MANILA — Vice President and Education Secretary Sara Duterte said Tuesday she wanted to replicate San Juan City, which declared it achieved a 1:1 teacher and student-gadget ratio in public schools.

The city has also installed fiber internet connection for all of its 13 public schools — another project that Duterte wants to adopt.

But Duterte also admitted that the Department of Education (DepEd) was still leaning towards a "mixed" method of learning that both employs the traditional in-person learning and online classes because some areas do not have internet access.

"Iyan ang pangarap ng Department of Education para sa lahat ng ating paaralan. Pero sa ngayon, ang direksyon po natin ay mixed. Mayroon mga schools na hindi talaga kakayanin ang internet connection dahil wala iyong capacity doon sa kanilang lugar," Duterte said during her visit at Pinaglabanan Elementary School with San Juan Mayor Francis Zamora.

(That's the Department of Education's dream for all our schools. But for now, our direction is mixed. There are schools whose locations do not have the capacity to access internet connection.)

The school, on the same day, launched its fiber internet connection.

Asked if the DepEd will plan its own application for blended lerning, Duterte responded: "Depende iyan sa mapag-usapan ng ating technical working group sa institutionalization ng blended learning. Ang kukunin natin ay iyong pinaka-the best para sa ating mga learners."

(That depends on our technical working group on the institutionalization of blended learning. What we will get is the best for our learners.)

'Smart city'

San Juan's Zamora, meanwhile, said the city utilized its special education fund (SEF) to provide gadgets and internet for all public school students and teachers.

He explained this was part of San Juan's transition to being a "smart city", which he said can be done in other parts of the country.

Zamora added he wanted San Juan to be a "leader in terms of digitalization."

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