Weeklong transport strike a ‘learning disruption’ – DepEd

Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, March 5) – The Department of Education (DepEd) said the weeklong transport strike to be launched by various jeepney and UV Express drivers will only cause a disruption in the education of students.

“The transport strike is a painful interference in our efforts to provide solutions to the problems besetting our education system and will only exacerbate the learning hardships of our students,” Vice President and Education Secretary Sara Duterte said on Saturday.

The agency also remained firm on its decision not to suspend physical classes in response to the transport strike.

"I maintain that during this communist-inspired weeklong strike, both in-person and alternative delivery modes of learning shall be implemented, whichever is convenient to the learners," she added.

Duterte’s statement came after the Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) criticized DepEd’s decision, saying the already difficult public commute in the country will be worse during the strike.

READ: Group slams DepEd’s move not to suspend classes as transport strike looms

ACT Chairperson Vladimer Quetua on Saturday urged the DepEd to be sensitive and allow regional and division offices to cancel physical classes in areas that will be affected.

‘Red-tagging as scapegoat’

Duterte also claimed that ACT’s support to the transport strike showed that the group has a communist ideology and does not serve the interests of students and teachers.

“ACT couldn’t care less if our efforts are hampered or if we fail because — as a lover of the useless ideologies espoused by the New People’s Army, the Communist Party of the Philippines, and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines — ACT’s dream is for our children to remain uneducated and poor,” she added.

In response, Quetua said that instead of resorting to red-tagging, the education department should find ways to address concerns of students and teachers in relation to the scheduled transport strike.

“Red-tagging has always been the default scapegoat of the powers-that-be each time they are criticized for their policies and decisions that are problematic and detrimental to the interests of their constituents,” he added.

Around 40,000 jeepneys and UV Express units from Metro Manila will hold a weeklong strike from March 6 to 12 to oppose the phaseout of traditional jeeps and the mandatory consolidation of franchises under the jeepney modernization program.

According to them, the proposed modern jeepney is too expensive and the financial aid from the government is not enough.