of genuine concern for our teachers and the Filipino youth),” she added.
Instead, Duterte noted her “accomplishments” in the past two years as the DepEd Secretary, such as the MATATAG Agenda, which, she said, is “not a mere campaign.”
READ:
https://mb.com.ph/2023/01/30/deped-launches-matatag-agenda-to-resolve-challenges-in-basic-education/
Duterte said that under her leadership, DepEd has taken “big steps” toward institutional reforms through the improvement of curriculum, the acceleration of basic education infrastructure and facilities, the promotion of learners’ safety and well-being, and the provision of much-needed support for teacher quality and welfare, among others.
She also recognized all the stakeholders who supported her during her term. “I did not do this alone, nor do I claim to have done so. I would like to take this moment to express my most profound gratitude to those who took part in this journey,” Duterte said.
Duterte also recognized the teachers for their “sacrifices, for your passion, and for your unrelenting commitment to rearing the youth.”
“Bagama’t hindi ako magpapatuloy na mamahala sa Kagawaran, patuloy pa rin nating itataguyod ang kalidad ng edukasyon na nararapat para sa Pilipino (Although I will no longer continue to lead the Department, we will still uphold the quality of education that the Filipino deserves),” Duterte said.
“Hindi man ako ang tumatayong Kalihim ng Edukasyon, mananatili akong isang Ina. Isang inang magmamatiyag at titindig para sa kapakanan ng bawat guro at bawat mag-aaral sa Pilipinas (Even though I am no longer the Secretary of Education, I remain a mother. A mother who will watch over and stand up for the welfare of every teacher and every student in the Philippines),” she added.