Vice President and Education Secretary Sara Duterte on Tuesday visited oil spill-affected schools in Pola, Oriental Mindoro, and pushed for blended learning amid their high number of absences.

In a statement, Duterte said she visited both the Tagumpay Elementary School and High School in Pola.

“Kabilang ang mga paaralang ito sa may mataas na bilang ng absences ng mga estudyante dahil sa oil spill na nangyari sa probinsya. Iminungkahi natin na ipatupad ang blended learning sa mga panahong nahihirapan ang mga estudyante sa pagpasok dahil sa kalamidad (These schools are among those with a high number of student absences due to the oil spill in the province. We recommended implementing blended learning in times like this when learners are struggling due to calamity),” she said.

Besides resorting to alternative delivery modes, such as online classes or modular setup, Duterte also urged learners to be collaborative with their classmates to improve their reading skills.

“Dapat yung mga hindi pa marunong magbasa, huwag nating awayin, huwag nating kantyawan, huwag nating pagtawanan. Dapat yung mga hindi pa marunong magbasa, dapat nating turuan. Kailangan natin tulungan (For [your classmates] who are not yet able to read, we should not fight them or mock them or laugh at them. We should teach them. We need to help them),” she said.

She said this is significant to help learners improve their communication skills and self-development.

Apart from the two schools, Duterte also visited the Leandro Panganiban Sr. – Tagumpay High School, where the school head raised concerns and gave an update on the current situation.

Meanwhile, the vice president provided financial aid to 289 parents of affected learners in the area, in partnership with the Department of Social Welfare and Development.

The Office of the Vice President said four oil spill-affected barangays have received PHP20,216 worth of aid each. (PNA)