Amid textbook lack, P10 million for Sara Duterte book tagged ironic

MANILA, Philippines—Ironic.

This was how Jonathan Geronimo, vice chairperson of the Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT), described the Office of the Vice President’s (OVP) request for P10 million to print 200,000 copies of Vice President Sara Duterte’s book, Isang Kaibigan (A friend).

As Duterte herself pointed out, the book, which she self-authored, stresses on the value of friendship, of not abandoning friends.

It seeks to impart this lesson through the story of Kwago (Owl), whose home was destroyed by a storm and Loro (Parrot) who came to help Kwago and offered shelter.

Owls in real life do not build homes but settle on trees unlike Duterte’s fictional character.

RELATED STORY: VP Sara’s ‘Isang Kaibigan’ book sparks heated exchange in Senate

But while the OVP defended the book, saying that it would encourage reading, Geronimo asked if it is really necessary, especially since most students in public schools do not have a complete set of textbooks and that some do not even have a single textbook at all.

As the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM II) revealed, since the K-to-12 curriculum was introduced in 2013, only 27 textbook titles have been procured by the Department of Education (DepEd) out of the 90 required for Grades 1 to 10, with only Grades 5 and 6 having a complete set of textbooks.

Duterte was head of the DepEd for almost two years.

‘Aksaya’

Geronimo, who told INQUIRER.net that the Philippines is still far from having a 1:1 student-textbook ratio, said that government resources, like the 10 million requested by the OVP, should instead be allotted for learning materials in schools, “not for self-serving interests.”

For Raymond Basilio, ACT secretary-general, “we do not need self-serving materials that aim to promote a certain individual,” stressing that “we can better address the problem of learning poverty by having quality learning materials such as books in our schools.”

“While the education crisis is worsening, it is disappointing to find out that this is how our leaders want to spend government resources,” he told INQUIRER.net as he criticized Duterte’s request for P10 million to print 200,000 copies of her book, which the OVP said is “for young readers, not voters.”

READ: OVP explains Sara’s book: For young readers, not voters

Last Tuesday, Aug. 20, Duterte’s children’s book ignited a heated exchange between her and Senator Risa Hontiveros, who asked the Vice President to explain what the book is about. But Duterte instead accused Hontiveros of “politicizing” the hearing on the OVP’s proposed P2.037 billion budget for next year.

As pointed out by Hontiveros, one of the OVP’s programs for 2025 is the PagbaBAGo Campaign: A Million Learners and Trees, which involves the provision of bags to one million learners in remote communities while initiating activities where they can plant trees.

This program, the senator said, is expected to get P100 million in funding, but part of the campaign is an allocation of P10 million for the distribution of Duterte’s book, which the OVP said was made in 2023 and has nothing to do with elections.

READ: Duterte, Hontiveros clash over ‘politicizing’ budget hearings

Duterte’s book is composed of 16 colored pages, then at its end, her portrait is shown with the caption “Siya ay isang tunay na kaibigan (She is a true friend).” The book is expected to cost P50 each, based on a statement by the OVP.

‘Delayed’

As EDCOM II stated, one of its findings was that for the past decade, even if government resources were available, the procurement of textbooks has always been delayed, pointing to data in the Agency Budget Notes of the Congressional Policy and Budget Research Department.

This, as from 2018 to 2022, a total of P12.65 billion has been allocated to textbooks and other instructional materials, but only P4.47 billion, or 3.53 percent, has been obligated, and P951.90 million, or 7.5 percent, has been disbursed.

Last year, the Policy Industry Research Division of the National Book Development Board explained that while it should take only six months, the procurement of textbooks for public schools takes three to five years because they still need to go through several layers of revisions to be acceptable.

READ: Revisions delay procurement of school textbooks

But in a release by EDCOM II, one main reason for the delay is the procurement of manuscripts separately from printing and delivery services, which is exacerbated, too, by the high cost of materials; supplier’s failure to meet the deadline in printing and delivery; and the limited number of bidding publishers.

Over the past decade, no successful procurement of even a single textbook was made for Grades 1, 2, 3, and 7, based on EDCOM II’s data, which was stated in its Year One Report, “Miseducation: The Failed System of Philippine Education,” that was published late last year.

RELATED STORY: Probe sought on DepEd textbook lack, process

As pointed out to INQUIRER.net by a teacher in Isabela province, in his 10 years with DepEd, he never experienced having a complete set of textbooks for his students, saying that in his class now, out of eight subjects, they only have one textbook, which is English.

Basilio said that teachers even carry the burden of finding alternatives to produce instructional materials for their students, and that most often, they are left with no option but to use their salaries, which is not even enough for their own and their family’s needs.

Kaibigan, for real?

It was late last year when Duterte launched her book at the Esteban Abada Elementary School in Quezon City, with the OVP saying that in writing the book, she drew from her “personal experiences” and portrayed the “essence of true friendship.”

It was one of her dreams, the OVP said as it stressed that Duterte wants the book “to be a source of inspiration for students to write their own stories.” It said Duterte “encourages young minds to read and study diligently, urging them to persevere in their education journey.”

The book, however, was not received well by some Filipinos, who first pointed out the contrast between Duterte being a “friend,” especially when there are crises, to Duterte leaving the Philippines while Metro Manila and provinces in Luzon were being battered by the southwest monsoon and a typhoon.

One netizen even recalled when Duterte punched a sheriff over the demolition of shacks in Davao City in 2011, although Duterte was the one who had asked the court and the demolition team to delay the demolition because she knew it would be bloody as residents were ready to fight back.

The sheriff, who was punched by Duterte, however, explained to her that he was only implementing a court order.

Then one also pointed out that the book should instead be titled as Isang Kaibigan ng China (A friend of China), especially since Duterte has often been silent with regard to China’s aggression against Filipinos in the West Philippine Sea and her father’s policy of appeasement toward China during his presidency.

Responding to allegations that she plagiarized the children’s book, Duterte stressed that “it is easy to write a short story based on one’s experience.” “There’s no need to copy,” she said in a statement to address criticisms over the book.

READ: VP Sara Duterte: Stay tuned for my next book about a friend’s betrayal

“Abangan ninyo ang susunod kong isusulat na libro tungkol sa pagtataksil ng isang kaibigan (Watch out for the next book I will write, which will be about the betrayal of a friend),” Duterte said.

“Hindi ang libro ang problema ng bayan kundi ang kahinaan sa pagbabasa ng ating kabataan (Our problem is not the book but the reading weakness of our youth),” she stressed.