TARLAC CITY (PIA) – Vice President and Education Secretary Sara Z. Duterte appealed to all Filipinos to employ the bayanihan spirit in support of the opening of classes for School Year 2023-2024 on August 29 .
During the National Kick-off of Brigada Eskwela 2023 held at the Tarlac National High School, Duterte shared the essence of this year’s launching which calls out to parents, teachers, volunteers, civil society organizations and private stakeholders.
“First, the Brigada Eskwela…the schools’ maintenance week is an appeal to the bayanihan spirit of every Filipino to help prepare our schools for the opening of classes. Second, it is just making our schools functional, clean, and orderly inside and outside the classrooms, and within the school sites,” the Vice President emphasized.
Duterte added that the Brigada Eskwela is a testament to the strong will of the Department of Education (DepEd) in ensuring the secured future of the Filipino youth.
The six-day Brigada Eskwela or National School Maintenance Program will run from August 14-19 to give way for the cleaning, maintenance and decluttering of classrooms and schools in a bid to provide a conducive and safe learning environment for students.
For his part, DepEd Assistant Regional Director Jessie Amin enjoined the teaching and non-teaching personnel to stay committed in promoting quality education for more than 2.9 million learners in Central Luzon.
“Let us demonstrate our unity and cooperation to further hoist the quality of education in our schools, and to guarantee that we are ready for the opening of a new and safe school year,” Amin stated.
On behalf of the local government units, Tarlac Governor Susan Yap lauded and cited the programs accomplished under the leadership of Duterte in the education department.
“The provincial government values education and has deep-seated programs to elevate the education projects and activities that the government delivers to the people. Beyond the scholarship programs we have provided, the provincial government has already built several school covered courts,” she said.
The Basic Education Inputs Program focuses on the establishment of basic education facilities resulting in the construction of 1,168 school buildings across the country.
Yap mentioned that 482 schools or 48,000 Tarlaqueños have benefited from the interactive learning experience of the Kits for Kids program.
Moreover the provincial government of Tarlac distributed 5,000 tablets, more than 20,000 school bags and school supplies, 16,200 story books and four library hubs in the province to advance an inclusive education for learners, which is among the main thrusts of DepEd.
With the collaborative effort of the national and local government, Yap stressed that she looks forward to its positive impact on the attitude and behavior of the learners.
“In a special way, Brigada Eskwela also teaches our children the importance of taking part and I am hopeful that our students would be able to imbibe and practice it in their own ways,” the governor said.
This year’s National Brigada Eskwela carries the theme, “Bayanihan para sa Matatag na Paaralan”. (CLJD/TJBM-PIA 3)
