ILOILO – Gov. Arthur Defensor Jr. highlighted the smooth working relationship between the provincial government and the Department of Education (DepEd) through the Schools Division Office (SDO) of Iloilo and DepEd Region 6, amid the recent resignation of Vice President Sara Duterte-Carpio as Education secretary.
Defensor praised the effective collaboration which he said validated and supported provincial educational initiatives.
On June 19, Duterte-Carpio submitted her “irrevocable resignation” to President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., also stepping down as vice chair of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-Elcac).
“We respect the Vice President’s decision. If she wants a different role from what she is currently doing, we really respect that. In any event, she remains the Vice President and will always be available for other tasks. That’s why we respect her decision,” said Defensor.
Reflecting on Duterte-Carpio’s tenure as DepEd Secretary, Defensor noted, “While she was there, we had a good relationship with the DepEd. In fact, what we are doing here in the province has been validated by DepEd,” emphasizing the positive impact of this collaboration on local education programs.
Since the beginning of his first term as governor in 2019, one of the primary initiatives Defensor implemented was the Bulig Eskwela sang Probinsya (BES PROBINS) program, which aims to bridge gaps in the education sector.
The program focuses on crafting a career guidance and counselling module in partnership with DepEd and other stakeholders, aligning with the National and Regional Development Plans and guiding secondary school students in their career decisions.
Additionally, the BES PROBINS program supports the infrastructure needs of DepEd by constructing classroom buildings, teen centers, and covered gyms, underpinning the local implementation of Republic Act No. 11206 or the Career Guidance and Counselling Act, authored by Defensor during his tenure as a congressman.
“The Career and Guidance Roadshow of DepEd is a foundation of the implementation of that law. We are about to have it here in Iloilo, and during that roadshow, we will launch our BES PROBINS program,” Defensor said.
Furthermore, under the BES PROBINS Program, the provincial government plans to implement a Voter’s Education Program aimed at producing intelligent participants in the electoral process./PN
