Rep. Jose Francisco “Kiko” Benitez (Neg Occ., 3rd District) said he welcomes the appointment of Senator Juan Edgardo “Sonny” Angara as the new secretary of education and pledges his full support.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. announced on Tuesday, July 2, that he is set to appoint Angara as the new secretary of the Department of Education (DepEd).
Angara will replace Vice President Sara Duterte, who resigned as Education Secretary on June 19. Her resignation will take effect on July 19.
Benitez, who had also been endorsed for the post by several groups and Negros Occidental officials, wished Angara success.
“We wish secretary-designate Angara success. We express our full support to his leadership. We look forward to continuing working closely with him and education stakeholders to fix our education system and adapt it to changing times” Benitez said.
Benitez, Education Commission Commissioner, said “We need someone who intimately knows the ins and outs of our education system, and understands it from a finance and management perspective. In this regard, Senator Angara is the right man for the job”.
The Presidential Communications Office said Angara has an extensive legislative history, having championed significant educational reforms since joining the Senate in 2013.
With a Master of Laws from Harvard University, a Bachelor of Laws from the University of the Philippines, and a Bachelor of Science in Economics from the London School of Economics, his background positions him well to lead DepEd, it said.
His prior legislative work includes the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act and the Enhanced Basic Education Act of 2013 (K-12), the PCO said.*