A GROUP of non-teaching personnel of the Department of Education were “demoralized” after Vice President and Education Secretary Sara Duterte failed to mention her support to them during the Basic Education Report 2023.

“We wonder that the non-teaching personnel were not mentioned in the plan or agenda of the Secretary, nor any program for us as non-academic personnel—the backbone of DepEd,” Domingo Alidon, president of the DepEd Employees’ Union (DepEd-NEU), said.

“If non-academic personnel are not taken care of by the management, they will be weakened and even demoralized as the backbone of the department, the body of the DepEd will also weaken and will be paralyzed,” Alidon added.

He, however, stressed that they fully support the agency.

In her report, Duterte announced that the agency shall implement programs to improve the quality of education to respond to the challenges and solve the problems hounding the education sector.

The DepEd recently launched “MATATAG: Bandang Makabata, Batang Makabansa” agenda. It envisions implementing resilient reforms in the curriculum, education services, and provision of facilities, learner wellbeing, and teacher support programs.