Marcos Jr. lauds DepEd, cites gains under Sara

MANILA, Philippines —  Despite having the “most difficult mandate,” the Department of Education (DepEd) has been able to set the stage for a “modern and responsive” educational system under its current leadership, President Marcos said yesterday.

In a speech during the presentation of the Basic Education Report 2024 in Pasay, Marcos acknowledged that while the goals in the education sector are hard to meet, he is optimistic that these would be achieved, judging from what the DepEd has accomplished so far.

“As your report has shown, the building blocks of a modern, responsive educational system have now been laid. It is something we have waited for for many, many, many years. At this juncture in our transformational journey, my instruction is simply this: Padayon! Padayon! Padayon! (Go on, go on, go on),” the President said.

“We are one in our dream to build a new Philippines, where we enjoy the opportunities of a modern, vibrant, and peaceful country. This can be fully realized if we continue transforming our education system—for the sake of our beloved children. I thus call on everyone to join us in this daunting but extremely rewarding endeavor,” he added.

Marcos described DepEd’s report as “candid,” “clear,” “comprehensive” and “quite compelling” and thanked Vice President and DepEd Secretary Sara Duterte for her leadership.

“Certainly milestones achieved so far deserve our congratulations. Daghang salamat (Thank you very much), Vice President Inday Sara, for your stewardship of the biggest agency, with the largest constituency, and, I would say, most difficult mandate,” the Chief Executive said.

Marcos also expressed confidence that the MATATAG education system would pave the way for a “more empowered, secure, and progressive future.”

“We are cognizant that VP (Vice President) Sara and the whole of the DepEd family are pulling out all the stops for the betterment of our basic education by focusing on ensuring our teachers’ teaching quality, competency, and well-being; improving our learners’ capacities and nutrition; [and] building better and more facilities to aid both teaching and learning,” he added.

Marcos welcomed the pilot of the new K to 10 curriculum