KiNUWESTYON ni Vice President at Education Secretary Sara Duterte ang tunay na layunin ng Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) sa pagbibigay nito ng suhestyon na dapat kumuha ang Education department ng 30,000 guro at maglaan ng p100 bilyon kada taon para sa pagpapatayo ng silid-aralan.

“The call could not be coming from a place of genuine concern for the future of our learners and the welfare of our teachers. Instead, it is a call motivated by the group’s fascination for demands and goals that are unrealistic and impossible — placing the government in a precarious situation that will ultimately end in failure,” sabi ni Duterte.

Kinuwestyon din ni Duterte ang timing ng pahayag ng ACT na ginawa umano mayapos ang pagsalakay ng mga rebeldeng NPA sa Masbate na nakaapekto sa pag-aaral ng mahigit 55,000 mag-aaral at pagtatrabaho ng 2,815 school personnel.

“ACT Teachers, while silent about the NPA operations, apparently needed to come up with something outrageous to divert the public’s attention away from the damage that the NPA attacks caused to our Masbate learners,” dagdag pa ng kalihim.

Iginiit ni Duterte na tuloy-tuloy din ang pagdaragdag ng teaching at non-teaching personnel ng ahensya. Gagamit din umano ng mga makabagong teknolohiya upang mapagaan ang trabaho ng mga guro.

“These form part of the reforms that we will implement to ensure the effective delivery of basic education to Filipino learners and champion teachers’ welfare,” sabi pa ni Duterte. “The Marcos administration will not be pressured, hoodwinked, or distracted by groups like ACT Teachers.”

“Our objective is to eliminate elements that contribute to learning losses, effectively implement reforms, and exercise fiscal responsibility by using resources wisely through innovations and mechanisms that will improve learning,” giit pa ng opisyal.