Supporters cite the good traits, track record and plans of presidential bet Vice President Leni Robredo and her running mate, Sen. Francis Pangilinan in pushing for their candidacies.
Hundreds of professionals belonging to the academe, business and economic sectors have joined the growing list of individuals and organizations supporting the presidential bid of Vice President Leni Robredo.
Among those who expressed support for Robredo were more than 500 retired and former officials and employees of the National Economic and Development Authority and its attached agencies.
“We believe that VP Robredo is the only candidate with a clear platform for inclusive and empowered citizenry to reduce poverty, improve access to delivery of services, transparent public financial management and good governance,” read the statement issued on Thursday, March 3.
“Even before she announced her candidacy, VP Robredo demonstrated honest, decent, and competent leadership in dispensing the duties and functions of her office,” it stated.
The statement was also signed by former employees and officials of the Commission on Population and Development, National Statistical Coordination Board, Philippine Institute for Development Studies and the Philippine Statistics Office.
Thirteen former presidents of the Investment House Association of the Philippines likewise believe that Robredo can address the issues facing the country, particularly the “shaky rule of law, a failing democracy and a zig-zagging foreign policy.”
“No other presidential candidate has the scope, competence and moral bearing and unblemished integrity can handle the job. The growth and development of the capital markets is de-pendent upon investor confidence,” they said.
On Wednesday, March 2, 117 current and former presidents and heads of schools, colleges and universities have also declared their support for Robredo and her running mate, Sen. Francis Pangilinan.
"We make this determination following scrutiny of the various candidates’ track record as servant leaders, their proposed plans for education, and, more importantly, their character as individuals,” the country’s top education leaders said in a joint statement released on Wednesday.
Among those who expressed their support for the Robredo-Pangilinan tandem were former Commission on Higher Education (CHED) chairpersons Patricia Licuanan, Ester Garcia, and Angel Alcala, former Department of Education (DepEd) secretaries Bro. Armin Luistro and Fe Hidalgo, as well as former Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) director General Edicio dela Torre.
Former University of the Philippines president Emmanuel Soriano, Ateneo de Manila University (ADMU) president Fr. Roberto Yap, De La Salle University President Br. Bernard Oca, Adamson University president Fr. Marcelo Manimtim, University of Cebu president Augusto Go, Ateneo de Zamboanga University president Fr. Karel San Juan, Xavier University president Fr. Mars Tan, Saint Louis University president Fr. Gilbert Sales, and University of the Immaculate Conception president Sr. Marissa Viri, who is concurrently the head of the Catholic Education Association of the Philippines.
“As Robredo has demonstrated in her tenure as Vice President and especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, her brand of leadership shines through best in times of crisis – one that can find solutions that are context-based, data-driven, and equity-oriented,” the group said.
“We believe that Robredo is the ‘Education President’ our country needs to address this learning crisis and attain quality education for all,” they added.
According to Yap, Robredo and Pangilinan know the importance of having quality education available to all and “have demonstrated, time and again, that no Filipino will be left behind.”
"Besides school infrastructure built, scholarships raised, skills training and SPED (special education) promotion, the Leni-Kiko tandem personifies what is good, true and noble in the vocation of an educator," Yap said.
Oca said he chose the tandem as "they have compassion for the poor and the programs and competence to transform their lives through education.”
The group also outlined their proposed priority interventions for the sector, citing the need for increasing the education budget to six percent of gross domestic product, focusing on early childhood care and development, investing heavily in teacher quality, rationalizing the role of public and private educational institutions, and ensuring the coordination of DepEd, CHED, and TESDA, among others.
Chito Salazar, president of PHINMA Education, reiterated that the country needs an “education president” in order to arrest the most pressing issues in the sector.
"We are in a learning crisis. Our choice of the next president and the education team and of all electoral officials are based on their prioritization of education. It’s significant that we make education an issue now and make education a continuing issue in this country even after the elections,” he said.
