Education Is The Only Solution To Poverty And Conflict-Lapus

Fe.15,2010
Education Is The Only Solution To Poverty And Conflict-Lapus
Quirico M. Gorpido, Jr,.

Maasin City, Southern Leyte-Education Secretary Jesli Lapus who was the guest of honor and speaker during the recent 49th Founding Day anniversary celebration of the province of Southern Leyte has divulged that the only solution to poverty and conflict is good quality education.
He stressed that the main reason why there’s a conflict not only in Mindanao but also in other countries is because people who were involved in conflict were not properly educated.” They have no respect for religion and culture of different peoples because they were not properly educated”, he said.
He implied that this is the main thrust of his leadership as Education Secretary. He disclosed that 50% of Filipino children are not in school. While 60% of schoolchildren have worms and were susceptible to diarrhea as common ailment.” This is due to the lack of awareness in teaching hygiene and sanitation in school”, he said.

Revival On Basic Approach To Cleanliness
The basic approach to cleanliness like washing hands and brushing teeth were taught to schoolchildren in the past. But as the years gone by this simple but essential hygiene was somewhat overlooked by the new generations of elementary and high school teachers. As part of the solution to the problem he introduced the so called Essential Provision Health Package in public schools. He said that DepEd is now adapting the policy of teaching the children the importance of washing their hands as often as necessary, especially before eating. Schoolchildren from 6 to 12 were now taught to brush their teeth regularly with cheaper flouride-contain toothpaste.
Lapus claimed that 97% of children in more educated countries worldwide have the habit of brushing their teeth regularly. Obviously they were also taught in school, he said. “In the USA children have no cavities” The Education agency has also administered deworming to schoolchildren.
To make teachers more competent and proficient he revealed that 120,000 teachers were trained last year in English, Math and Sciences. There were also some teachers to be trained in the teaching of foreign languages like French, Spanish and other languages to make Filipinos multilingual speakers. Another 600,000 teachers are also schedule for the next batch of training for the same purpose.

Pacquiao’s Influence
He implied that the move of Manny Pacquiao to take the accelerated accreditation test for high school graduate equivalence has influenced other lower grader students to take also DepED’s AAT.”Only 35,000 have taken the AAT for high school education equivalence nationwide”, he said. “But after Manny has taken up the AAT the number of takers have risen up to 120,000 now”.
He said that another program of DepED is the alternative learning system where close to 6M Filipinos who stopped schooling for some reason are expected to benefit.

Adopting A New System
DepEd under its new leadership has broadened its educational embrace in school curriculum. He revealed that Arabic language and Muslim culture are now included in schools’ subjects in areas of the country where there are high population of Muslims. He implied that the innovative move has obviously gladden the Muslim leaders that he was conferred as Datu and Sultan during his two recent visits in the Lanao Provinces..
Lapus also urged the LGUs to invest more in quality education and to continue their support of DepED’s programs to reach the objective of the Education Department. “Let the children who are in school be in school.
The school is the children’s second home”, he said.
The Education Secretary, a conferred Full Commander as an Army Reservist, also thanked Congressman Roger Mercado, Governor Damian Mercado and the LGU officials for their support and cooperation of DepED’s program in the province.”DepED cannot be number one without the support of LGUs, NGOs and other public officials”, he said.

Sustain The Momentum
He admitted however that his programs need to be sustained by any incoming Education Secretary of the next Administration in case his desire to run for Senator would be realized in the upcoming national elections next year. He implied there are persuasions from those close to him to run for a higher position in the government.
He also insinuated to whoever would be his successor at the Education Department to sustain the momentum of his programs. He believed that his new programs are deeming worthy for adoption for the continual improvement of the present education system.
Congressman Mercado for his part reciprocated Lapus and thanked the EdSec for the construction of school buildings in different municipalities, to President Arroyo for supporting his programs in the province and to officials in his district for their cooperation and supports of all his programs.


Mercado further announced that he will invite and ask other Secretaries to provide support for various livelihood programs for the jobless people in the province.
Furthermore, the former banker and DAR official said that education is not only the responsibility of a few groups of people but for everyone. “All countries considered education the most needed for its peoples”.
He also reminded the flock of teachers who were part of the huge audience of their important role as educators. He reiterated what he has said earlier saying, “The future is in your hands. Let those who are in school be in school. The school is the children’s second home”.
The Education Secretary was introduced by Governor Damian Mercado with his long list of previous positions and accomplishments in his chosen fields. He was met by SP Albert Esclamado at the Tacloban airport early morning. Congressman Mercado and Governor Mercado were supposed to meet him at the airport who called him(the EdSec) days before the 49th anniversary of the province. However, they have other important affair to attend. Their presence was considered very urgent like the scheduled nocturnal Southern Leyte Beauty Pageant contest where Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro,Jr. who was brought here by 2 Army choppers in the afternoon on that day was the guest of honor and speaker of the evening affair.

Long Parade
Earlier there was a long parade which started at the Anatalio Gaviola Plaza down to the 2-kilometer stretch of the Capitol Playground. It was attended by all barangay, municipal and city officials, heads of national and provincial agencies, municipal and provincial employees, teachers and students from Saint Joseph College, Systems Technology Institute, College of Maasin and the City College.
Also present, among others, were Vice-Governor Miguel Maamo,11,Maasin Mayor Maloney Samaco and Vice-Mayor Effie Abiera Sabandal and City Councilors, municipal mayors, Regional Directors of DILG and DAR,SLSU(Southern Leyte State University) President Gloria Markines Reyes,GTZ staff led by Dr. Andreas Lange, Chief Adviser on local governance who was one of the witnesses in the signing of the implementing rules and regulations of the Environment Code, the local press, capitol employees,PNP personnel led by Provincial Director Nilo Donayre.
(Quirico M. Gorpido, Jr.)