Top education leaders, including former secretaries of the Department of Education (DepEd), chairpersons of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), and university presidents and heads, have expressed their support behind the candidacy of Vice President Leni Robredo and Senator Kiko Pangilinan.
In a joint Statement of Support released on Wednesday, March 2, over 100 current and former presidents and heads of the largest schools, colleges, and universities in the country, six former education secretaries, three former CHED chairpersons --- among others --- have signified their “unequivocal support” to Robredo-Pangilinan tandem in the upcoming 2022 elections in their personal capacity.
“We make this determination following scrutiny of the various candidates’ track record as servant leaders, their proposed plans for education, and, more importantly, their character as individuals,” the Statement read.
The Statement was signed by former CHED Chairpersons Dr. Patricia Licuanan, Dr. Ester Garcia, and Dr. Angel Alcala, and former DepEd Secretaries Br. Armin Luistro FSC and Dr. Fe Hidalgo.
Former Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) Director General Edicio dela Torre was also among the signatories.
The former leaders of the three education agencies were joined by former University of the Philippines President Emmanuel Soriano, Ateneo de Manila University President Fr. Roberto Yap SJ, De La Salle University President Br. Bernard Oca FSC, Adamson University President Fr. Marcelo Manimtim, University of Cebu President Atty. Augusto Go, Ateneo de Zamboanga University President Fr. Karel San Juan SJ, Xavier University President Fr. Mars Tan SJ, Saint Louis University President Fr. Gilbert Sales, and University of the Immaculate Conception President Sr. Marissa Viri, who is concurrently President of the Catholic Education Association of the Philippines (CEAP).
The Statement also brought together current and former leaders of basic and higher education institutions, public and private, among them Assumption College, Xavier School, St. Theresa’s College, St. Scholastica's College Manila, St. Paul’s University-Manila, Don Bosco Educational Centers, Holy Angel University, Silliman University, Philippine Normal University, National Teachers College, Colegio de Santa Isabel, Bicol University, West Visayas State University, University of San Carlos-Cebu, Western Mindanao State University, and Ateneo de Davao.
Among the notable signatories also included former Ateneo de Manila University President Fr. Bienvenido Nebres SJ, who also served as the Chair of the Presidential Task Force on Education under Former President Gloria Arroyo, as well as former UP Chancellor Dr. Dionisa Rola, who served as Executive Director of the Congressional Commission for Education (EDCOM).
PH needs an ‘Education President’
For the group, the county needs an “Education President” to address the ongoing “learning crisis.”
The group lamented the country’s poor performance in the recent 2018 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) and the 2019 Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMMS), wherein the Philippines ranked lowest among 79 and 58 countries, respectively.
“These challenges need to be faced head-on by a hands-on government,” the Statement read.
Robredo, the group said, has demonstrated in her tenure as Vice President and especially during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, her brand of leadership that “shines through best in times of crisis—one that can find solutions that are context-based, data-driven, and equity-oriented”
“We believe that Robredo is the ‘Education President’ our country needs to address this learning crisis and attain quality education for all,” the Statement read.
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