Armin Altamirano Luistro
Encyclopedia
Armin Altamirano Luistro, born December 24, 1961 in Lipa
, Batangas
, Philippines
, is a Filipino
Lasallian Brother, who serves as secretary
of the Department of Education of the Philippines
. Luistro entered De La Salle Scholasticate (the center for academic training of De La Salle Brothers) in Manila
on April 1979 while he was studying in De La Salle University
(DLSU). He received the religious habit
of the congregation
on October 1981 at the La Salle Novitiate in Lipa. He professed his first religious vows
on October 1982, and his final vows on May 1988.
He started teaching as a religion teacher at De La Salle Lipa
in 1983. He was made provincial
of the De La Salle Brothers Philippine District on April 1997, a post he held until 2003. On August 26, 2000, Luistro co-founded the De La Salle Catholic University of Manado, currently known as De La Salle University
, in Indonesia
with Josef Suwatan, Roman Catholic Bishop of Manado.
On April 2004, he succeeded Andrew Gonzalez
as the president of De La Salle University System, consequently making him the president of eight De La Salle institutions. He worked into establishing De La Salle Philippines
(DLSP) which replaced the system. The DLSP National Mission Council appointed him DLSP President and Chief Executive Officer on November 29, 2005.
He was appointed as the Secretary of Education of the Philippines since June 30, 2010, becoming the second De La Salle brother to hold the post—the other was Gonzalez who was in office from 1998 to 2001. Luistro has the least net worth among Aquino's cabinet. He had ₱89,000 (US$2,060). In contrast, the richest—Cesar Purisima
who is Secretary of Finance
—had ₱252 million (US$5.84 million).
The Alliance of Concerned Teachers
(ACT) have expressed skepticism over Luistro's stand on sex education
citing his religious background. Nevertheless, the Department of Education has included sex education in its curriculum for grade 5 to fourth year high school. Roman Catholic groups have criticized it for allegedly not covering the emotional, psychological and spiritual dimensions of sexuality.
Luistro is a major proponent of the K+12 Basic Education Program in the Philippines. The program seeks to add two years to the current 10-year basic education
curriculum. Numerous parties have opposed the plan including Ateneo de Manila University
President Bienvenido Nebres
and progressive
groups of students, teachers and parents.
at De La Salle Lipa
. He pursued his undergraduate studies at De La Salle University in Manila under a scholarship, and was conferred Bachelor of Arts
in Philosophy and Letters on March 1981. When asked in a Manila Bulletin
interview in 2009, he shared that he had spent most of his education in Batangas, and since DLSU had no uniforms
, he "wore all the baduy type of shirts", as he put it, using the Tagalog
word for "unfashionable", while most of his classmates were from elite high schools. Thus he says "I supposed [they] laughed at me."
In 1981 he entered into a program in Ateneo de Manila University, and was awarded a Certificate in Formation Institute for Religious Educators in 1985. He enrolled in a graduate program in DLSU in 1991, and was made Master of Arts
in Religious Education
in 1993. He graduated in a MA program in religious education and values formation at the same university in 2003. He was conferred a doctor's degree in educational management on May 2005.
He was made Doctor of Humane Letters
, honoris causa, by La Salle University
in Philadelphia
, Pennsylvania
, United States
on May 9, 2004.
on October 1981 at the La Salle Novitiate in Lipa. He professed his first religious vows
on October 1982, and his final vows on May 1988. In the Manila Bulletin interview, he said that teaching was the reason why he entered the congregation.
He started teaching as a religion teacher at De La Salle Lipa in 1983. He moved to La Salle Greenhills in 1986. He was made provincial of the De La Salle Brothers Philippine District on April 1997, a post he held until 2003.
On August 26, 2000, Luistro co-founded the De La Salle Catholic University of Manado, currently known as De La Salle University, in Indonesia with Josef Suwatan, Roman Catholic Bishop of Manado. DLSU in Manila supervised initial operations before it was transferred to the Philippine District.
