Marcos Jr. vows quality education in Caraga; no mention of Sara

MANILA, Philippines — As lawmakers and various groups suggested that President Marcos pick a real educator to head the Department of Education (DepEd), the Chief Executive went on with his usual activities yesterday, handing over P158 million to local governments in the Caraga region hit by El Niño.

The giving of assistance was held during Marcaos’ visit to Tandag City in Surigao del Sur and Butuan City in Agusan del Norte.

While the President did not mention anything about resigned education secretary Vice President Sara Duterte during the two sorties, he reiterated the government’s commitment to pursue quality education in one of his speeches.

“You can be sure that we will continue to push for education and health care here in Caraga,” Marcos told residents of Surigao del Sur.

Manila 3rd District Rep. Joel Chua and Albay 1st District Rep. Edcel Lagman suggested that the new DepEd secretary should come from the ranks and with a track record.

The educator groups Teachers’ Dignity Coalition and Alliance of Concerned Teachers also called on Marcos to choose someone non-partisan and from academe.

As of yesterday, the Presidential Communications Office (PCO) said no officer-in-charge has been named to take the place of Duterte as head of DepEd. Duterte tendered her resignation on Wednesday.a

“The effectivity of her resignation will take effect on July 19, so there is no OIC yet,” PCO Secretary Cheloy Garafil said in a text message.

Yesterday, Marcos distributed P12.48 million in financial aid to Surigao del Sur; P50 million to Agusan del Sur; P46.84 million to Butuan City; P28.26 million to Agusan del Norte; P10.57 million to Surigao del Norte and P10 million to Dinagat Islands.

According to him, the government has released P1.7 billion for the construction of new classrooms and some P453 million for the repair of old classrooms. The government seeks to build 544 new classrooms and repair 704 old classrooms across Caraga.

The Commission on Higher Education, Marcos added, has disbursed some P1.6 billion for various programs, benefitting 176,634 scholars of the region. The government has also disbursed P846.70 million for the Health Facilities Enhancement Program.

Marcos has yet to issue a statement on the resignation, which was widely seen as a manifestation of the breakup of the UniTeam coalition. The resignation came days after Sara remarked that the UniTeam coalition has served its purpose and months after her father, former president Rodrigo Duterte, accused Marcos of being high on drugs, a claim that the President merely laughed off.

In calling for a new DepEd chief who comes from the ranks, Chua suggested that the search committees in Malacañang should “choose a real educator with a track record of success as a public school classroom teacher in basic education.”

“The bottom line is we hope the next DepEd Secretary is a real, outstanding classroom teacher who is a problem solver and manager with multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary experience… I suggest these distinguished educators because they taught in DepEd public schools, rose from the ranks, and have been vetted for their competence, values, and integrity,” Chua said.

Opposition leader Lagman said Duterte’s resignation would “hopefully lead to the solution of the alarming crisis in Philippine education.”

“It is hoped that her replacement will come from the ranks of experienced and dedicated educators who can efficiently steer and professionally manage the educational system of the country,” Lagman said in a statement.

The Teachers’ Dignity Coalition also called on Marcos to “ensure that the next DepEd secretary is not a politician or actively involved in partisan politics… to ensure that DepEd is spared from political bickering and being dragged into divisive political fighting.”

House deputy minority leader France Castro of ACT party-list likewise stressed the importance of choosing someone from the education sector “who has a deep understanding of its needs.”

“Finally, VP Sara has resigned from the DepEd. We just wished she had done it sooner so that a DepEd secretary who comes from the education sector and knows what he/she is doing could have been appointed early,” Castro said in Filipino. – Delon Porcalla, Elizabeth Romero