President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has emphasized the importance of putting a premium on education to ensure that future generations of Filipinos are well-educated and can excel even on the global stage.

“So, I’m putting a great deal of my attention and the government’s focus on education. That is the most important thing that you can do. You cannot have a successful society without a well-educated society,” Marcos said in the fifth episode of his podcast aired Tuesday.

Marcos vowed to work tirelessly to help the Philippines reclaim and even surpass its historical standing in literacy by enhancing the country’s educational outcomes.

“Remember when we were the best English speakers in Asia? We had the highest literacy rate in Asia. Let’s get back there. We need to get back there,” he said.

He also stressed the need to support talented and skilled Filipinos who have the ability but are constrained by a lack of resources.

Marcos pledged to invest in the education sector, emphasizing his commitment to equip Filipinos with the skills and training needed for the future.

“We have to make sure that the generations to come are well-educated. They’re well able to compete amongst themselves in the Philippines and internationally because Filipinos can do that. Look how well we’ll do when we go abroad,” he said.

“But they have to be trained. There has to be a system that brings them up to the standards so they can be internationally competitive in whatever they do. If they enter a business, they compete in the labor market.”

Marcos, in the third episode of his podcast in August, vowed to address challenges and build a more robust learning system to realize his vision for every Filipino family to have at least one member who graduates from college or a technical-vocational education and training course.

Education, he said, would be the “gauge of success” of his administration, noting that human development is the “most important” thing for him. (PNA)