CITY OF ILAGAN, Isabela — President Rodrigo Duterte’s State of the Nation Address (SONA) has resonated his heart for Filipinos who are poor but qualified to attain education.
This was what Dr. Alfonso Simon, Batanes State College president, said when asked by the Philippine News Agency (PNA) over the phone about the President’s speech on Monday.
“I think one of the biggest accomplishments of the President, as far as the academe is concerned, is the implementation of free tuition fee or RA (Republic Act) 10931,” he said.
“Despite enormous odds, he was able to implement it. Just for that, I think we at the education sector should give him not only a passing grade but with highest honors,” Simon added.
For peace consultant Felix Randy Malayao, the President’s talk on the peace initiatives remains “one of the gut issues of the people.”
“I believe, this is the most pressing issue. There must be respect for past agreements,” he told the PNA in a social media chat.
On the other hand, college graduate Ronalyn Elles, said she decided to skip watching the live television broadcast of the SONA but instead waited for information on Facebook.
“I am biased for President Duterte as I surely believe that he has a better idea or maybe a way of improving our country. I think he’s way better than most of those previous presidents we ever had, but not all though,” she said. (Bill Visaya/PNA)
