President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. underscored the crucial role of education in shaping a successful and globally competitive nation, saying it will remain a top priority of his administration.
“So, I’m putting a great deal of my attention and the government’s focus on education. That is the most important thing that you can do. You cannot have a successful society without a well-educated society,” Marcos said in the fifth episode of his podcast aired Tuesday.
He vowed to work tirelessly to restore the Philippines’ strong reputation in literacy and language proficiency.
“Remember when we were the best English speakers in Asia? We had the highest literacy rate in Asia. Let’s get back there. We need to get back there,” he said.
Marcos also emphasized the need to support skilled and talented Filipinos who lack access to proper education and training.
“We have to make sure that the generations to come are well-educated. They’re well able to compete amongst themselves in the Philippines and internationally because Filipinos can do that,” he said, adding that a strong education system will prepare Filipinos to meet international standards in any field.
In a previous podcast episode, Marcos said education will be the “gauge of success” of his administration, noting that human development is his most important goal. He envisions every Filipino family having at least one college or technical-vocational graduate as part of a stronger and more inclusive learning system.