On April 2004, he succeeded Andrew Gonzalez as the president of De La Salle University System, consequently making him the president of eight De La Salle institutions. In his inaugural speech, he acknowledged the "multiversity" concept of Gonzalez who established the system. In which structure, DLSU served as the flagship while other De La Salle institutions specialized in fields like agriculture
, alternative education
and medicine
.
He did, however, find the system's structure unfeasible. He worked into establishing De La Salle Philippines which replaced the system. Under the reorganization, other De La Salle institutions were included in the network—a total of 17. Each De La Salle institution was autonomous and had its own president. The DLSP National Mission Council appointed him DLSP President and Chief Executive Officer
on November 29, 2005.
Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo
during the height of the Hello Garci scandal
in 2005. In which time, he became close to the Aquino family, a prominent political family in the Philippines
. He also delivered a homily
(named Cory, the Heart of a Saint) during the wake
of former President Corazon Aquino
, and said "our closeness with her was really borne out of that period [Hello Garci scandal], none of her children went to La Salle."
, Corazon's son, appointed him as the secretary
of the Department of Education
. He was inaugurated on June 30, 2010, becoming the second De La Salle brother to hold the post—the other was Gonzalez who was in office from 1998 to 2001.
Aquino gave Luistro two years to address problems, including insufficient books, classrooms and teachers. Luistro estimates a lack of 130,000 teachers, 72,000 classrooms, 7 million desks, 141,000 comfort rooms and 96 million books.
As of December 2010, Luistro has the least net worth among Aquino's cabinet
. He had ₱
89,000 (US$2,060). In contrast, the richest—Cesar Purisima
who is Secretary of Finance
—had ₱252 million (US$5.84 million). He declared an annual gross salary of ₱989,496 (US$22,900).
(ACT) have expressed skepticism over Luistro's stand on sex education
citing his religious background. Meanwhile, Luistro's predecessor, Mona Valisno expressed her confidence with Luistro.
The Department of Education has included sex education in its curriculum for grade 5 to fourth year
high school. Roman Catholic groups have criticized it for allegedly not covering the emotional, psychological and spiritual dimensions of sexuality. Likewise, former Roman Catholic Archbishop of Lingayen-Dagupan
Oscar V. Cruz
criticized Luistro for his alleged lack of comment regarding the Reproductive Health Bill, which proposes to integrate sex education in public schools. He appealed Luistro to "stop teaching lewd studies [sex education] in schools" (trans.).
Luistro stated that sex education was not his priority. He instead wanted to focus on streamlining the bureaucracy of DepEd, which employs 600,000 employees (501,158 of which are teachers). In line with this, he announced on December 28, 2010 that DepEd would terminate all of its 67 consultants by the end of the year. The DepEd-National Employees Union, in response, has called for his resignation. Luistro argued, however, that "streamlining is a must" as bulk of the department's budget goes to funding the salary of its employees.
curriculum, and make graduates more competitive. The program involves kindergarten
, six years of elementary, four years of junior high school, and two years of senior high school. Kindergarten was required in 2011 while senior high school is planned to be included in the curriculum by 2016. DepEd said that 77 percent of its participants in fora are in favor of the change. Before its implementation in 2011, the Philippines was the only country in Asia
which employed 10 years of basic education—all other countries had 12. Numerous parties have opposed the plan including Ateneo de Manila University
President Bienvenido Nebres
and progressive
groups of students, teachers and parents. A spokesperson of No To K–12 Alliance said:
Lipa
LIPA may stand for:*League for Independent Political Action, an American progressive political organization established in 1928*Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts, a performing arts university in the English city of Liverpool that offers training in acting, dance, music, sound technology, arts...
, Batangas
Batangas
Batangas is a first class province of the Philippines located on the southwestern part of Luzon in the CALABARZON region. Its capital is Batangas City and it is bordered by the provinces of Cavite and Laguna to the north and Quezon to the east. Across the Verde Island Passages to the south is the...
, Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
, is a Filipino
Filipino people
The Filipino people or Filipinos are an Austronesian ethnic group native to the islands of the Philippines. There are about 92 million Filipinos in the Philippines, and about 11 million living outside the Philippines ....
