Sara Duterte to Mindanao youth: Help rebuild communities torn by conflict

Vice President and concurrent Department of Education (DepEd) Secretary Sara Duterte appealed to the youth of Mindanao on Monday to help the government in rebuilding communities ridden by conflict.

“Together, let us rebuild our conflict-affected communities with the values of peace, mutual trust, and conflict transformation that will empower us to achieve our shared goals for sustainable development and inclusive socio-economic advancement,” Duterte said in her message at an assembly of student leaders of the Sultan Kudarat University (SKU).

Duterte said many students in Mindanao “have suffered the misfortune of chronically-interrupted learning progress because of violence”.

She also said “literacy is one of the casualties of war” as she pinpointed conflict and violence as among the factors hindering the region’s progress.

“Meanwhile, our youth, especially those who have forcibly dropped out of school are vulnerable to being recruited by groups that espouse violence and terrorism,” she added.

Despite this, Duterte said she “never lost faith in the power of the Filipino youth,” and that the DepEd commits to honing children to be nation builders to “unlock Mindanao’s full potential.”

“As a fellow Mindanawon, I urge you to partner with the government in empowering your peers to become fellow catalysts of peace, reconciliation, and non-violence in your communities,” she told the SKU student leaders.

“May you harness the benefits of your education in steering a wider path to development as you become vehicles of transformative growth and champions of our democratic values of freedom and justice in society,” she said.—Sundy Locus/LDF, GMA Integrated News