CEBU, Philippines — Vice President and Department of Education Secretary Sara Duterte visited Mandaue City yesterday for the launching of 'PagbaBago: A Million Learners and Trees’ nationwide.
The PagbaBAGo campaign is a multi-pronged initiative of the Office of the Vice President that promotes value of basic education while also taking the importance of good oral hygiene to a child’s overall health, growth, and development.
The campaign, held at the Mandaue City Sports and Cultural Complex, also aims to protect the environment amidst climate change.
“Atong gihangop ang pagbisita sa atong pinangga nga Bise Presidente Sara Duterte. Daku natong pasalamat sa suporta sa atong Bise-Presidente sa mga kalambu-an sa atong dakbayan sa Mandaue,” said Mandaue City Mayor Jonas Cortes.
“Sa iyang programa nga PagbaBAGo: A Million Learners and Trees isip Secretary sa Department of Education gihingusgan ni VP Sara Duterte ang pagpakabana sa edukasyon sa kabataan alang sa hayag nga kaugmaon. Ang pagtanum og daghang kahoy gitutukan usab sa Office of the Vice President aron panalipdan ang kalikupan. Kaangayan ug kaayohan sa tanan maoy tumong sa serbisyo ni VP Sara Duterte,” said the Mandaue City Public Information Office in its Facebook post.
The event is simultaneously done in eight OVP Satellite Offices all over the country and two extension offices in Tondo, Manila at Lipa, Batangas.
Around 10,000 students were given PagbaBAgo bags with school supplies and dental kits.
In Mandaue City, Duterte led the distribution of PagbaBAgo bags to around 1,000 elementary students from various public schools.
The OPV is aware that many learners do not have the means to buy school supplies and commodities for oral hygiene, thus, such a campaign is done to address this concern.
Duterte said that this program is not something new, but something she had done in Davao City while still serving as a mayor which she is bringing in now on a national scale.
Initially, they are looking at giving away one million backpacks containing school supplies and dental kits that will be distributed to learners all over the country.
With this campaign, learners are expected to be encouraged to attend school already and finish their education, a tool for a better life.
“Akong giawhag ang mga ginikanan nga ipalayo ninyo ang inyohang mga anak sa mga dautan. Unang-una na dinha ang kriminalidad. Ikaduha dinha ang druga tungod kay kaning duha makadaut sa kaugmaon sa mga anak ninyo ug makadaut pod og pamilya,”said uterte.
Aside from academics and health, the campaign also aims to plant one million trees all over the country to address the call for the protection of the environment. Tree-planting activities are also something that DepEd has long been doing.
Although the campaign has just been launched, there were already 8,104 students from nine regions and 18 provinces that have benefitted from this since August 2022.
A simultaneously launched in OVP satellite offices in Davao, Zamboanga, Surigao, Tacloban, Bacolod, Dagupan, Region 5, BARRM, and Isabela also took place yesterday.
VP Sara also took the opportunity to thank the Mandauehanons and all Cebuanos for supporting her in the last election and for supporting father, former President Rodrigo Roa Duterte.
After the launch, Duterte met with Cortes along with Cebu City Mayor Mike Rama, Lapu-Lapu Mayor Ahong Chan, Talisay City Mayor Samsam Gullas Cebu and Cebu City South District Representative Edu Rama for a brief meeting.
She then proceeded to Liloan to join President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos and Tourism Secretary Christina Frasco for the grand launch of a new pier in the town. — Decemay Padilla Caecent No-ot Magsumbol (FREEMAN)