Education
Alternative education can address illiteracy
May 4th
Fifteen million illiterates in the last six years. I am gravely concerned how illiteracy has grown over the years.
Government must strengthen the country’s alternative educational programs to address the growing number of illiterate Filipinos which has reached 15 million in the last six years.
According to the Functional Literacy, Education, and Mass Media Survey (FLEMMS), which is done every five years to determine literacy rate in the country, of this total number, 11 million Filipinos do not have functional literacy and four million do not have basic literacy.
Whatever the reasons why our fellow Filipinos are not able get education must be More >
No pork barrel to recoup campaign expenses
May 3rd
I call on my fellow candidates to make a commitment not to use their pork barrel to recoup their campaign expenses, but rather to allocate these funds to projects that truly benefit the country.
With the candidates’ exorbitant spending in what I described as the most expensive election in Philippine history, legislators who are successfully elected must assure the people that their countrywide development funds, more commonly known as “pork barrel,” would not be used to reimburse their campaign expenses.
Our candidates, as well as the present members of Congress, should be mindful of the fact that while a senator or a More >
Pinoy CNN hero should inspire us all
Nov 24th
Today, I recognize once more the importance of informal education as I commend Filipino Efren Penaflorida who was recognized as CNN Hero of the Year for starting a “pushcart classroom” to bring education to poor children as an alternative to gang membership.
Efren’s recognition as CNN Hero of the Year is truly inspiring. By bringing a pushcart classroom to poor children in Cavite, he has shown the world that we can deliver basic education even to the poorest of the poor.
His example should be emulated by all Filipinos, especially in areas underserved by our formal educational system. Poverty is never a More >
