Angara, Benitez endorsed for education secretary

KIKO AS DEPED SECRETARY?Moves to appoint Negros Occidental Rep. Francisco ‘KIko’ Benitez (third district) as the next education secretary are slowly gaining ground with the governor and a fellow lawmaker endorsing him. PHOTO FROM KIKO BENITEZ FACEBOOK

(UPDATES) TWO leading candidates for education secretary — Sen. Juan Edgardo Angara and Negros Occidental Rep. Jose Francisco Benitez — gained the endorsement of the Coordinating Council of Private Educational Associations of the Philippines (Cocopea) on Monday.

The group confirmed during its 9th National Congress that it submitted a short list of candidates to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and said that whoever will be named to head the Department of Education (DepEd) should possess expertise in education.

"We believe that each of them has the extensive experience, remarkable qualifications and necessary skills to lead our country's educational landscape," Cocopea said.

Also included on the list are Joyce Andaya, former DepEd director for curriculum and development; Gina Gonong, undersecretary for curriculum and teaching; and Wilmer Joseph Tria, president of the Catholic Education Association of Caceres.

Albert Delvo, Cocopea president; Bernard Villamor, president of the Philippine Association of Colleges; Onofre Inocencio, president of UniVET; John Jacome, Cocopea executive director; Kristine Manaog, Cocopea legal counselor; and Antonio del Carmen, president of Philippine Association of Private Schools, Colleges and Universities led the Congress.

Villamor said Benitez "can understand the education issues," while Angara helped the sector in the Senate.

Last week, Vice President Sara Duterte announced her resignation as DepEd secretary but Marcos has yet to appoint a new chief.

The group urged Marcos to screen the next secretary carefully and cautiously.

Cocopea, established in 1961, acts as the unified voice for private education and leads public policy development on behalf of five educational associations representing 2,500 member schools, colleges, universities and technical-vocational institutions.

The group implored the government to address the educational crisis by fostering complementary education between public and private schools, resolving the misalignment between job opportunities and the courses students are trained in, and addressing the declining enrollment in private schools, among other pressing issues.

Cocopea also emphasized the lack of competencies among graduates and the challenges in finding the right talent for emerging jobs.

The latest results from the Program for International Student Assessment have placed the Philippines near the bottom of global education rankings, highlighting the severe challenges faced by the country's education system. In the 2022 assessment, the country ranked 77th out of 81 countries, showing only a slight improvement from its last-place position in 2018, when it ranked 78th out of 78.

Cocopea urged continuous teacher training to improve education.

Negros 5th District Rep. Emilio Bernardino Yulo said he is endorsing Benitez as the next DepEd secretary.

Yulo, in a statement, said Benitez "is highly qualified because apart from his legislative experience, he was part of the education sector prior to becoming congressman, as the president of the Philippine Women's University."

"These experiences will bode well in managing the education department, especially as he now has a grasp of the grassroots that can guide him how to better improve our education sector," Yulo said.

Negros Occidental Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson, a close political ally of Benitez, confirmed to The Manila Times on Saturday that he is endorsing the congressman as education chief.

"He has the experience and competence in the field of education," Lacson said.

The National Movement of Young Legislators (NMYL)-Negros Occidental chapter passed a resolution endorsing Benitez as well.

Victorias City councilor Derek Palanca, in a social media post on Monday, said the NMYL of Negros Occidental endorsed Benitez as well, calling him the best candidate for the position.

Angara, meanwhile, said he is open to the possibility of becoming the next education secretary.

Angara was in Baler on Monday to host the commemoration of the 22nd Philippine-Spanish Friendship Day. Among the guests were Ambassador of Spain to Manila Miguel Utray Delgado, Senators Juan Miguel Zubiri and Sherwin Gatchalian, and Rep. Rommel Rico Angara.

Asked whether he would be interested in handling the DepEd portfolio, Angara said, "Yes. We're open [to such a possibility] should I be entrusted [with such a position]."

"It would be impossible to reject it if it would be offered to me," Angara said in Filipino in a chance interview.

He thanked Senate President Francis Escudero and Senators JV Ejercito, and Joel Villanueva, Zubiri and Gatchalian "for their vote of confidence" in him as the next DepEd secretary.

"They are my colleagues, and they know that I am serious about my work," Angara said.

Asked how he would assess Duterte's handling of DepEd, Angara said, "I think she did a decent job."

He said the next education secretary must introduce reforms to address resource gaps such as the lack of classrooms and textbooks.