ACT Teachers Partylist Rep. France Castro slammed the Department of Education for allegedly neglecting the youth’s right to quality, safe and accessible education with the worsening health crisis in the country.

“The education system is again forced to close face-to-face learning and continue with DepEd’s blended learning program amid the pandemic,” Castro said.

The lady solon stressed providing quality, safe and accessible education for all has been the least priority of President Duterte’s administration, with the rate of its vaccination program and the continuing failed pandemic response.

The Chief Executive reiterated in his address to the nation on Monday that there will be no face-to-face classes until the country has reached herd immunity against Covid19.

“Dahil sa patuloy na palpak na pagtugon ng administrasyong Duterte sa pandemya, lalong kumakalat ang sakit sa mga lugar na dati ay wala o maliliit ang bilang ng kaso ng Covid. Umaabot na ang mas matinding variant ng Covid19 sa mga lugar na ‘di hamak ay mahina ang health care system,” Castro stressed.

“Lalong nagiging bulnerable ang mga mamamayang Filipino at lalong nabibihag ang sistemang edukasyon sa palpak na blended distance learning dahil ang noo’y mga lugar na maaari sanang pagsimulan ng muling pagbubukas ng paaralan ay hindi na muli nagiging ligtas para sa mga mag-aaral at guro,” Castro added.

The lawmaker further said the country still lags behind in its vaccination program with only around 1.98 percent of the population being fully inoculated.

According to the June 20 figures from Reuters’ Covid19 tracker, the country is only at 173,908 jabs per day, which is still far from the needed 700,000 daily jabs to cover 70 percent of the population by end of 2021.

“At this rate, the country is nowhere near herd immunity or even the government’s own target of vaccination, and the longer it will take for having safe face-to-face classes,” Castro added.

“Na-hostage ni Pangulong Duterte ang edukasyon dahil itinali nito ang pagbubukas ng face-to-face classes sa pagbabakuna ng mga Filipino na sila rin naman ang palpak dahil sa mabagal at kulang-kulang na pagbabakuna sa bansa,” she stressed.

Castro added there are greater consequences in keeping the youth locked out of their schools especially with the Duterte administration’s failed distance learning programs.

“Hindi dapat kailanman maging hadlang ang krisis pangkalusugan sa karapatan ng bawat kabataan sa kalidad ng edukasyon. Ang pagpapatuloy sa palpak na pagharap ng administrasyong Duterte sa lumalalang pandemya ay ang mismong pumipigil sa karapatan ng ating mga mag-aaral para makakuha ng access sa edukasyon lalo na ang mga kabataan mula sa mga malalayo at mahihirap na panig ng bansa,” Castro said.