A KEY official of the Marcos Jr. administration emphasized the vital role of barangay leaders in advancing grassroots education and community development, calling them ‘catalysts for long-term national progress.’
Speaking at the Liga ng mga Barangay National Congress in Pasay City, Office of the Executive Secretary Assistant Secretary Rea Uy-Epistola said that the campaign for quality education begins at the barangay level.
‘You are the first to see children who cannot attend school,’ Uy-Epistola told the 6,000 gathered local officials. ‘You are the first to hear parents worrying about the future of their children, and you are the first who can open the doors of opportunity for them.’
Aligning with the vision of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., the assistant secretary reiterated the administration’s stance that education is a key investment rather than an expense.
She highlighted the impact of the ‘Presidential Scholars Program,’ explaining that they are not merely beneficiaries, but are strategic investments for their families, their barangays, and the future of the nation.
‘When a child graduates, the entire community benefits,’ Uy-Epistola said.
‘When our youth learn, the nation progresses. This is the essence of the ‘Social Civic Projects Fund,’ investing in the priority development projects of our barangays, and investing in five presidential scholars in every barangay.’
The assistant secretary emphasized that the national government cannot achieve these educational and developmental goals alone. She called upon the country’s 42,011 barangay chairpersons to act as vital bridges of service, opportunity, and hope.
According to her, the president believes that the true measure of the administration’s success is if its programs are felt in every barangay and household across the country.
‘Let us prove that a progressive barangay is not just a promise, but a reality we work toward together,’ she said. ‘One barangay, one community, one future, one Bagong Pilipinas [New Philippines].’