President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. on Tuesday met with his Cabinet at Malacañang Palace to discuss plans aimed at improving the services of departments and offices under the Executive Branch.
Vice President and Education Secretary Sara Z. Duterte and Social Welfare Secretary Erwin Tulfo are set to present their plans for their respective agencies, Marcos said in a short video clip uploaded on state-run Radio Television Malacañang (RTVM).
“Today, we will be briefed by Secretary VP Inday on her plans for the DepEd (Department of Education). And then following that will be Sec. Erwin who will give us a rundown of DSWD (Department of Social Welfare and Development),” he said.
RTVM, in a separate statement, said the meeting agenda includes discussions on “basic education, social welfare, and other matters of national interest”.
Earlier, Duterte proposed mandatory face-to-face (F2F) classes by November this year in an effort to address the supposed learning loss incurred during the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic learning setup.
Public and private schools have been given the option to do five-day in-person classes, blended modality or distance learning when classes begin on Aug. 22.
However, schools nationwide have only until Oct. 31 to prepare for the mandatory F2F classes, which will start on Nov. 2.
Meanwhile, the DSWD intends to fast-track the distribution of assistance through digital means, as well as prioritize the welfare of children, especially those who are in conflict with the law, Tulfo earlier said.
The Cabinet meeting is still ongoing, as of posting time.
This is the third time Marcos presided over a Cabinet meeting since he took oath of office on June 30.
However, this is the second time he attended the meeting physically at Palace’s Aguinaldo State Dining Room because he had to undergo mandatory isolation after catching Covid-19.
Marcos had to isolate for seven days, after he tested positive in an antigen Covid-19 test on July 8.
On July 12, or four days after acquiring Covid-19, Marcos held his second Cabinet meeting through teleconference. (PNA)
