MANILA - “It feels like 100 years and not 100 days.”

Posting with a selfie on Instagram, this was how Vice President and Education Secretary Sara Duterte felt when she entered her 100th day in office.

As the Education secretary, her greatest achievement so far is the resumption of face to face classes, Duterte’s spokesperson Michael Poa said in a press conference on Friday.

"So, as you can see doon sa pagbabalik ng ating learners sa school, we try to do it as safely as possible,” he said.

"Kaya nga po doon sa enrollment guidelines na inilabas natin ay nagbigay tayo ng 3 options para sa mga enrollees. Hindi lang para sa kanilang convenience kundi para masunod iyong ating safety protocols,” he added.

Poa added that in her first 100 days, Duterte issued department orders clarifying the protocols in suspending classes during typhoons and calamities, as well as strengthening the compliance to health protocols during in-person classes.

But for the Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT), it would be difficult to judge Duterte’s programs in her first 100 days in office since more of her plans can be achieved in the succeeding months.

Nonetheless, they recognized her policies and the areas in the education sector where she needed to focus on.

"Sa amin po 7 (out of 10 ang grade) dahil iyong pangunahing kahilingan po ng teachers para sa kanyang benepisyo at sweldo ay mukhang hindi sinusuportahan,” ACT Rep. France Castro said in a interview in Teleradyo.

“Mayroon naman ding kaunting pagrereview sila ng K to 12 binibigyan din natin iyan ng point pero dapat mailabas na sa lalong madaling panahon para makita na natin sa Kongreso kung anong adjustments ng mga legislative measures na magagawa… to improve the reading comprehension, mathematical and science ability,” she said.

Teachers’ Dignity Coalition also gave her a passing grade, but said she fell short in supporting the teachers.

"75, pasado pa rin naman po,” said TDC Chairperson Benjo Basas.

“May points na nage-engage ang ating Deped officials, dumadalo sa mga consultations, may mga magagandang pronouncements like sinasabing babawasan ang workload ng teachers, maghi-hire ng bagong teaching personnel, dahil nirereview ang curriculum… pero hindi pa nagco-commit ang ating Deped Secretary in terms of salary increase ng ating mga teachers,” he said.

According to political analyst Froilan Calilung, Duterte’s good relationship with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. paved the way for her to be given more opportunities to serve the public.

"As Vice President i think she has done her part well considering the fact that in different occasions, that the president actually left for another country, she was given the cudgels of trying to take on the office of in charge,” he said.

“Matagal-tagal na nating hindi nakikita ang vice president eh iniiwan ng mahalagang tungkulin na patakbuhin ang gobyerno habang wala ang ating pangulo,” Calilung said.

Calilung lauded Duterte for her strong political will in pushing for the resumption of face to face classes.

However, she needs to give attention to the welfare of teachers, he added.

“Alam naman natin mayroong problemang kinakaharap ang education department, ang mga hanay ng guro,” he said.

“I think the vice president should actually listen and try to really understand the plight of the teachers, let us face it, ang education ay very much anchored on the quality of teachers that we have,” Calilung said.

OTHER OVP PROGRAMS

Meantime, the Office of the Vice President (OVP) on Saturday said it has processed P134-million worth of medical and burial assistance packages in Vice President Sara Duterte’s first 100 days in office.

Of this amount, P124.57 million was allocated to medical assistance, while P9.79 million was for burial aid disbursed to a total of 13,315 recipients, the OVP said, without making a distinction as to how many of these beneficiaries received which kind of aid.

“For the OVP medical services, a maximum of P20,000 in amount through guarantee letter and medicine in kind are provided for each beneficiary,” the OVP said in a statement.

“Burial assistance is given through petty cash,” it said, without specifying the amount for each beneficiary.

The OVP has also provided free bus rides to 98,000 passengers in Duterte’s first 100 days in office, it said.

“The WiFi-ready buses were initially lent for the OVP’s use, but Duterte said these would be more useful if they were deployed in some key areas of the country to be used by the commuting public for free,” the statement read.

The OVP-sponsored bus trips are available in Metro Manila, Cebu City, Lapu-Lapu City, Mandaue City, Bacolod City, and Duterte’s hometown and bailiwick Davao City.