SENATOR Christopher ‘Bong’ Go stressed the need to protect the welfare of teachers to enable them to continue with their critical role of educating the youth.

Go lauded President Rodrigo Duterte for signing Republic Act 11713, otherwise known as the Excellence in Teacher Education Act of 2022.

“Alam kong napakahirap ng buhay ngayon kaya dapat patuloy natin ibigay ang nararapat na suporta sa ating mga guro, lalong-lalo na at nasa gitna pa tayo ng krisis. Kung gusto natin umunlad ang educational sector, bigyan natin ng karampatang suporta at importansiya ang mga guro,” the senator said.

“Habang ang mga kabataan ang pag-asa ng ating kinabukasan, napakaimportante po talaga na pangalagaan natin ang ating mga guro dahil sila po ang pangunahing maghuhulma sa ating mga kabataan,” he added.

The law seeks to nurture the country’s educators to ensure that they are equipped and ready to create a more conducive and effective learning environment for their students.

It aims to improve the educational sector by revamping the Teacher Education Council and developing necessary scholarship programs for aspiring teachers.

It also mandates the establishment of Teacher Education Centers of Excellence in strategic places in all regions, following a set of standard criteria.

These centers of excellence will conduct innovative and relevant pre-service and in-service teacher education and training programs, including alternative delivery programs, that will develop and produce teachers who will foster and promote quality education.

The law also institutionalizes the National Educators Academy of the Philippines to provide quality and development programs on teacher education.

Go thanked fellow Senator Sherwin Gatchalian, the author of the measure that was signed into law, saying it will be of big help in the development of teachers.