Marcos on Angara as DepEd chief: ‘Marunong, masipag, nakakaunawa’

(Official Faacebook page of DepEd and Senate PRIB)

MANILA, Philippines — Senator Sonny Angara was picked as the new Department of Education (DepEd) chief because he understands the many problems hounding the education sector, President Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos Jr. said on Friday.

While distributing cash and other assistance to farmers and fisherfolk from Aurora, Marcos joked that he does not know how to address Angara, whether as senator or as education secretary.

“Hindi ko na malaman kung paano ko siya tatawagin kung senator ba o secretary, dahil siya ang papasok sa Secretary ng Department of Education.  Dahil no’ng umalis po si Vice President Sara, eh iniisip namin kung sino ba talaga, at kagaya ng kanyang (Angara) nabanggit, eh napakaraming problema at kailangang ayusin sa Department of Education,” Marcos said during the program in Baler, Aurora.

(I don’t know how to address him, as senator or secretary, because he will be the incoming Secretary of the Department of Education.  When Vice President Sara left, we were thinking about who was the right person for the job because, as he mentioned, many problems need fixing at the Department of Education.)

“Kaya no’ng naghahanap kami ng kapalit eh ‘ka ko, palagay ko alam ko na kung sino dapat ang ilagay d’yan na marunong, dahil marunong at masipag at nakaka-unawa sa mga problema, at nauunawaan niya kung papaano paandarin ang gobyerno para magawa lahat ng kailangang gawin,” he added.

(That’s why, when we were looking for a replacement, I said I think I know who to place at that post, who would be capable — because he’s knowledgeable and hardworking, and he understands the problem and how the government works to address these concerns.)

Angara, who introduced Marcos to his fellow Aurora natives, thanked the President for choosing him.

“Salamat again, Mr. President. First of all, baka makalimutan ko, thank you for appointing me secretary of education, sir, medyo mabigat ang mga suliranin ng sektor na ito, pero hindi po namin kayo ipapahiya.  Thank you for the trust and confidence, Mr. President, salamat po,” Angara said.

(Thank you again, Mr. President. First of all, before I forget, thank you for appointing me secretary of education, sir. We have serious problems in this sector, but I would not put you to shame. Thank you for the trust and confidence, Mr. President.),

Last July 2, the Presidential Communications Office (PCO) announced that Marcos had designated Angara as the new DepEd chief, filling up for the post vacated by Vice President Duterte.

In June, Duterte resigned from her various roles as a member of the Marcos Cabinet, education secretary, and vice chairperson of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-Elcac).