BENGUET, 27 February 2025 – “Last mile doesn’t have to be last priority.” This was the firm declaration of Education Secretary Sonny Angara as he led a series of school visits in the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR). This fulfills a SONA promise of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s vision to bring quality education to remote communities.
To push for PBBM’s equity agenda, Secretary Angara and DepEd officials visited four Benguet schools under the Last Mile School (LMS) Program: Jose Gonzales Elementary School, Yabyabuan Multigrade School, Kiwas Integrated School, and Andolor Elementary School.
“Priority ni President Marcos ang pagtulong sa mga last mile schools na nasa bundok o isla. Our school visits in the Cordillera give us hope, showing that the right interventions can translate to positive outcomes. Even in the furthest points of our archipelago,” Angara said.
For the first time, an Education Secretary set foot in Yabyabuan Multigrade School in Bagong, Sablan—an isolated school now powered by solar energy—and in Andolor Elementary School in Tabaan Sur, Tuba, where teachers and students have long persevered despite limited resources.
Engaging with teachers and students, Angara listened to their struggles and reaffirmed DepEd’s commitment to improving conditions in geographically isolated schools. In Andolor Elementary School, he led the turnover of a newly constructed school building, ensuring better learning spaces for students.
He also inaugurated a new facility at the Benguet Special Education Center – Inclusive Learning Resource Center (BSPED-ILRC), a significant step in strengthening inclusive education in the region.
Sec. Angara shared that visiting the regions every month provides genuine insights from teachers, parents, and learners.
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“A Bagong Pilipinas cannot be built from the top down. It is shaped in places like Andolor, where dreams persist despite distance, where commitment is measured not in pesos but in perseverance. We will keep looking at the numbers, but we will never forget the learners, teachers, and parents behind them,” Angara emphasized during his talk at the Foundation for Economic Freedom fellowship meeting.
Secretary Angara also led the DepEd Management Committee (MANCOM) meeting in Baguio to discuss curriculum improvements, budget planning, and logistical preparations for the upcoming elections.
A critical part of this 7th senior leadership meeting focused on strengthening data management to inform policy decisions that directly impact schools, particularly those in far-flung areas.
“We have powerful tools for data analysis, but our systems need to work together. The data we collect at the school, division, and regional levels should all connect seamlessly. The goal is to make our interventions more responsive and effective,” Angara said.
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