Lumad leader urges Duterte to build rather than destroy IP schools
Lumad leader urges Duterte to build rather than destroy IP schools
CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY, Philippines – To address the indigenous people’s lack of access to education, President Rodrigo Duterte should build more schools rather than threatening to bomb educational facilities in Mindanao’s tribal communities, a tribal leader said on Wednesday.
Datu Jomorito Goaynon, regional chairperson of the tribal group Kalumbay in Northern Mindanao, said it would be best if the present administration will help these communities in putting up more classrooms and school buildings so that “lumad” (native) children could avail of free education.
Accusing them of supporting the New People’s Army, Duterte said he will have the IP-run schools bombed. Duterte made the statement during a press conference following his State of the Nation Address (SONA) on Monday.
The President’s threat, Goaynon said, will put the lives of the IP students and their teachers in danger, aside from the fact that the building of these tribal schools in Northern Mindanao did not come from the coffers of the government but from the people with help of some private organizations, especially the Rural Missionaries of the Philippines (RMP) who provided teachers and other needs such as books and school materials.
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