Sara Duterte’s DepEd leadership is a ‘complete failure’ – Palace

Vice President Sara Duterte was welcomed in Paris by supporters calling themselves “DDS Europe” on Aug. 19, 2025. Photo from DDS EU Facebook.

MANILA, Philippines — Malacañang on Wednesday described Vice President Sara Duterte’s tenure as chief of the Department of Education (DepEd) as “a complete failure,” after she said the Philippines is falling behind other countries in education.

Responding to Duterte’s remark that the country remains at a “paper and pencil” level compared to nations with modernized education systems, Palace press officer Claire Castro said Duterte had the opportunity to lead DepEd and implement the very reforms she is now urging.

READ: Duterte blamed for ‘paper, pencil’ PH educ: ‘Worst DepEd sec ever’ – Tinio

“She was supposed to have worked for almost two years; whatever she is complaining about should have already been accomplished during her time,” Castro said in a mix of Filipino and English during a Palace briefing.

“With her complaint now, it only reflects that, as a DepEd secretary, she was a complete failure,” Castro added.

Duterte served as education secretary from June 2022 to June 2024. She said she resigned “out of genuine concern for our teachers and the Filipino youth” without specifying a reason.

Castro told teachers and students not to worry, saying that the current Education Secretary Sonny Angara is already addressing the problems Duterte left at the agency.

Speaking at a program in Kuwait, Duterte said that while other countries have modernized their education systems, the Philippines has remained stuck in a paper-and-pencil stage.

She added that students abroad are already engaged in robotics and coding, while the Philippines continues to struggle to catch up./mcm/abc