Lasallian Brother, who serves as secretary
Secretary of State
Secretary of State or State Secretary is a commonly used title for a senior or mid-level post in governments around the world. The role varies between countries, and in some cases there are multiple Secretaries of State in the Government....
of the Department of Education of the Philippines
Department of Education (Philippines)
The Department of Education , is the executive department of the Philippine government responsible for the management and governing of the Philippine system of basic education. It is the chief formulator of Philippine educational policy and is responsible for the Philippine primary and secondary...
. Luistro entered De La Salle Scholasticate (the center for academic training of De La Salle Brothers) in Manila
Manila
Manila is the capital of the Philippines. It is one of the sixteen cities forming Metro Manila.Manila is located on the eastern shores of Manila Bay and is bordered by Navotas and Caloocan to the north, Quezon City to the northeast, San Juan and Mandaluyong to the east, Makati on the southeast,...
on April 1979 while he was studying in De La Salle University
De La Salle University
De La Salle University is a private Lasallian university in Malate, Manila, Philippines. It was founded in 1911 by De La Salle Brothers as the De La Salle College in Paco, Manila with Blimond Pierre serving as its first director...
(DLSU). He received the religious habit
Religious habit
A religious habit is a distinctive set of garments worn by members of a religious order. Traditionally some plain garb recognisable as a religious habit has also been worn by those leading the religious eremitic and anachoritic life, although in their case without conformity to a particular uniform...
of the congregation
Congregation (catholic)
The term "congregation" has three usages specific to the Roman Catholic Church. One concerns the Roman Curia, the other two concern religious institutes.- Roman Curia :...
on October 1981 at the La Salle Novitiate in Lipa. He professed his first religious vows
Religious vows
Religious vows are the public vows made by the members of religious communities pertaining to their conduct, practices and views.In the Buddhist tradition, in particular within the Mahayana and Vajrayana tradition, many different kinds of religious vows are taken by the lay community as well as by...
on October 1982, and his final vows on May 1988.
He started teaching as a religion teacher at De La Salle Lipa
De La Salle Lipa
De La Salle Lipa, or DLSL is a Lasallian educational institution located in Lipa City, Batangas, Philippines. It is the latest of the third generation of La Salle schools founded by the De La Salle Brothers in the country: La Salle Academy-Iligan in 1958, La Salle Green Hills in 1959, Saint...
in 1983. He was made provincial
Provincial superior
A Provincial Superior is a major superior of a religious order acting under the order's Superior General and exercising a general supervision over all the members of that order in a territorial division of the order called a province--similar to but not to be confused with an ecclesiastical...
of the De La Salle Brothers Philippine District on April 1997, a post he held until 2003. On August 26, 2000, Luistro co-founded the De La Salle Catholic University of Manado, currently known as De La Salle University
De La Salle University (Indonesia)
Unika De La Salle Manado is a catholic university located in Manado, Indonesia in the district of North Sulawesi. Run by the Brothers of the Christian Schools, and therefore part of the worldwide network of La Sallian educational institutions, it was established in 2000 as a response to the...
, in Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
with Josef Suwatan, Roman Catholic Bishop of Manado.
On April 2004, he succeeded Andrew Gonzalez
Andrew Gonzalez
Brother Andrew Benjamin Gonzalez FSC PhD was a linguist, writer, educator, and a De La Salle Brother. He served as president of De La Salle University from 1979 to 1991 and from 1994 to 1998. From 1998 to 2001 he served as Secretary of the Department of Education, Culture and Sports under the...
as the president of De La Salle University System, consequently making him the president of eight De La Salle institutions. He worked into establishing De La Salle Philippines
De La Salle Philippines
De La Salle Philippines is a network of Seventeen Lasallian Institutions in the Philippines. It was established in 2006 for the unified implementation of the Lasallian Mission, generate creative synergy, and promote the spirit of "One La Salle" among member institutions...
(DLSP) which replaced the system. The DLSP National Mission Council appointed him DLSP President and Chief Executive Officer on November 29, 2005.
