Former House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano on Tuesday hailed President Rodrigo Duterte’s recent signing of the Excellence in Teacher Education Act, which aims to improve the conduct and quality of teacher education in the country.
“This is a very necessary piece of legislation, and we thank President Duterte for approving this law, which will go a long way in improving the way we train our teachers and school administrators,” Cayetano said on May 3, 2022.
President Duterte signed Republic Act 11713 on April 27, 2022, amending certain sections of its 1994 predecessor law which established teacher education Centers of Excellence and the Teacher Education Council.
The Excellence in Teacher Education Act strengthens the Teacher Education Council as the leading body for teachers training in the country, and seeks to establish Teacher Education Centers of Excellence in every region of the country.
Aside from being regional training centers for teachers, these Centers of Excellence will also serve as research hubs for teacher development, produce resource materials for educators in their immediate region, and facilitate collaboration among specific disciplines of teacher education in their localities.
Senator Pia Cayetano likewise welcomed the signing of the law, pointing out that she and her brother Congressman Alan Peter Cayetano share a common passion for education.
“Itong Excellence in Teachers Education Act, si Alan is a co-author sa House and then ako naman sa Senate. Ito y’ung pinapaganda natin y’ung quality ng education mismo ng mga teachers,” Senator Cayetano said in a media interview on Tuesday.
She said improving teacher education is crucial in elevating the quality of instruction in basic education and technical training institutions in the country.
“Kasi siyempre sino y’ung magtuturo sa mga bata? So we want to support the teachers na talagang masagad pa natin y’ung learning nila, y’ung ability nila to be great teachers, because sila y’ung magtuturo sa mga bata,” Senator Cayetano said.
Cherish education
She added that their father, the late Senator Rene Cayetano, taught them to cherish a good education and a good reputation over personal wealth. Their mother and grandmother were also instrumental in instilling the value of education to them.
“Pareho kaming education y’ung kasama sa priority namin, kasi actually y’ung nanay namin teacher, lola namin teacher, so talagang importante sa min ‘yan ni Alan,” Senator Cayetano said.
The former Speaker had earlier April appealed to local government units (LGUs) to provide full support for the education of the youth so the country can raise a generation of both high-earning and happy Filipinos.
He also said that should he return to the Senate, he will push for improved access and opportunities to education, describing these as key to the development of the nation.
He said it is the LGUs’ role to make sure every child gets to study by lifting the financial burden from parents and rewarding students who perform well in school, citing the education system in his home city of Taguig where students from preschool to college enjoy free tuition, uniform, school supplies, and school programs.
All graduate and post-graduate students in Taguig also receive scholarships and financial incentives for good performance, he said.
