FILE PHOTO: Sen. Sonny Angara promises to pursue the “accomplishments” of Vice President Sara Duterte in the Department of Education (DepEd). | PHOTO: Bibo Nueva España/Senate PRIB
MANILA, Philippines — Sen. Sonny Angara promised to pursue the “accomplishments” of Vice President Sara Duterte in the Department of Education (DepEd).
Angara, who is set to replace Duterte as DepEd chief next month, said he is “committed to working with all sectors of society, including my predecessor, Vice President Sara Duterte, to ensure that every Filipino child has access to quality education.”
“I look forward to building upon her accomplishments,” he also said in a statement Tuesday, following the Palace announcement that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has picked him as the next Education Secretary since Duterte quit her Cabinet post in June.
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“Upon the guidance of the President, we will soon begin the transition process with the office of Vice President Sara Duterte. I eagerly look forward to building [on] the gains made during her stint at the department,” he also said.
A day before his appointment was announced by Malacañang, Angara praised Duterte for doing “a decent job” in DepEd.
In an ambush interview on the sidelines of 22nd Philippine-Spanish Friendship Day celebrations in Baler, Aurora province Angara said Duterte’s efforts to decongest the curriculum “is a step in the right direction.”
“That’s long overdue, so it’s good that she started it,” he said.
Angara served as a senator from the 16th to the present Congress, or since 2013, and chaired multiple Senate panels, including the justice and human rights committee, finance committee, and youth committee.
He was likewise a commissioner of the Second Congressional Commission on Education (Edcom 2) tasked with conducting a comprehensive review of the country’s education sector.
Angara earned his Bachelor of Science in Economics from the London School of Economic and Political Science and Bachelor of Laws from the University of the Philippines Diliman.
He obtained his Master of Laws from Harvard University.
READ: Angara appointment as DepEd chief ‘well-deserved’ – senators
Angara thanked President Marcos for the trust to appoint him as DepEd chief.
“I am deeply honored and grateful to President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. for the trust he has placed in me by appointing me as the Secretary of the Department of Education. This significant responsibility is one I accept with humility and a profound sense of duty,” he said.
“I am eager to collaborate with President Marcos and the entire administration in serving our students, supporting our teachers, and enhancing the overall quality of education in our country,” he added.
“I would like to also express my gratitude to key educational organizations such as the Philippine Business for Education (PBEd), Coordinating Council of Private Educational Associations (COCOPEA) and the Philippine Association of Colleges and Universities (PACU) for their endorsements and trust,” he continued.