SINGAPORE — A 14-year-old learner from Bacolod has joined Vice President Sara Duterte in her official engagements in Brunei Darussalam and Singapore as the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization (SEAMEO) council president.
Brianne Naomi, a Grade 8 student of the Mariano G. Medalla Integrated School, accompanied Duterte as the second participant in the special project You Can be VP of the Office of the Vice President.
The project aims to give the participants the chance to see first-hand the job of the vice president by allowing them to follow her and observe her official engagements, a press release from the Office of the Vice President said Wednesday, June 14.
Participants must have impressive academic records and must show commitment to finish their studies and fulfill their dreams.
It also encourages other learners to aim high and develop their leadership skills.
The You Can be VP was launched last year, with Grade 9 student Trix from Dinalupihan, Bataan, as its first recipient. Trix accompanied Duterte in her inaugural foreign travel to Japan to attend the state funeral of the late Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and visit the Shibahama Elementary School.
This time, Naomi accompanied the vice president in her SEAMEO activities in Brunei and Singapore. In Brunei, they visited institutions like the Sekolah Rendah Pusar Ulak, Seri Mulia Sarjana International School, and the SEAMEO VOCTECH Regional Center.
She is set to join Duterte’s Singapore engagements, which include visits to the Mandai Wildlife Reserve, and the SEAMEO Regional Language Centre (RELC) here.
Naomi, who dreams of becoming an architect or a lawyer, described the You Can be VP Project as “a once in a lifetime opportunity” that gave her the opportunity to visit different learning facilities and experience various instructional modes.
She also admitted to having been “overwhelmed” by the amount of VP Duterte’s work, adding that she was impressed by how she carries out her commitments as a state leader.
Duterte’s visit to schools in Brunei ended with a celebration of the 125th Philippine Independence Day with the Filipino community.*