He was appointed as the Secretary of Education of the Philippines since June 30, 2010, becoming the second De La Salle brother to hold the post—the other was Gonzalez who was in office from 1998 to 2001. Luistro has the least net worth among Aquino's cabinet. He had ₱89,000 (US$2,060). In contrast, the richest—Cesar Purisima
Cesar Purisima
Cesar V. Purisima is the current Philippine Secretary of Finance. On June 29, 2010, President Benigno Aquino III picked him as his Secretary of Finance...
who is Secretary of Finance
Department of Finance (Philippines)
The Philippines' Department of Finance is the executive department of the Philippine government responsible for the formulation, institutionalization and administration of fiscal policies, management of the financial resources of the government, supervision of the revenue operations of all local...
—had ₱252 million (US$5.84 million).
The Alliance of Concerned Teachers
Alliance of Concerned Teachers
The Alliance of Concerned Teachers is a progressive, militant and nationalist organization of teachers, academic non-teaching personnel and non-academic non-teaching personnel established on June 26, 1982 in the Philippines...
(ACT) have expressed skepticism over Luistro's stand on sex education
Sex education
Sex education refers to formal programs of instruction on a wide range of issues relating to human sexuality, including human sexual anatomy, sexual reproduction, sexual intercourse, reproductive health, emotional relations, reproductive rights and responsibilities, abstinence, contraception, and...
citing his religious background. Nevertheless, the Department of Education has included sex education in its curriculum for grade 5 to fourth year high school. Roman Catholic groups have criticized it for allegedly not covering the emotional, psychological and spiritual dimensions of sexuality.
Luistro is a major proponent of the K+12 Basic Education Program in the Philippines. The program seeks to add two years to the current 10-year basic education
Basic education
Basic education refers to the whole range of educational activities taking place in various settings , that aim to meet basic learning needs. According to the International Standard Classification of Education , basic education comprises primary education and lower secondary education...
curriculum. Numerous parties have opposed the plan including Ateneo de Manila University
Ateneo de Manila University
The Ateneo de Manila University is a private teaching and research university run by the Society of Jesus in the Philippines. It began in 1859 when the City of Manila handed control of the Escuela Municipal de Manila in Intramuros, Manila, to the Jesuits...
President Bienvenido Nebres
Bienvenido Nebres
Father Bienvenido F. Nebres, S.J. is a Filipino scientist, mathematician, and Jesuit who was the longest-serving university President of the Ateneo de Manila University. He succeeded Fr. Joaquin G. Bernas, S.J. in 1993, and served as University President until 1 June 2011...
and progressive
Progressivism
Progressivism is an umbrella term for a political ideology advocating or favoring social, political, and economic reform or changes. Progressivism is often viewed by some conservatives, constitutionalists, and libertarians to be in opposition to conservative or reactionary ideologies.The...
groups of students, teachers and parents.
Educational background
Armin Altamirano Luistro was born on December 24, 1961, to Jose Dimayuga Luistro and Magdalena Aranda Altamirano-Luistro in Lipa, Batangas, Philippines. He attended grade 1 at Our Lady of the Rosary Academy in Lipa, grades 2 through 5 at Canossa Academy also in Lipa, and graduated elementary and high schoolHigh school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
at De La Salle Lipa
De La Salle Lipa
De La Salle Lipa, or DLSL is a Lasallian educational institution located in Lipa City, Batangas, Philippines. It is the latest of the third generation of La Salle schools founded by the De La Salle Brothers in the country: La Salle Academy-Iligan in 1958, La Salle Green Hills in 1959, Saint...
. He pursued his undergraduate studies at De La Salle University in Manila under a scholarship, and was conferred Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
in Philosophy and Letters on March 1981. When asked in a Manila Bulletin
Manila Bulletin
The Manila Bulletin , is the Philippines' largest broadsheet newspaper by circulation, followed by the Philippine Daily Inquirer. It bills itself as "The Nation's Leading Newspaper", which is its official slogan...
interview in 2009, he shared that he had spent most of his education in Batangas, and since DLSU had no uniforms
School uniform
A school uniform is an outfit—a set of standardized clothes—worn primarily for an educational institution. They are common in primary and secondary schools in various countries . When used, they form the basis of a school's dress code.Traditionally school uniforms have been largely subdued and...
