QUEZON CITY, October 24, 2018 – Department of Education (DepEd) Secretary Leonor Magtolis Briones urged teachers to open new windows in the learners’ minds – including financial literacy – and make them better citizens of the country and the world.

The Education chief made the call in her keynote speech delivered before the participants, composed mainly of teachers from senior high schools and colleges in the National Capital Region (NCR), during the Sun Life Financial Philippines’ Sinag Teachers Summit on October 19 at the Novotel Manila Araneta Center in Quezon City.

This summit is part of Sun Life’s financial literacy efforts, which aim to enjoin more teacher-participants to the cause.

Briones reminded the teachers to engage in activities that will further advance their knowledge and skills, which they can pass on to their learners in class: “My challenge to our teachers – take new and exciting paths, know and love the country more, discover things never known before, and learn skills you never had before.”

Financial literacy
The Secretary mentioned that it is the mandate of DepEd to “ensure that economic and financial education becomes an integral part of formal learning,” as stated in Republic Act No. 10922, or the Economic and Financial Literacy Act.

“One law is requiring that financial literacy should taught to our students. And so if we teach financial literacy to our high school students, the teacher should be in a position to teach and to practice, in very practical ways, financial literacy – thus, [we are] providing them with financial literacy courses and seminars,” Briones explained.

She conveyed her gratitude to Sun Life and other partners who help the Department in providing these learning platforms to teachers: “We truly appreciate what Sun Life is doing, along with other private and public institutions, in capacitating and providing our teachers with lectures and seminars about financial literacy.”

Employees’ rights, welfare
Furthermore, Briones underscored that the Department is and will always uphold the rights of the teachers and other employees, and shared the recent developments in the expansion of their welfare and benefits.

She also mentioned how teachers are loved and revered not only by their students, but also by the community: “There’s something about the teaching profession which is beyond the salary. Teachers are not only loved, they are also revered.”

“And the greatest and the most revered political and religious leaders produced by the human race are teachers – Gautama Buddha, Mahatma Gandhi, Nelson Mandela, and even Jesus Christ. Pinaka-brilliant na mga Nobel Prize winners ay teacher. Isn’t it inspiring?” Briones concluded.

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