Grace gives dad FPJ’s advocacy a push

“FPJ’s lessons and values have been my guiding light,” said Sen. Grace Poe, who recently commemorated the 81st birthday of her late father, National Artist for Film Fernando Poe Jr. (FPJ), by donating 50 electronic writing pads to underprivileged students.

To help students of Don Quintin Paredes High School in Quezon City cope with the shift to online and blended learning amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Poe turned over the tablets to the school principal, Ernest Ferrer Jr., for distribution.

Sen. Grace Poe

‘Serve selflessly’

Poe said the Action King, who died at 64 in December 2004, always reminded her “to serve selflessly and make a difference in the Filipino people’s lives.”

The senator was accompanied by her son Brian Poe Llamanzares and Quezon City Vice Mayor Gian Sotto during the turnover of the local brand Cherry Mobile tablets, which came at a critical time as schools intensify preparations for the new modes of learning.

“We need to provide disadvantaged students the learning tools so they will not risk falling behind amid the rise of online education,” Poe said.

Grace as a child with FPJ (top) and with mom Susan Roces

Innovation, inclusion

She also said linking with groups and individuals with common goals to help the disadvantaged was also FPJ’s advocacy.“As the nation deals with the pandemic, it is crucial to ensure that this crisis encourages innovation and inclusion, and does not compound learning inequalities,” the senator also stressed.

Face-to-face classes have been ruled out this year due to COVID-19, and the Department of Education has turned to alternative delivery modalities under distance learning this coming school year, the start of which has been moved to Oct. 5 for public schools. —MARINEL CRUZ