NATION: MANILA- PANDEMIC RESPONSE Robredo: Duterte admin ‘shuts down’ my suggestions but uses these later on

MANILA, Philippines — Vice President Leni Robredo said Sunday that the Duterte administration shuts down some of her suggestions for the pandemic response—but ends up implementing her ideas later on.

Robredo cited her observation as she pointed out that she has been proposing to consider the conduct of face-to-face classes in areas where there is no community transmission of the new coronavirus, even before President Rodrigo Duterte approved its dry-run in select areas.

She said many students would have already benefited from this initiative if the administration was only open to suggestions.

“Kung hindi ako nagkakamali, as early as June, hindi pa bukasan ng klase, sinasabi ko na ito. Hindi pa bukasan ng klase, sinasabi ko na ito, na sana pag-aralan, pag-aralan na doon sa mga lugar na walang community transmission, gawin na,” she said in her radio program called BISErbisyong Leni.

(If I am not mistaken, as early as June, when classes have not yet opened, I was already talking about this. I was already suggesting that we should study conducting face-to-face classes in areas without community transmission.)

“Ilang beses na natin itong na-discuss sa BISErb[isyong Leni]. Pero kapag galing sa akin, shina-shut down ulit. Iniinsulto pa nga tayo. Pero later on, gagawin din nila, many months after. Ang hindi nare-realize, kapag hindi bukas sa suggestions, hindi naman ako iyong nabibiktima eh. Iyong nabibiktima iyong mga bata,” she added.

(We have discussed this a lot of times, but when the suggestion comes from me, they shut it down. I even get insulted sometimes. But later on, they will do it many months after. They don’t realize that when they are not open to suggestions, it is not me who becomes the victim but the students.)

Robredo then said that perhaps, some government officials do not often expose themselves to the communities, that’s why they don’t feel the urgency of some of the people’s needs.

“Ako babad na babad ako lalo na sa mga malalayong lugar, kaya alam ko talaga iyong urgent concerns,” she added.

(I expose myself to communities often, especially in far-flung places, that’s why I know their urgent concerns.)

She said she knows provincial officials of DepEd who agree with conducting controlled face-to-face classes but await instruction from the national government.

She pointed out that the government should provide solutions that fit the different situations on the ground since the case in Metro Manila could be different in other places.

Aside from face-to-face classes, Robredo noted that she also previously suggested moving the opening of classes that was supposed to be in June.

“Iyong opening of classes, parang April pa lang, sinasabi ko nang hindi kaya sa June. Sinasabi ko nang hindi kaya sa June, kaya baka pwedeng i-move muna para makapaghandang lalo. Ayon, nainsulto pa ako doon eh, pero ultimately minove din nila,” she added.

(On the opening of classes, I said back in April that it could not be done in June. I told them that maybe it could be moved to a later date to prepare better. I was even insulted for that, but ultimately they still moved the opening of classes.)

Robredo explained that teachers and parents are finding it hard to perform their roles in the modular learning method for students.

“So iyong sa akin, masaya ako, masaya ako na finally gagawin nila, pero sayang lang, sayang iyong ilang buwan na lumipas na pwede na sanang inumpisahan ito,” she said.

(For me, I am happy that they will finally do it. But it is a waste that there were months that passed where we could have started implementing it.)

Duterte earlier approved the Department of Education’s proposal to conduct a dry run of face-to-face classes in select schools in areas considered low-risk to coronavirus transmission for January 2021. [ac]