“I have never lost faith in the Filipino youth.”
This was what the Vice President of the Republic of the Philippines, Hon. Sara Z. Duterte-Carpio had to say when she graced the first Student Leaders’ Assembly (SLA) as the Guest of Honor and Speaker held at the Sultan Kudarat State University Gymnasium on February 27, 2023.
The first SLA was spearheaded by the Provincial Local Government of Sultan Kudarat, headed by the dynamic governor, Hon. Datu Pax Ali S. Mangudadatu. High ranking officials of the PNP and AFP joined the event. Also present were the amiable Representative of the 1st District of Sultan Kudarat, Bai Rihan M. Sakaluran, the equally affable governor of Maguidanao Hon. Bai Mariam S. Mangudadatu, and the very active Mayor of Tacurong City, Hon. Joseph George Lechonsito, MD.
The University President Samson L. Molao, EdD welcomed the esteemed visitors and thanked Vice President Sara Duterte for visiting the University.
Governor Datu Pax Ali S. Mangudadatu gave his message and lauded the University for producing not only good professionals but also better leaders. He also commended the University’s performance as the top performing law school in the Region, top 3 performing school in midwifery, and for having produced topnotchers in Criminology. The good governor also promised his full support to the University’s ongoing preparation for the opening of the College of Medicine.
Vice President Sara Duterte’s speech zeroed in on encouraging the youth to become partners in nation-building and in nurturing a culture of peace. She also talked about the negative effects of a war-torn community and emphasized that one of the casualties of is education, thus she continues to advocate for peace to ensure that the youth get their richly-deserved quality education. Her message also imparted to the student leaders not to demand what they cannot do themselves. As student leaders, they should walk the talk, they cannot demand from others what they themselves cannot deliver. She shared anecdotes about her experience as Mayor of Davao City and reminded the students what a big responsibility it is to be a leader. She also reminded the students that the positions they hold right now, serve as training ground for what they will be in the future.
The Vice President also thanked everyone for their support to her family and to her during her Vice-Presidential campaign and and extended the gratitude of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr., for the support in his 8-point socio-economic agenda. The program ended with a photo opportunity where one of the students of the University was lucky enough to score a selfie with the VP.
