CAMPUS journalists expect President Rodrigo Duterte to declare a ‘concrete plan’ in responding on the Covid19 pandemic as well as the status of education in the country during his State of the Nation Address on Monday.

Angela Clariño hopes the President will give a clear plan for the education sector involving both teachers and students.

“Inaasahan ko rin na sana bigyan din tayo ng Pangulo ng mas malinaw at pro-people na plano pagdating sa issue ng edukasyon sa bansa,” she said in an interview.

At the same time, she stressed Duterte should focus on serious issues rather on irrelevant ones.

Another student in Mark Anthony Ambrocio said both teachers and students should be addressed by the President on his SONA.

“Sana maging inklusibo ang pagtanaw niya sa dalawa, na maitungo pa rin ito na ang edukasyon pa rin ay para sa lahat kasi ang lumalabas sa inisyal na plano ay hindi pa ganap na konkreto gayong sa darating na Agosto na ang balak nilang pagbabalik sa klase,” he said.

“Sigaw natin ang konkretong plano at aksiyon, hindi mema’t komedya,” he added.

For his part, Mark Lester Andrie Cruzet said the government should have a comprehensive plan to solve the pandemic.

“Una’t higit na rito ay ang mga plano niya para sa paglaban natin kontra pandemya,” he said.

Cruzet also expects the Chief Executive to address the issues of students and teachers especially those who were not able to acquire a gadget for online classes.

“Umaasa rin ako na pagtutuunan din ng Pangulo sa kanyang SONA ang nalalapit na pagbubukas ng klase, lalo pa’t kawawa lang dito ang mga bata lalo yaong walang-wala,” he added.

Meanwhile, Beverly Shaine Bautista believes it will be hard for the President to deliver a ‘convincing’ and ‘impeccable’ speech.

“I think his fifth SONA would not be as pleasing as his previous ones, granted that the administration still fails to address perhaps its most challenging setback which is the Covid19 pandemic,” she said.

On the other hand, Cruzet and Bautista urged the consideration of academic freeze for the school year 2020-2021.

“The Department of Education and the Commission on Higher Education, in cooperation with the Inter-Agency Task Force on Covid19 should review the proposed school opening in August and consider doing an academic freeze for this year,” Bautista said.

“Malabo man pero sana naman sa SONA ng Pangulo, bigla niya na lang ianunsiyo na pansamantala niya munang ihihinto ang pagbubukas ng klase,” Cruzet said.

These campus journalists also insisted there should be no students left behind.