Vice President Sara Duterte has called on Mindanao youth to help the government rebuild their communities affected by conflict with peace and trust for the success of the Philippines.
In a gathering of student leaders in Sultan Kudarat State University on Monday, Duterte, who concurrently serves as the secretary of the Department of Education (DepEd), also appealed to make education accessible to the youth as “literacy is one of the casualties of war” that hinders the island’s progress.
“Together, let us rebuild our conflict-affected communities with the values of peace, mutual trust, and conflict transformation that will empower us to achieve our shared goals for sustainable development and inclusive socio-economic advancement,” Duterte said.
The vice president lamented the violence that persists in many parts of Mindanao as the youth “have suffered the misfortune of chronically interrupted learning progress.”
“Meanwhile, our youth, especially those who have forcibly dropped out of school are vulnerable to being recruited by groups that espouse violence and terrorism,” she added.
But Duterte said she “never lost faith in the power of the Filipino youth,” and that DepEd commits to hone children to be nation builders to “unlock Mindanao’s full potential.”
“As the Secretary of the Department of Education, I hold on to this promise as we work hard to institutionalize peace and boldly introduce reforms in our basic education curriculum,” she said.
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She then challenged the student leaders to be the change they want for the societies and sustain its ties with the government to achieve their goals.
“As a fellow Mindanawon, I urge you to partner with the government in empowering your peers to become fellow catalysts of peace, reconciliation, and non-violence in your communities,” she said.
