Warm greetings to all school administrators and teachers.
Together with the
international community, we celebrate the World Teachers Day to give gratitude to our leaders and teachers and recognize their important role in developing our youth. This year, our theme is Mga Lider at Guro na May Puso, Tatak Deped Rizal Yan. Indeed, being a teacher is not just a profession, it is also a vocation and a form of public service. Here in Rizal, our teachers give their hearts and minds in order to share their knowledge to the youth. We owe them what we learn not just in academics but also our moral values. They awaken our talents and creativity and they help mold our consciousness. Their dedication and patience continue to give us hope-- hope that translates into inspiration to dream big and the determination to reach them. As part of their vocation, they encourage us to love God and society. They are the present-day heroes because of the difference they make to the lives of our students.
We continue to address the pressing issues of backlogs in teachers, classrooms,
and textbooks. For 2018, the proposed appropriations for the Department of Education has increased by an additional 42 billion pesos. Through the Government Assistance to Students and Teachers in Private Education or GASTPE, scholarship grants, student loan programs, subsidies, and other incentives are made available and it will be expanded so that more students can attend school. The tax reform bill which is passed by the Congress is a social legislation that aims to cut personal income taxes. In effect, it will uplift the dignity and morale of our teachers.
Finally, we believe that education continues to be the greatest equalizer. It
provides a level playing field. We thank our school leaders and teachers for continuing to fulfill their mission in providing the youth good education. Mabuhay!