, he "wore all the baduy type of shirts", as he put it, using the Tagalog
Tagalog language
Tagalog is an Austronesian language spoken as a first language by a third of the population of the Philippines and as a second language by most of the rest. It is the first language of the Philippine region IV and of Metro Manila...
word for "unfashionable", while most of his classmates were from elite high schools. Thus he says "I supposed [they] laughed at me."
In 1981 he entered into a program in Ateneo de Manila University, and was awarded a Certificate in Formation Institute for Religious Educators in 1985. He enrolled in a graduate program in DLSU in 1991, and was made Master of Arts
Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
in Religious Education
Religious Education
Religious Education is the term given to education concerned with religion. It may refer to education provided by a church or religious organization, for instruction in doctrine and faith, or for education in various aspects of religion, but without explicitly religious or moral aims, e.g. in a...
in 1993. He graduated in a MA program in religious education and values formation at the same university in 2003. He was conferred a doctor's degree in educational management on May 2005.
He was made Doctor of Humane Letters
Doctor of Humane Letters
The degree of Doctor of Humane Letters is always conferred as an honorary degree, usually to those who have distinguished themselves in areas other than science, government, literature or religion, which are awarded degrees of Doctor of Science, Doctor of Laws, Doctor of Letters, or Doctor of...
, honoris causa, by La Salle University
La Salle University
La Salle University is a private, co-educational, Roman Catholic university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. Named for St. Jean-Baptiste de La Salle, the school was founded in 1863 by the Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools. As of 2008 the school has approximately 7,554...
in Philadelphia
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
on May 9, 2004.
Religious and academic career
Luistro entered the De La Salle Scholasticate (the center for academic training of De La Salle Brothers) in Manila on April 1979, and received the religious habitReligious habit
A religious habit is a distinctive set of garments worn by members of a religious order. Traditionally some plain garb recognisable as a religious habit has also been worn by those leading the religious eremitic and anachoritic life, although in their case without conformity to a particular uniform...
on October 1981 at the La Salle Novitiate in Lipa. He professed his first religious vows
Religious vows
Religious vows are the public vows made by the members of religious communities pertaining to their conduct, practices and views.In the Buddhist tradition, in particular within the Mahayana and Vajrayana tradition, many different kinds of religious vows are taken by the lay community as well as by...
on October 1982, and his final vows on May 1988. In the Manila Bulletin interview, he said that teaching was the reason why he entered the congregation.
He started teaching as a religion teacher at De La Salle Lipa in 1983. He moved to La Salle Greenhills in 1986. He was made provincial of the De La Salle Brothers Philippine District on April 1997, a post he held until 2003.
On August 26, 2000, Luistro co-founded the De La Salle Catholic University of Manado, currently known as De La Salle University, in Indonesia with Josef Suwatan, Roman Catholic Bishop of Manado. DLSU in Manila supervised initial operations before it was transferred to the Philippine District.
On April 2004, he succeeded Andrew Gonzalez as the president of De La Salle University System, consequently making him the president of eight De La Salle institutions. In his inaugural speech, he acknowledged the "multiversity" concept of Gonzalez who established the system. In which structure, DLSU served as the flagship while other De La Salle institutions specialized in fields like agriculture
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
, alternative education
Alternative education
Alternative education, also known as non-traditional education or educational alternative, includes a number of approaches to teaching and learning other than mainstream or traditional education. Educational alternatives are often rooted in various philosophies that are fundamentally different...
and medicine
Medicine
Medicine is the science and art of healing. It encompasses a variety of health care practices evolved to maintain and restore health by the prevention and treatment of illness....
.
He did, however, find the system's structure unfeasible. He worked into establishing De La Salle Philippines which replaced the system. Under the reorganization, other De La Salle institutions were included in the network—a total of 17. Each De La Salle institution was autonomous and had its own president. The DLSP National Mission Council appointed him DLSP President and Chief Executive Officer
Chief executive officer
A chief executive officer , managing director , Executive Director for non-profit organizations, or chief executive is the highest-ranking corporate officer or administrator in charge of total management of an organization...
on November 29, 2005.
