VP Sara Duterte criticizes education system in Kuwait, faces backlash

Vice President Sara Duterte stated during an event in Kuwait on Aug. 15 that the Philippines is lagging behind other countries in education, noting that Filipino high school students struggle with basic reading skills while children in other nations are learning advanced topics like robotics and coding.

Duterte's comments have drawn sharp rebuke from officials who argue she failed to address these issues during her tenure as Department of Education (DepEd) secretary from 2022 to June 2024.

Malacañang Press Secretary Claire Castro said Duterte's criticism now 'only reflects that as DepEd Secretary, she was a complete failure.'

The issues Duterte highlighted - outdated teaching methods, stagnant curriculum, poor literacy rates, and slow modernization of DepEd - are chronic problems that have persisted across multiple administrations.

During her term, DepEd completed only 192 out of its target of 6,379 new classrooms in 2023, and it also struggled with the distribution of thousands of laptops and e-learning equipment as part of the Computerization Program.

Rep. Antonio Tinio criticized Duterte for failing to deliver even a fraction of what was expected during her tenure, calling her 'the worst DepEd secretary ever,' and pointed out that billions of funds were unutilized under her leadership.