Duterte OKs remote learning during transport strike
MANILA, Philippines — All schools have the option to hold asynchronous classes this week as several transport groups are set to hold a week-long strike starting Monday to oppose the phaseout of traditional jeepneys, Vice President Sara Duterte, concurrently education chief, said Sunday.
Saying that learning recovery is the priority of the Department of Education, Duterte called the transport strike “pointless” and delivered scathing remarks to a teachers' group that threw its support behind the strike.
“Learning recovery is foremost on the agenda of the Department of Education today. It does not include the pointless weeklong transport strike supported by (the Alliance of Concerned Teachers),” Duterte said in a message to reporters.
Duterte also mislabelled the transport strike as “communist-inspired” despite the communicated agenda of around 40,000 traditional jeepney operators and drivers of UV Express vehicles to convince the Land Transportation and Franchising Regulatory Board (LTFRB) to suspend the phaseout of their vehicles.
“I maintain that during this communist-inspired weeklong strike, both in-person and alternative delivery modes of learning shall be implemented, whichever is convenient to the learners,” Duterte said.
DepEd spokesperson Michael Poa earlier announced that classes will not be suspended amid the strike.
This prompted the Alliance of Concerned Teachers to score the department for being “insensitive” to the plight of students and teachers dependent on public transportation to commute to campus.
“DepEd's inflexible stance does not make sense amid suspension of physical classes by many higher education institutions. If college students are expected to have a hard time coming to school on the days of the transport strike, what more for our much younger pupils?” the group said in a statement.
Duterte also accused the teachers’ group, which banners several campaigns on making education accessible to marginalized students, of wanting “children to remain uneducated and poor” due to its support for the transportation strike.
Students can learn from principles behind transpo strike
In its response to Duterte’s remarks, ACT said that students can learn from paying attention to the socio-economic message behind the transportation strike, primarily led by jeepney drivers who will shoulder the hefty cost of the jeepney modernization program.
“We live in a society that is now embroiled in a deep economic crisis and our teachers and students are not exempted from rising prices of goods, inadequacy of income, or difficulties in public transportation,” the teacher’s group said. “Many of our students and teachers have family members who are PUV drivers who are about to lose their livelihood.”
According to LTFRB Circular No. 2023-013, traditional jeepney, UV Express and other transportation network vehicle service drivers and operators must consolidate or join driver cooperatives after March 31 so they can continue plying the road until June 30. The deadline has since been moved to December 31.
ACT also condemned Duterte’s red-tagging of the group, saying that labeling them a communist-aligned organization “has always been the default scapegoat” of those in public office when criticized.
“ACT’s proposal to allow regional and division offices to cancel physical classes in areas that will be affected by transport strike is only practical and pro-active,” the group said.
Manibela chairperson Mar Valbuena said that the transport strike will cover roads in Metro Manila. Transport groups from Centra Luzon, Bicol, Calabarzon, Bacolod, Iloilo, Davao and Cagayan De Oro will also join the activity.
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