The educators also expressed their grave concern regarding disinformation, underscoring the need to straighten the facts about the Marcos years. “We take this stand in defense of truth, as we share our resounding condemnation of historical revisionism, presenting the Marcos dictatorship as ‘golden years’ despite the human rights abuses, the censorship of mass media, and the underinvestment in education during those dark years,” they noted.
The group likewise lamented the country’s poor performance in the recent 2018 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) and the 2019 Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS), wherein the Philippines ranked lowest among 79 and 58 countries, respectively.
“These challenges need to be faced head-on by a hands-on government,” they said.
The statement of support was also signed by current and former officials of Assumption College, Xavier School, St. Theresa’s College, St. Scholastica's College Manila, St. Paul’s University-Manila, Don Bosco Educational Centers, Holy Angel University, Silliman University, Philippine Normal University, National Teachers College, Colegio de Santa Isabel, Bicol University, West Visayas State University, University of San Carlos-Cebu, Western Mindanao, State University, and Ateneo de Davao.
Other notable signatories include former ADMU president Fr. Bienvenido Nebres and former UP Chancellor Dionisa Rola.
At least 400 faculty members of the University of Santo Tomas have also endorsed Robredo as well as a group of students, alumni, faculty and administrators of the Asian Institute of Management.
Sharon: Choose Leni-Kiko tandem
Meanwhile, actress and singer Sharon Cuneta urged voters, especially the youth, to secure their future by voting for Robredo and Pangilinan.
“You know this is for your future. You are smart and wise to know this is for you and the coming generations. Do not give away your country,” Cuneta, who is actively joining her husband Pangilinan on the campaign trail, said during her speech in Iloilo City last week.
“Do not give away, do not allow anyone to take away your God-given rights. Most of all, always choose those that will glorify God almighty so our country will be blessed, like Ma’am Leni and Kiko,” she said.
Cuneta said the tandem is not tainted with any graft or corruption issue and they are focused on serving the country without fanfare or media coverage.
“Continue with your energy, your zeal, your enthusiasm, your excitement. Continue to support the Leni-Kiko tandem and our accompanying senators for the next 73 days until May 9 when you hit the election booths,” Cuneta said.
Hundreds of professionals belonging to the academe, business and economic sectors have joined the growing list of individuals and organizations supporting the presidential bid of Vice President Leni Robredo.
Among those who expressed support for Robredo were more than 500 retired and former officials and employees of the National Economic and Development Authority and its attached agencies.
“We believe that VP Robredo is the only candidate with a clear platform for inclusive and empowered citizenry to reduce poverty, improve access to delivery of services, transparent public financial management and good governance,” read the statement issued on Thursday, March 3.
“Even before she announced her candidacy, VP Robredo demonstrated honest, decent, and competent leadership in dispensing the duties and functions of her office,” it stated.
The statement was also signed by former employees and officials of the Commission on Population and Development, National Statistical Coordination Board, Philippine Institute for Development Studies and the Philippine Statistics Office.
Thirteen former presidents of the Investment House Association of the Philippines likewise believe that Robredo can address the issues facing the country, particularly the “shaky rule of law, a failing democracy and a zig-zagging foreign policy.”
“No other presidential candidate has the scope, competence and moral bearing and unblemished integrity can handle the job. The growth and development of the capital markets is de-pendent upon investor confidence,” they said.
On Wednesday, March 2, 117 current and former presidents and heads of schools, colleges and universities have also declared their support for Robredo and her running mate, Sen. Francis Pangilinan.
"We make this determination following scrutiny of the various candidates’ track record as servant leaders, their proposed plans for education, and, more importantly, their character as individuals,” the country’s top education leaders said in a joint statement released on Wednesday.
Among those who expressed their support for the Robredo-Pangilinan tandem were former Commission on Higher Education (CHED) chairpersons Patricia Licuanan, Ester Garcia, and Angel Alcala, former Department of Education (DepEd) secretaries Bro. Armin Luistro and Fe Hidalgo, as well as former Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) director General Edicio dela Torre.
