Vice President Sara Duterte attends the Bagong Pilipinas rally on Sunday, Jan. 28, 2024. (File photo by GRIG C. MONTEGRANDE / Philippine Daily Inquirer)
MANILA, Philippines — Besides honoring and giving back to their parents, students should focus on finishing their studies and learning a business if they aim to afford an iPhone and attend concerts of famous singer-songwriters such as Taylor Swift, according to Vice President and Education Secretary Sara Duterte.
During a joint event of the Department of Education (DepEd) and Go Negosyo organization in Rizal High School in Pasig city, Duterte told students the importance of investing in education, getting a job out of their chosen degree, and eventually putting their salaries to good use by having a business.
“Paano tayo gagawa ng content sa TikTok na ‘Of course, I am an iPhone owner?’ Paano tayo gagawa ng ganun kung wala tayong pambili ng iPhone? Bibili ng iPhone dahil meron tayong pera, meron tayong trabaho, meron tayong negosyo,” Duterte said in her speech on Monday.
(How will we create TikTok content, ‘Of course, I am an iPhone owner?’ How will we do that if we cannot afford to buy an iPhone? We buy iPhones if we have the money, and we can only do that if we have a job or a business.)
READ: Entrepreneurship training considered for senior high school
“Hindi pwede na pangarap lang manood ng Taylor Swift na concert. Gusto kong manood – Mag aaral akong mabuti. Magkakaroon ako trabaho. Magkakaroon ako ng negosyo. Bibili ako ticket at pupuntahan ko kung saan man yang si Taylor Swift,” she added.
(It’s not okay if we just dream about going to a Taylor Swift concert. I want to watch, so I will study hard, land a job, and have a business. This way, I can buy a ticket and go wherever Taylor Swift will hold her concert.)
Aside from mentoring young students, DepEd said in January that it is considering integrating entrepreneurship into the senior high school curriculum in a collaborative effort with Go Negosyo.
Duterte and Go Negosyo founder Joey Concepcion had discussed various avenues to incorporate entrepreneurship skills into the school curriculum for senior high school students, such as mentoring by seasoned entrepreneurs and assistance from private companies, among others.
The vice president also proposed that entrepreneurship mentoring should be part of the co-curricular activities of senior high school students and that teachers must receive the needed training.