PANGASINAN, Philippines – Education Secretary Leonor Briones reminded about 5,000 campus journalists from 18 regions to focus on the reclamation of stories and the heritage of the Filipino culture.
In her keynote speech before campus journalists gathered in Lingayen for the 2019 National Schools Press Conference (NSPC), Briones said Filipinos should never forget about their roots and to appreciate efforts to preserve the national identity and national development.
“Sana we should never forget that we are Pangasinenses, we are Visayans, we are Warays, we are Ilokanos, but at the end of the day, we are Filipinos. Accent notwithstanding,” she said during the culmination of the 2019 NSPC.
“Karamihan sa inyo, ang pangarap ay makapunta sa ibang bansa. Para sa atin, the measure of success is going abroad and coming back with a foreign accent. Ang gusto natin na maging successful abroad. Pero sana, huwag nating kalimutan na tayo ay Filipino,” she added.
The education chief also paid homage the history and culture of the NSPC’s host province, Pangasinan.
“Kung ikaw ay taga-Pangasinan, napakayaman ng history ng Pangasinan. Nakapaganda ng mga istorya. Napakaganda ng mga myths. Nasa kanila ata ang notion na, you know, gender respect dahil kinkilala ang liderato hindi lamang noong unang panahon, hindi lamang sa history pero hanggang ngayon, napakahusay ng ating mga leaders from Pangasinan,” Briones said.
“Pangasinan has produced great intellectuals, great politicians, and I hope you in Pangasinan even if you go in other countries as you worked abroad, never forget your roots, as well as the rest of us Filipinos,” she continued.
Briones led the DepEd delegation in gracing the opening ceremonies of NSPC 2019, the largest campus journalism event in the country organized annually by the department in pursuant to Republic Act 7079 or the Campus Journalism Act of 1991. /muf