On International Women’s Day, Vice President and Education Secretary Sara Duterte stated that inclusive digital education will provide opportunities for women and girls to thrive in communities.
Duterte highlighted her office’s initiatives during her speech at the Philippine Commission on Women and UN Women International Women’s Day Celebration in Taguig City, including the provision of technical assistance to women micro-entrepreneurs and a program that helps prepare women’s enterprises for “growth, scalability, and subsequent venture capital funding.”
“Naniniwala rin ako na kapag ang mga kababaihan sa isang komunidad ay nabigyan ng pagkakataong maging produktibo, kapag sila ay nabigyan ng edukasyon at nagkaroon ng kapangyarihan ng kaalaman, at kapag sila ay nahasa na mamuno, kaya po nilang baguhin ang mukha ng kanilang komunidad,” Duterte stated.
She added that “By helping women access economic opportunities, for example, we empower them to be financially independent, improve the standard of living of their families, and are better able to ensure the good health and education of their children,”
She cited the Lumad women of Davao City’s Paqubato district as an example of a “government-initiated but civilian-led peace initiative project” called Peace 911, and later helped their community despite the alleged cycle of violence caused by armed groups in their village.
Paqubato’s land was fertile and the women were taught to grow and produce organic vegetables, Duterte said.
Duterte added that those women, unlike all, may not have access to advanced technology and innovations, adding that they may not fully understand things about the internet or Facebook or Twitter or how their transistor radio works but they embraced a version of technology and innovation that was applicable and effective to change their lives and community.
Duterte also emphasized the need to improve the safeguards in place to protect women from all forms of abuse, including that which occurs in the home, workplace, and online networks.
According to her, the Department of Education is firm about upholding kids’ rights to a fundamental education.
“We have strengthened our child protection mechanism and launched the Learner Telesafe Contact Center national hotline where our learners can report cases of abuse including online child sexual exploitation,” she said.
Duterte also recognized the importance of addressing early teen pregnancies and making sure that students have the opportunity to continue their education.
She mentioned that only 63% of students at Pikit National High School in North Cotabato continue their education because of issues with community peace and order, adolescent pregnancies, and other issues.
“DepEd is also making sure that teenage mothers who have dropped out of formal school to take care of their children are provided with a second chance to finish basic education and pursue their dreams through the Alternative Learning System or pursue technical skills training through our TESDA programs,” she added.
As stated in the Philippine Development Plan 2023–2028, the Vice President declared that the Marcos Jr. administration is dedicated to enhancing social protection programs and putting legislation in place to safeguard women.
“It is my hope that by working hand in hand with this pursuit, we can provide more digital opportunities for socio-economic growth and gender empowerment and thereby enable women to rise above any form of online violence affecting their mental and physical well-being,” she stressed.
