Source: The Daily Tribune July 14, 2009

Speaking at a forum before the students of the University of San Jose Recoletos in Cebu City
yesterday, former President Joseph Estrada said the cause of the sorry state of education in the
country is still corruption in government.

Citing statistics as to the number of students who actually graduate from high school and college
against those who were enrolled in first grade, he said that another cause of this poor outcome is
that education is not prioritized in the budget by the government, contrary to what is dictated by
the Constitution.

Citing the report from the Philippine Institute for Development Studies, Estrada quoted the agency
as follows: Out of 100 children who enter Grade 1, only 86 move on to Grade 2; only 76 move to
Grade 4; only 67 move to Grade 6; and only 65 actually graduate elementary. Of this 65, only 58
will go to high school and only 42 will graduate from high school.

Estrada added that a high school graduate shuld consider himself as part of the "fortunate few" in
this day and age, when one must be at least a high school graduate to be employed."

The former President noted that during his time as president, education had a bigger budget than
debt servicing; unlike today’s administration where debt servicing comprises the bulk of the
budget. He also stressed that the Estrada administration has, on record, the highest per capita
budget for basic education.

"It is written in our Constitution that education is a right. unfortunately, under the circumstances of
our economy today, it has become a privilege" adding that college students are extremely lucky
that they have reached college level.

He said that while it is the duty of the government to protect the future of our youth, "It is this
incumbent government that is responsible for the sad plight of education in our country today.

"The detrioration of our educational system is the main cause of the increase in the number of
poor families. Every year, we lack textbooks, classrooms, and teachers. Even the Education
secretary himself has admitted that our country is lacking at least 15 million textbooks. Alnost 40
thousand teachers, eight thousand classrooms and even one hundred thousand toilets."

Estrada said corruption in government is the reaosn for the sorry state of education, pointing out
that even noodles which are supposed to be part of the government feeding program are
overpriced by P14 per package of noodles.

Source: Joseph Ejercito Estrada Facebook Page http://www.facebook.com/note.php?

note_id=97302408266

"I believe that when our youth are deprived of the proper education, they are being deprived of
the better future that should be theirs for the taking. And that is precisely what this present regime
is doing when it does not prioritize education as mandated by our Constitution: it is robbing our
youth of the better future they deserve." This is what former President Joseph Estrada said as he
addressed the students of Medina College in Ozamiz City in Misamis Occidental today.

Estrada noted that it is on record that his administration is the only administration in the history of
the Philippine that gave the highest real per capita budget allocation to basic education, in
accordance with the mandate of the Constitution.

However, the current administration unfortunately has different budget priorities. "It is even
mandated under Section 5 of Article 14 (of the Constitution) that the State shall assign the highest
budgetary priority to education. ... Unfortunately, under this present regime, the priorities have
become debt servicing ... and, sad to say, corruption," Estrada said, noting that while the budget
for education has remained constant the past eight years, our national debt has doubled,
reaching almost 4 trillion pesos in 2008 compared to 2 trillion pesos in 2001.

Wrong prioritization is the cause of poverty, Estrada added: "While it is the duty of the
government to protect the future of our youth, it is this incumbent government that is responsible
for the sad plight of education in our country today. The deterioration of our educational system is
the main cause of the increase in the number of poor families in the country today."

Estrada also recommended the following educational platform for the next president:

1. The institutionalization of pre-school, kindergartens and Grade 7;

2. Increasing the number of classrooms and qualified teachers by increasing the budget for
education;

3. Reducing the student-teacher ratio;

4. Re-training teachers in math, science and English;

5. Tripling the number of scholarship grants to poor but deserving youth;

6. Establishing an elementary and high school within 1 kilometer from baranggay centers so that
students will not have to walk 3 kilometers just to go to school; and

7. Addressing the mismatch of college courses and job vacancies to help curb unemployment for
fresh graduates.