Vice President’s Education Crisis Promise Under Fire
Vice President Sara Duterte vowed to resolve the education crisis in the Philippines, but only if she was allocated P100 billion for the Department of Education (DepEd) during her leadership. However, community members reported that instead of improvements, her tenure was marred by numerous controversies and alleged irregularities.
The four-word keyphrase education crisis in Philippines was central to her promise, yet critics argue the situation worsened amid unresolved issues and financial mismanagement.
Alliance of Concerned Teachers Criticizes Duterte’s Leadership
Local leaders from the Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) strongly criticized Duterte’s claims about the country’s education state. Vladimer Quetua, ACT Chair, said the Philippines continues to lag behind its neighbors in modernizing education.
“Sara Duterte promised to solve all the problems of basic education if Congress granted her P100 billion,” Quetua said. “Instead, the Commission on Audit exposed DepEd under her leadership for billions worth of disallowances, suspensions, unliquidated cash advances, delayed or non-implementation of programs, and glaring procurement irregularities.”
Financial Irregularities and Unfinished Projects
Officials reported that state auditors flagged DepEd during Duterte’s tenure for unresolved financial transactions amounting to P12.3 billion. These irregularities raised serious questions about the proper use of funds meant to address the education crisis in Philippines.
Moreover, the Commission on Audit revealed that classroom construction targets were far from met. Only 3 percent of the planned 6,379 classrooms—amounting to just 192—were actually built, highlighting a significant shortfall in infrastructure development.
Duterte’s Resignation and Ongoing Political Fallout
Duterte resigned from her post at DepEd last year after a bitter political fallout with President Marcos, a former ally turned adversary. This departure left many unresolved issues hanging, further complicating efforts to improve the education system.
Teachers and Parents Bear the Brunt
Community members stressed that Duterte’s leadership failed to alleviate the hardships faced by Filipino teachers, learners, and parents. Quetua emphasized, “She has no moral standing to lecture anyone about the state of education.”
“For her to pretend she is not part of the problem is a grave insult to Filipino teachers, learners, and parents who bear the brunt of government neglect,” he added, underscoring the frustration felt by stakeholders in the education sector.
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