Presidential Communications Office
President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. invited on Thursday the Filipino people to join with the administration in transforming the country’s education system as envisioned in the “Bagong Pilipinas” campaign.
In his speech during the Basic Education Report (BER) 2024 of the Department of Education (DepEd), President Marcos said that everyone is involved in the “Bagong Pilipinas” campaign, enjoying the opportunities of a modern, vibrant, and peaceful Philippines.
President Marcos said that the envisioned “Bagong Pilipinas” will only be achieved if everyone will continue to transform the education system for the sake of the Filipino children.
“I thus call on everyone to join us in this daunting but extremely rewarding endeavor under Bagong Pilipinas, marked by a MATATAG education system that paves the way for a more empowered, secure, and progressive future,” President Marcos said during BER 2024.
The BER 2024 aims to present the accomplishments of the DepEd under the MATATAG Agenda, and plans and initiatives to deliver quality, accessible, equitable and inclusive basic education for all Filipino learners.
President Marcos said that the BER is an “annual ritual” that aims not only to improve the country’s education system, but also find feats worth celebrating, and identify flaws that must be corrected.
“I’m happy to note that this report, the Basic Education Report, is candid, clear, comprehensive, and I think you will agree, quite compelling. So, certainly, the milestones achieved so far deserve our congratulations,” President Marcos said.
The chief executive thanked Vice President and DepEd Secretary Sara Duterte for her “stewardship of the biggest agency, with the largest constituency, and with the most difficult mandate.”
Noting the daunting tasks of the DepEd specially during those trying times brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, President Marcos said that his instruction is to continue with the transformational journey and ensure that no one will be left behind.
“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!,” President Marcos said.
The President said that the DepEd has already started pilot testing a new K to 10 curriculum in 35 schools across seven regions as part of the government’s efforts to decongest the curriculum focused on the development of foundational skills.
President Marcos assured the Filipino people that the government will continue supporting the “remedial initiatives” of the DepEd like the learning camps to ensure that no one is left behind. PND