Political involvement
Luistro called for the resignation of then-PresidentPresident of the Philippines
The President of the Philippines is the head of state and head of government of the Philippines. The president leads the executive branch of the Philippine government and is the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of the Philippines...
Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo
Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo
Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is a Filipino politician who served as the 14th President of the Philippines from 2001 to 2010, as the 12th Vice President of the Philippines from 1998 to 2001, and is currently a member of the House of Representatives representing the 2nd District of Pampanga...
during the height of the Hello Garci scandal
Hello Garci scandal
The Hello Garci scandal was a political scandal and electoral crisis in the Philippines.The scandal involved former president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, who allegedly rigged the 2004 national election in her favor. The official results of that election gave Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and Noli de Castro...
in 2005. In which time, he became close to the Aquino family, a prominent political family in the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
. He also delivered a homily
Homily
A homily is a commentary that follows a reading of scripture. In Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, and Eastern Orthodox Churches, a homily is usually given during Mass at the end of the Liturgy of the Word...
(named Cory, the Heart of a Saint) during the wake
Wake (ceremony)
A wake is a ceremony associated with death. Traditionally, a wake takes place in the house of the deceased, with the body present; however, modern wakes are often performed at a funeral home. In the United States and Canada it is synonymous with a viewing...
of former President Corazon Aquino
Corazon Aquino
Maria Corazon Sumulong Cojuangco-Aquino was the 11th President of the Philippines and the first woman to hold that office in Philippine history. She is best remembered for leading the 1986 People Power Revolution, which toppled Ferdinand Marcos and restored democracy in the Philippines...
, and said "our closeness with her was really borne out of that period [Hello Garci scandal], none of her children went to La Salle."
Work in the Department of Education
Current President Benigno Aquino IIIBenigno Aquino III
Benigno Simeon Cojuangco Aquino III , also known as Noynoy Aquino or PNoy, is a Filipino politician who has been the 15th and current President of the Philippines since June 2010....
, Corazon's son, appointed him as the secretary
Secretary of State
Secretary of State or State Secretary is a commonly used title for a senior or mid-level post in governments around the world. The role varies between countries, and in some cases there are multiple Secretaries of State in the Government....
of the Department of Education
Department of Education (Philippines)
The Department of Education , is the executive department of the Philippine government responsible for the management and governing of the Philippine system of basic education. It is the chief formulator of Philippine educational policy and is responsible for the Philippine primary and secondary...
. He was inaugurated on June 30, 2010, becoming the second De La Salle brother to hold the post—the other was Gonzalez who was in office from 1998 to 2001.
Aquino gave Luistro two years to address problems, including insufficient books, classrooms and teachers. Luistro estimates a lack of 130,000 teachers, 72,000 classrooms, 7 million desks, 141,000 comfort rooms and 96 million books.
As of December 2010, Luistro has the least net worth among Aquino's cabinet
Cabinet (government)
A Cabinet is a body of high ranking government officials, typically representing the executive branch. It can also sometimes be referred to as the Council of Ministers, an Executive Council, or an Executive Committee.- Overview :...
. He had ₱
Philippine peso
The peso is the currency of the Philippines. It is subdivided into 100 centavos . Before 1967, the language used on the banknotes and coins was English and so "peso" was the name used...
89,000 (US$2,060). In contrast, the richest—Cesar Purisima
Cesar Purisima
Cesar V. Purisima is the current Philippine Secretary of Finance. On June 29, 2010, President Benigno Aquino III picked him as his Secretary of Finance...
who is Secretary of Finance
Department of Finance (Philippines)
The Philippines' Department of Finance is the executive department of the Philippine government responsible for the formulation, institutionalization and administration of fiscal policies, management of the financial resources of the government, supervision of the revenue operations of all local...
—had ₱252 million (US$5.84 million). He declared an annual gross salary of ₱989,496 (US$22,900).
Sex education
The Alliance of Concerned TeachersAlliance of Concerned Teachers
The Alliance of Concerned Teachers is a progressive, militant and nationalist organization of teachers, academic non-teaching personnel and non-academic non-teaching personnel established on June 26, 1982 in the Philippines...
