Rep. Francisco “Kiko” Benitez (Neg. Occ., 3rd District) said if he is selected by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to head the Department of Education (DepEd) he would be honored to serve.
Negros Occidental officials, congressmen and groups from the academe have endorsed Benitez for education secretary, citing his experience and competence in the field of education.
“I trust in the President’s judgment in choosing who will lead this extremely important agency,” Benitez said in a statement on Monday, July 1.
“If selected, I would be honored to serve and do the best I can. But even if I am not selected, I will continue to do my part, supporting whomever the president entrusts with this tremendous task. We must all work together to fix the country’s education crisis”, he said.
He thanked the Negros Occidental officials, his colleagues in the House, and friends and partners in the education sector who have endorsed him for their trust and support for his appointment as DepEd secretary.
More groups on Monday endorsed Benitez to be the next secretary of education in resolutions addressed to the president.
The endorsements came from the Victorias City Sangguniang Panlungsod (SP), National Movement of Young Legislators – Negros Occidental chapter (NMYL-NO), and the Coordinating Council of Private Educational Associations of the Philippines (COCOPEA).
The Victorias Sangguniang Panlungsod on Monday passed its resolution endorsing Benitez.
Benitez holds advanced degrees in Comparative Literature from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and Cornell University and has received numerous awards, including Asia’s Education Excellence Award, the Victorias SP resolution said.
He also has an extensive academic background, having served in various educational institutions and leadership roles in multiple organizations, it added.
The academic, managerial, and public policy expertise of Benitez will surely bring a unique blend to addressing the learning crisis in the country, the Victorias SP said.
The NMYL-NO said it believes that Benitez “with his extensive educational background, significant professional experience, and proven legislative track record in promoting educational reforms, is exceptionally well-qualified to address these challenges and lead the Department of Education towards achieving its goals of providing inclusive and quality education for all Filipino students”.
Benitez is known for his forward-thinking vision and ability to implement innovative educational reforms, making him the ideal candidate to lead the DepEd and drive significant improvements in the Philippine educational system, it added.
The NMYL-NO is headed by Victorias Councilor Frederick “Derek” Palanca.
The COCOPEA on Monday endorsed several candidates for Education secretary, among them Benitez and Senator Juan Edgardo “Sonny” Angara.
The Philippine Association of Colleges and Universities, Philippine Business for Education, Negros Occidental Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson, Representatives Emilio Yulo III, Mercedes Alvarez and Greg Gasataya, and University of Saint La Salle president Kenneth Martinez also earlier endorsed Benitez for education secretary.
Benitez, who is the co-chairperson of the Second Congressional Commission on Education, is former president of the Philippine Women’s University.
He was an assistant professor at the University of Washington-Seattle and has taught various courses at Cornell University in New York, University of Wisconsin-Madison, University of Asia and the Pacific, and PWU.
Benitez earned his masters and doctorate degrees in comparative literature (minor in Southeast Asian Studies) from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and his B.A. in comparative literature (summa cum laude) and English (cum laude) from Cornell University.*