Robredo did not criticize DepEd for students’ struggles with reading, math

Claim: Former vice president and now Angat Buhay chairperson Leni Robredo criticized the Department of Education under Vice President Sara Duterte.

The video with this claim says, “Muling pinataas ni ex-vice president Leni Robredo ang kilay ng publiko matapos [niyang] lantarang punahin ang kagawaran na nasa ilalim ng panunungkulan ng kasalukuyang Vice President Sara Duterte.” 

(Ex-vice president Leni Robredo once more made the public raise their eyebrowsafter she openly criticized the department under the leadership of the current Vice President Sara Duterte.)

Rating: FALSE

Why we fact-checked this: The video on Facebook has 19,000 views, 1,200 reactions, 323 comments, and 150 shares, as of writing. 

The bottom line: Robredo raised concerns on the number of Filipino students who struggle in literacy and numeracy in a Facebook post on August 22. 

No paragraph in her post criticized the education department and its secretary. 

Learning initiative: The said post is in connection with Angat Buhay’s Community Learning Hub, an initiative which was launched by her then-office in November 2020, under their Bayanihan E-skwela program.

Shifting focus: Back then, the program offered free access to computers, gadgets, equipment, and the internet, as well as tutors, to address the gaps of distance learning. 

Now, the continued program transitioned its focus to literacy and numeracy. Robredo in her post said they now focus on ensuring that learners from elementary to high school are able to comprehend numbers and read. – Ailla Dela Cruz/Rappler.com

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