Bojie Dy says education still House’s priority, affirms commitment

MANILA, Philippines — Speaker Faustino “Bojie” Dy III has assured the public that the House of Representatives’s priority remains to be education, noting that one of the purposes of the chamber’s listening program is to check the needs of communities in terms of education.

During the fifth leg of the LegisHear initiative, held on Friday in Victorias City, Negros Occidental, Dy said that the House remains committed to pushing for investments in Filipino teachers, students and safer schools, as it is a key to giving children a better future.

“Nakita po natin na napakahalaga po ng edukasyon sa bawat lugar, sa bawat barangay, sa bawat bayan at lungsod,” Dy said.

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(We can see that education is very important in any area, for each barangay, each town and city.)

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READ: Speaker Dy launches LegisHear, brings Congress closer to the people 

“Pare-parehas po ang ating paniwala na ang tanging edukasyon, matatag na pundasyon ng edukasyon, ay isang parte na para mabigyan natin ng magandang kinabukasan ang bawat Pilipinong kabataan sa ating bansa,” he added.

(We all believe that it is only through education, a strong foundation of education, that we can be able to give every Filipino in our country a bright future.)

Prior to his visit in Negros Occidental, Dy was in Isabela with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to lead an oath-taking ceremony for over 4,000 educators and non-teaching personnel, following their promotions under the Expanded Career Progression program of the Department of Education.

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According to Dy, teachers play a very important role in the nation’s future as they shape the next generation of Filipinos.

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“Napakahalaga ng inyong tungkulin sa ating lipunan na hinuhubog natin ang kinabukasan ng ating mga kabataan,” Dy said, as the country celebrates National Teachers’ Month.

(Your role and duty to our society, to shape the next generation of our youth , is so important.)

“Pinag-iingatan natin at tinitiyak natin na bawat sentimo na pinagpawisan ng ating mga kababayan ay tama ang paglalagyan nito,” he added.

(We are making sure that we will properly place each centavo in the budget, as these are the fruits of our people’s hard labor.)

Similarly, Dy raised concerns about the safety of teachers and students, noting that parents should not have to worry whether their children are safe when at school, following recent school shooting incidents.

“Kailangan mag-ingat po tayo sapagkat tungkulin natin lahat ito na maging ligtas ang ating mga kabataan,” Dy said.

(We need to stay safe because it is also our duty to ensure the safety of our youth.)

Last September 18, Dy and Majority Leader Ferdinand Alexander Marcos announced that they have filed a bill that seeks to amend the country’s law regulating firearms and ammunition to ensure safe ownership and use of guns, after another school shooting incident.

Dy said he and Marcos filed House Bill No. 11387 which seeks to enforce changes to Republic Act No. 10591 or the Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulation Act — a 2013 law that placed standards and rules on gun ownership, possession, registration, and prohibited acts.

The proposal came after three students were confirmed dead while eight others were injured after a shooting incident inside Banga National High School in South Cotabato on Friday.

School-related violence has seen an uptick in the country over the recent months — with the incident in South Cotabato being the third gun attack inside campuses in less than four months.

Last June 22, three students were killed and five others were wounded when two suspects — who are minors and are students — opened fire inside the San Jose National High School campus in Tacloban City, Leyte.

Then on August 18, the Ateneo de Zamboanga University confirmed that two individuals — including the Grade 9 student tagged as the shooter — died after another shooting incident.

The LegisHear in Negros Occidental is the fifth edition of Dy’s initiative, which started in Isabela, followed by stops in Butuan, Dumaguete, and South Cotabato.

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Several other provinces are expected to be visited by House leaders, as they seek to involve people in legislation. /mr