Speaker Dy: Education remains top priority as House brings LegisHear closer to communities

House Speaker Faustino “Bojie” G. Dy III on Friday reaffirmed the commitmen of the House of Representatives to education, saying investments in Filipino teachers, students and safer schools must remain among the government’s highest priorities.

Speaking during the fifth leg of LegisHear in Victorias City, Negros Occidental, the House chief said education is central to giving every Filipino child a better future and stressed that Congress must listen directly to communities as it crafts laws and determines how public funds should be spent.

“Nakita po natin na napakahalaga po ng edukasyon sa bawat lugar, sa bawat barangay, sa bawat bayan at lungsod,” Dy said.

“Pare-parehas po ang ating paniwala na ang tanging edukasyon, matatag na pundasyon ng edukasyon, ay isang parte na para mabigyan natin ng magandang kinabukasan ang bawat Pilipinong kabataan sa ating bansa.”

The Speaker arrived in Victorias after joining President Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos Jr. earlier Friday in Isabela, where more than 4,000 educators and non-teaching personnel took their oaths following promotions under the Expanded Career Progression program or their entry into the Department of Education.

The Speaker also greeted teachers attending LegisHear as the country observes National Teachers’ Month, thanking them for their role in shaping the next generation of Filipinos.

“Napakahalaga ng inyong tungkulin sa ating lipunan na hinuhubog natin ang kinabukasan ng ating mga kabataan,” he told them.

Dy said education is likewise receiving close attention as Congress deliberates on the proposed national budget for 2027.

“Pinag-iingatan natin at tinitiyak natin na bawat sentimo na pinagpawisan ng ating mga kababayan ay tama ang paglalagyan nito,” he said.

Dy stressed that strengthening education requires more than providing funding. Congress, he said, must hear directly from teachers, parents, local officials and communities about problems confronting students inside and outside schools.

This, he said, is one of the purposes of LegisHear, which began in Isabela before proceeding to Butuan, Dumaguete, South Cotabato, and now Negros Occidental.

The former Isabela governor said the consultations give ordinary citizens and stakeholders an opportunity to raise concerns and propose solutions that lawmakers can consider in refining measures pending before the 20th Congress.

The Speaker also raised the issue of children’s safety, saying parents should not have to worry about whether their children are secure at home or while attending school.

“Kailangan mag-ingat po tayo sapagkat tungkulin natin lahat ito na maging ligtas ang ating mga kabataan,” Dy said.

He encouraged participants in LegisHear to continue bringing forward their experiences and recommendations so these can contribute to legislation that responds to the actual needs of Filipino families and students.