San juan city: President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Thursday oversaw the distribution of learning resources to students from 13 public schools in San Juan City in a ceremony at the Pinaglabanan Elementary School.
According to Philippines News Agency, during the event, Marcos distributed school bags and educational materials, observed the use of smart classroom technology, and engaged with 105 beneficiaries of the Presidential Merit Scholarship Program. He emphasized the importance of strengthening the country's education system through continued support and assistance to learners and teachers.
The San Juan City local government distributed about 13,000 tablets to learners from Kindergarten to Grade 12 across its 13 public schools to ensure improved access to technology-enabled learning. The Office of the President - Office of the Executive Secretary also provided about 1,000 school bags filled with essential learning materials for Kindergarten and Grade 1 learners through the Socio-Civic Projects Fund (SCPF). The bag contains learning supplies, including workbooks, notebooks, crayons, and pencil cases.
The ceremonial distribution followed the nationwide rollout of the initiative in Rizal, Cebu, and Davao Oriental, bringing reading materials to classrooms and equipping students with other learning tools they need to build strong literacy foundations. Marcos' visit to the school also underscored the government's commitment to removing barriers to learning, maximizing the use of digital technologies, and supporting Filipino children beyond basic education.
The event supports the Department of Education's (DepEd) recently launched nationwide literacy initiative targeting an estimated 6.8 million Kindergarten to Grade 3 learners, a critical age group where children transition from 'learning to read' to 'reading to learn.' Under the program, learners will receive age-appropriate storybooks designed to strengthen foundational literacy and foster early cognitive development.
Learners also received learning supplies from leading education and publishing partners The Asia Foundation, Adarna House, CANVAS, Lampara Publishing House, and Rex Book Store. DepEd financed the printing and nationwide reproduction of the storybooks, while publishing partners donated literacy materials that promote reading comprehension, numeracy, values formation, environmental awareness, and life skills.
Marcos urged the students, especially the scholars, to study hard, telling them that the time will come when they will become the country's future leaders. 'You think this would take a long time, it will be sooner than you think when it is time for you to be the ones to run this country. You will be the ones who will lead the Philippines,' he said. 'And I'm not talking about government alone. I'm talking in all the different sectors - in private business, in education, in government, in all the sectors."
