Charles Teves
Sara Duterte, Vice President and Secretary of Education, has gone viral after stopping her speech when sunlight hit her face.
On November 16, Duterte was invited to speak at DepEd Tarlac’s 120th founding anniversary thanksgiving and awarding ceremony.
As she was delivering her speech, sunlight glazed over her eyes, prompting her to make a joke.
“Sorry… I’m sorry, excuse me… hindi ako naglagay ng sunblock,” she joked as the crowd laughed.
BISE PRESIDENTE TALAGA NATIN SIYA? 😭😭😭 pic.twitter.com/vdEaKM0a4k
— ALTStarMagic 💫 (@AltStarMagic) November 16, 2022
After a short pause, Duterte continued her speech. However, many netizens did not find what she did funny.
According to one observer, Duterte’s actions were odd since she advocated for mandatory ROTC.
https://twitter.com/luffysally/status/1593054590085500928?s=20
Yung ayaw mo umattend ng ROTC kasi ang init. Charot! pic.twitter.com/9Fr4lwjggD
— Charot! (@IamCharotism) November 17, 2022
Another citizen commented that the VP was insensitive and disrespectful.
Sunscreen is a better term than sunblock because no facial product can block the sun 100%.
You put sunscreen before a speaking engagement not during the event. We should respect our audience.
— Winlove Mojica, MD (@theskinsensei) November 17, 2022
girlie you are at the front speaking tas iisipin mo pa sunblock sara duterte bobita amputa
— kenji (@chfuwu) November 17, 2022
Siya na ba si VP Sara Duterte? Omg. Pwede pala maglagay ng sunblock during formal speech, dapat before your speech ka naglagay Madam. 😮💨 https://t.co/GDbxX9DHPD
— Kel🌷 (@yourmichaelelon) November 17, 2022
Hindi naman po siguro lahat ng nasa audience nakapag sunblock. Hindi rin naman siguro life and death situation yan para mag pause sya sa speech nya. Mahirap ba mag adjust? Ilang oras ba ang ilalagi nya sa harap?
— 🌼 (@charmedpsych) November 17, 2022
Netizens also disapproved of the audience laughing at the vice president’s joke.
tapos tuwang tuwa pa mga bobotante dyan sa bulok na antics ng mga duterte kasi real na real daw. fckng neanderthals.
— ･᷄-･᷅ (@silakbow_) November 17, 2022
Our standards are so low. Nakakaiyak. Ano ba naman yan compared sa mga hirap faced by our teachers on a daily basis. https://t.co/2kQ37jR5yI
— JC Punongbayan, PhD (@jcpunongbayan) November 16, 2022
If Leni interrupted her speech to apply sunblock, you’ll never hear the end of it. Just saying.
— Jai Cabajar (@jaicabajar) November 17, 2022
Vice President Duterte sent her congratulations to the DepEd Schools Division of the Province of Tarlac for successfully arranging the event. Tarlac National High School is the Philippines’ oldest high school, and Tarlac is home to the province’s DepEd Schools Division.
Duterte said at the Bulwagan ng Kanlahi, “It is a significant milestone, indeed, for an institution to have had 120 years of fulfilling the noble mission of educating children, some of whom have become pillars of our history and society,”
The Vice President emphasized that teaching children is both a serious commitment and a responsible and honorable obligation.
She also acknowledged that the teachers had worked hard despite numerous obstacles, and she praised them for persevering despite the pandemic, which had recently resulted in the country switching to face-to-face classes exclusively.