(ACT) have expressed skepticism over Luistro's stand on sex education
Sex education
Sex education refers to formal programs of instruction on a wide range of issues relating to human sexuality, including human sexual anatomy, sexual reproduction, sexual intercourse, reproductive health, emotional relations, reproductive rights and responsibilities, abstinence, contraception, and...
citing his religious background. Meanwhile, Luistro's predecessor, Mona Valisno expressed her confidence with Luistro.
The Department of Education has included sex education in its curriculum for grade 5 to fourth year
Fourth year
Fourth year, also known as S4, is the fourth year of schooling in Scottish, Venezuelan, Ecuadorian, Colombian, and other Latin American countries secondary schools, and is roughly equivalent to Year 11 in England and Wales and Year 12 in Northern Ireland...
high school. Roman Catholic groups have criticized it for allegedly not covering the emotional, psychological and spiritual dimensions of sexuality. Likewise, former Roman Catholic Archbishop of Lingayen-Dagupan
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Lingayen-Dagupan
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Lingayen-Dagupan is an ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Roman Catholic Church in the Philippines. Lingayen-Dagupan is the Archdiocese in the Province of Pangasinan, on the island of Luzon. It's cathedral is St...
Oscar V. Cruz
Oscar V. Cruz
Oscar V. Cruz is an archbishop-emeritus of the Roman Catholic Church in the Philippines. He was the Archbishop of Lingayen-Dagupan in Pangasinan, Philippines.-Biography:...
criticized Luistro for his alleged lack of comment regarding the Reproductive Health Bill, which proposes to integrate sex education in public schools. He appealed Luistro to "stop teaching lewd studies [sex education] in schools" (trans.).
Luistro stated that sex education was not his priority. He instead wanted to focus on streamlining the bureaucracy of DepEd, which employs 600,000 employees (501,158 of which are teachers). In line with this, he announced on December 28, 2010 that DepEd would terminate all of its 67 consultants by the end of the year. The DepEd-National Employees Union, in response, has called for his resignation. Luistro argued, however, that "streamlining is a must" as bulk of the department's budget goes to funding the salary of its employees.
K+12 Basic Education Program
Luistro is a major proponent of the K+12 Basic Education Program in the Philippines. The program seeks to add two years to the current 10-year basic educationBasic education
Basic education refers to the whole range of educational activities taking place in various settings , that aim to meet basic learning needs. According to the International Standard Classification of Education , basic education comprises primary education and lower secondary education...
curriculum, and make graduates more competitive. The program involves kindergarten
Kindergarten
A kindergarten is a preschool educational institution for children. The term was created by Friedrich Fröbel for the play and activity institute that he created in 1837 in Bad Blankenburg as a social experience for children for their transition from home to school...
, six years of elementary, four years of junior high school, and two years of senior high school. Kindergarten was required in 2011 while senior high school is planned to be included in the curriculum by 2016. DepEd said that 77 percent of its participants in fora are in favor of the change. Before its implementation in 2011, the Philippines was the only country in Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
which employed 10 years of basic education—all other countries had 12. Numerous parties have opposed the plan including Ateneo de Manila University
Ateneo de Manila University
The Ateneo de Manila University is a private teaching and research university run by the Society of Jesus in the Philippines. It began in 1859 when the City of Manila handed control of the Escuela Municipal de Manila in Intramuros, Manila, to the Jesuits...
President Bienvenido Nebres
Bienvenido Nebres
Father Bienvenido F. Nebres, S.J. is a Filipino scientist, mathematician, and Jesuit who was the longest-serving university President of the Ateneo de Manila University. He succeeded Fr. Joaquin G. Bernas, S.J. in 1993, and served as University President until 1 June 2011...
and progressive
Progressivism
Progressivism is an umbrella term for a political ideology advocating or favoring social, political, and economic reform or changes. Progressivism is often viewed by some conservatives, constitutionalists, and libertarians to be in opposition to conservative or reactionary ideologies.The...
groups of students, teachers and parents. A spokesperson of No To K–12 Alliance said: