Duterte, under her agenda called Barog (Barangays, Academe, Resources, Order, and Government services), said that for academics, she will strengthen its Alternative Learning Skills (ALS). 

"Most of them (students) stop formal schooling because they work. If not working they're in charge of looking after their siblings. If we could not have them attend standard schooling then at least they should attend ALS schooling every Saturday or Sunday," Duterte said in vernacular.

She also said that common reasons why a child drops out from school are because they cannot afford spending for their fare to go to school every day; their family sacrifices schooling so they can afford to maintain their budget for food; and they have no school supplies.

Dropout rate

Earlier, the Department of Education (DepEd) noted a high dropout rate in both elementary and secondary public schools in this city.

Based on the enrollment data on the elementary from school year (SY) 2004-05 to 2009-10, DepEd saw a dropping trend in enrollment.

In SY 2004-2005, a total of 34,970 students enrolled; a total of 28,152 students in SY 2005-2006; 26,411 students for SY 2006-2007; 25,549 students for SY 2007-2008; 23,888 students for SY 2008-2009; and 23,968 students for SY 2009-2010.

For the secondary schools, based on data from SY 2006-2007 to 2009-2010, the same observations were noticed where there was also a continuous drop in enrollment.

In SY 2006-2007, a total of 23,112 students enrolled; 20,720 students for SY 2007-2008; 18,209 students for SY 2008-2009; and 16,123 students for SY 2009-2010.

Child labor

DepEd Regional Director Susana Teresita Estigoy earlier said child labor, which is considered to be caused by poverty, remains the gravest hindrance for the region's school-age children to attend school.

Estigoy said the best the department could do "is make sure all children will have access to education, which also means their parents should be financially capable."

"This is why we have launched years before the Alternative Learning System and promote that children or the out of school youth to acquire Sunday or Saturday schooling, take technical vocation courses to make sure they become productive," she said.

Feeding program

Aside from the mayor's move to strengthen the ALS, she also said they are seeing feeding program as another way of addressing the city's dropouts.

"Sa akoa pointless man gud kung maghatag ta ug school supplies unya in the middle of the school year mawala ra gihapon ang bata kay dili mapabaonan sa inahan (It's pointless to provide them school supplies if in the middle of the school year the student drops out from school because their family cannot afford to give them baon)," she said.

Duterte said she has made initial talk with the "Busog, Lusog, Talino" (BLT) feeding program of the Jollibee Foundation Inc. (JFI), which currently has 11 elementary school-beneficiaries in the city.

Some of these schools, Duterte said, are in Marilog, Talomo, Poblacion, and the downtown area.

Duterte added that with her consent, the City Government and the JFI would divide the cost of the feeding program in public schools here.

"I told them that we'll start first with your eleven schools and if everything goes well then maybe next year we'll start with the public elementary schools. If it works well then we'll have all schools)," Duterte said in dialect.

Lessen street kids

Duterte said she would also address the problem of street children in her own capacity, which her father, former mayor Rodrigo Duterte, did through "Rody Sagop Bata Project."

"Mangita ta ug programa para sa ilaha kay I really want them to go back to school (We'll find a program for them because I really want them to go back to school)," Duterte said.

Improve scholarship

Duterte added that she will also look into how the city-paid scholarship program can cater more.