President Marcos designates Cabinet members as representatives to UNESCO

MANILA, Philippines — President Marcos has designated several Cabinet members and other officials as government representatives to various committees of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) National Commission of the Philippines.

Education Secretary Sonny Angara, Technical Education and Skills Development Authority director general Jose Francisco Benitez, Commission on Higher Education Chairman J. Prospero de Vera III and Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao Education Minister Mohagber Iqbal were appointed members of the education committee, the Presidential Communications Office (PCO) said in a Facebook post last Saturday.

National Economic and Development Authority Secretary Arsenio Balisacan, Philippine Commission on Women executive director Khay Ann Magundayao-Borlado and national statistician Claire Dennis Mapa were named members of the social and human sciences committee.

The President also designated Tourism Secretary Christina Frasco, acting Trade Secretary Ma. Cristina Roque, National Museum of the Philippines director Jeremy Barns and National Commission for Culture and the Arts chairman Victorino Manalo as members of the culture committee.

Environment Secretary Maria Antonia Yulo-Loyzaga and Science Secretary Renato Solidum Jr. were chosen as members of the science and technology committee while Information and Communications Technology Secretary Ivan John Uy, Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino chairman Arthur Casanova and Alvin Culaba, Engineering Sciences and Technology Division chairman of the National Academy of Science and Technology, were appointed as members of the communication and information committee.

The UNESCO National Commission of the Philippines, an agency attached to the Department of Foreign Affairs, was created in 1951 by Republic Act 621, which was amended by Republic Acts 892 and 3849. It was established to honor the Philippines’ international commitment to UNESCO, which promotes international cooperation in education, sciences, culture, communication and information; knowledge sharing and the free flow of ideas.

The PCO also announced the appointment of Romeo Racadio (National Security Council director IV); Sarah Mae Cruz, Jennifer Legaspi and Jane Yu (assistant solicitors general); Silvestre Barrameda Jr., Yvonne Flores and Juan Pulhin (members of the People’s Survival Fund Board); Rodolfo Castil Jr. (agrarian reform assistant secretary); Abdullah Balindong and Elpidio Santos (provincial agrarian reform program officers II); Josephine Aguinaldo and Virginia Batosalem  (provincial agrarian reform program officers I); Carmen Alcantara and Roy Mahinay (members of the Presidential Agrarian Reform Council); and Francisco Garcia and Ericson Velasquez (members of the Philippine Rice Research Institute board of trustees).

Other new appointees are Cynthia Ayles, Anelito Bongcawil, Melanie Estacio, Soraya Faculo, Jinky Firman, Nicasio Frio, Rommel Jandayan, Ernesto Servillon Jr., Bernadette Susvilla, Ferdinand Sy and Novelyn Vilchez (schools division superintendents); Farwa Hombre (health assistant secretary); Rosalina Chiong (National Bureau of Investigation director II); Felicitas Bay (migrant workers undersecretary); Emmanuel Ferrer, Norman Uyvico and Remedios Teves (labor directors III); Dante Encinas (member of the Bicol wage board); Kenneth Fabila (member of the Eastern Visayas wage board); Jekereen Casipit (Office of Civil Defense deputy administrator III); Donato Sermeno III and Dominic Almelor (Office of Civil Defense directors I); Janet Quizon (Industrial Technology Development Institute director III); Gladys Bunao (National Authority for Child Care member); Gloriece Do (Philippine Commission on Sports Scuba Diving deputy executive director III); Reymundo de Guzman Jr. (Office of Transportation Cooperatives chair); Frances Cabana (NEDA director IV); Rosalinda Bautista (deputy national statistician) and Mariflor Castillo (Office of the Ombudsman special prosecutor).