Former University of the Philippines president Emmanuel Soriano, Ateneo de Manila University (ADMU) president Fr. Roberto Yap, De La Salle University President Br. Bernard Oca, Adamson University president Fr. Marcelo Manimtim, University of Cebu president Augusto Go, Ateneo de Zamboanga University president Fr. Karel San Juan, Xavier University president Fr. Mars Tan, Saint Louis University president Fr. Gilbert Sales, and University of the Immaculate Conception president Sr. Marissa Viri, who is concurrently the head of the Catholic Education Association of the Philippines.
“As Robredo has demonstrated in her tenure as Vice President and especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, her brand of leadership shines through best in times of crisis – one that can find solutions that are context-based, data-driven, and equity-oriented,” the group said.
“We believe that Robredo is the ‘Education President’ our country needs to address this learning crisis and attain quality education for all,” they added.
According to Yap, Robredo and Pangilinan know the importance of having quality education available to all and “have demonstrated, time and again, that no Filipino will be left behind.”
"Besides school infrastructure built, scholarships raised, skills training and SPED (special education) promotion, the Leni-Kiko tandem personifies what is good, true and noble in the vocation of an educator," Yap said.
Oca said he chose the tandem as "they have compassion for the poor and the programs and competence to transform their lives through education.”
The group also outlined their proposed priority interventions for the sector, citing the need for increasing the education budget to six percent of gross domestic product, focusing on early childhood care and development, investing heavily in teacher quality, rationalizing the role of public and private educational institutions, and ensuring the coordination of DepEd, CHED, and TESDA, among others.
Chito Salazar, president of PHINMA Education, reiterated that the country needs an “education president” in order to arrest the most pressing issues in the sector.
"We are in a learning crisis. Our choice of the next president and the education team and of all electoral officials are based on their prioritization of education. It’s significant that we make education an issue now and make education a continuing issue in this country even after the elections,” he said.
The educators also expressed their grave concern regarding disinformation, underscoring the need to straighten the facts about the Marcos years. “We take this stand in defense of truth, as we share our resounding condemnation of historical revisionism, presenting the Marcos dictatorship as ‘golden years’ despite the human rights abuses, the censorship of mass media, and the underinvestment in education during those dark years,” they noted.
The group likewise lamented the country’s poor performance in the recent 2018 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) and the 2019 Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS), wherein the Philippines ranked lowest among 79 and 58 countries, respectively.
“These challenges need to be faced head-on by a hands-on government,” they said.
The statement of support was also signed by current and former officials of Assumption College, Xavier School, St. Theresa’s College, St. Scholastica's College Manila, St. Paul’s University-Manila, Don Bosco Educational Centers, Holy Angel University, Silliman University, Philippine Normal University, National Teachers College, Colegio de Santa Isabel, Bicol University, West Visayas State University, University of San Carlos-Cebu, Western Mindanao, State University, and Ateneo de Davao.
Other notable signatories include former ADMU president Fr. Bienvenido Nebres and former UP Chancellor Dionisa Rola.
At least 400 faculty members of the University of Santo Tomas have also endorsed Robredo as well as a group of students, alumni, faculty and administrators of the Asian Institute of Management.
Sharon: Choose Leni-Kiko tandem
Meanwhile, actress and singer Sharon Cuneta urged voters, especially the youth, to secure their future by voting for Robredo and Pangilinan.
“You know this is for your future. You are smart and wise to know this is for you and the coming generations. Do not give away your country,” Cuneta, who is actively joining her husband Pangilinan on the campaign trail, said during her speech in Iloilo City last week.
“Do not give away, do not allow anyone to take away your God-given rights. Most of all, always choose those that will glorify God almighty so our country will be blessed, like Ma’am Leni and Kiko,” she said.
Cuneta said the tandem is not tainted with any graft or corruption issue and they are focused on serving the country without fanfare or media coverage.
“Continue with your energy, your zeal, your enthusiasm, your excitement. Continue to support the Leni-Kiko tandem and our accompanying senators for the next 73 days until May 9 when you hit the election booths,” Cuneta said.
