MikeLigalig.com

by pna

Department of Education Undersecretary Rizalino Rivera said Zamboanga City is one of the favored cities of the DepEd because its mayor, Celso Lobregat, has proven to be a dynamic and genuine leader who is truly supportive of education not just in words but also in action.

“And it’s not just through words, but action and not just action it is also by putting money, where his value lies,” Rivera said before the thousands of teachers, principals, supervisors and other DepEd officials and staff from the City Division of Schools participating in the Teachers’ Summit over the weekend at the Mayor Vitaliano Agan Coliseum.

Rivera said every time concerns about classrooms, teachers and all other resources crop up, Zamboanga City, unlike other cities, is not much of a problem because of the unremitting assistance and support of the local government to education.

It is unfortunate though, the DepEd official lamented, that Lobregat is concluding his third term as mayor next year.

Rivera believed that through continuity of what Lobregat has started, young Zamboangueños are assured of better lives and better future.

“I do echo his wish, I do echo his prayers that the one who succeeds him is one who will continue support to education, who will also value the rights of everyone especially the women and children,” Rivera said.

He also cited two other reasons Zamboanga City is one of the most favorite cities of the education department.

“We love Zamboanga City because it is here in Zamboanga where we have NGO (non-government organization) partners like Anton Lim of Tzu Chi Foundation, who has been helping us a lot especially through the Layag-Layag community and the yellow boat project,” Rivera averred.

He said through the NGO’s support and assistance, far flung areas are able to avail of the formal education system.

Finally, he said Zamboanga is special, as it is here where the DepEd officialdom has witnessed the dedication, commitment and true heroism of the teachers.

He recounted the Talisayan Elementary School incident two years ago where an ex-convict ran berserk and stabbed teachers and students.

The incident killed a teacher, Lorna Pulalon and two students as well as the attacker.

Two other teachers were hurt in the incident.

The late Pulalon who made the sacrifice so that her students would not be harmed by the attacker, has become a symbol of heroism for all teachers in the country, Rivera stressed.

“That was also the time when we had, I think for the first time in the history of the Philippines that we had a secretary of education shedding tears on television,” he said.

It was also in that incident in Talisayan, according to Rivera where the DepEd saw the genuine concern for the youth of Lobregat and Deputy House Speaker and first district Representative Ma. Isabelle Climaco-Salazar.

“In that incident we also saw Mayor Lobregat and also Congresswoman Salazar in action, trying to take care of the needs of our teachers and many of our students who were victims of that unfortunate incident,” he said.

“We love Zamboanga City because it is here that we see that every single people of the community, the LGU, our teachers, principals, Schools Division Superintendent, DepEd personnel as well as our NGO partners, it is here that we see you working hand in hand, together,” he added.

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