As he takes on the role of the new Education Chief, former senator Sonny Angara on Monday, July 22, urged the Department of Education (DepEd) community and various stakeholders to unite in tackling the significant challenges facing the Philippine education system.
“Unang-una, hihingi ako ng tulong sa inyo, hindi ko kayang mag-isa” (First of all, I will ask for your help; I can’t do it alone),” Angara told officials and employees of DepEd during his first flag-raising ceremony as Education Secretary.
Angara’s appeal highlighted the urgent need for collaborative efforts to address issues affecting the quality of education and the well-being of students across the country.
As the largest government bureaucracy, Angara noted that many decades-old problems within DepEd have been impacting the country’s education system.
Citing the marching orders of President Marcos, Angara said that teachers’ welfare and improving education quality will be among his priorities.
“Klaro naman ang kanyang marching orders, unang-una, sinabi niya alagaan natin ang ating mga teachers; sila ang puso ng ating educational system” (His marching orders are clear: first and foremost, he said we should take care of our teachers; they are the heart of our educational system),” Angara said.
“Pangalawa, sabi niya, ay itaas natin ang antas ng ating edukasyon, let’s improve the quality of our education,” Angara noted, quoting the President’s directive to raise the level of education.
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Marcos, Angara said, expressed concern about the quality of education in the country after seeing results from achievement tests and international assessments, which showed that the Philippines is lagging behind.
“Well, quite frankly, it has been an embarrassment for us; it has become a national embarrassment,” Angara said.
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Despite this, Angara assured them that he was not blaming anyone. “Sinasabi ko lang na kung gusto natin resolbahin ito, kailangan magsama-sama tayo” (I’m just saying that if we want to resolve this, we need to work together),” he said. “Let’s have a constructive dialogue and come up with solutions soon,” he added.
As DepEd Secretary, Angara assured officials and personnel that they could count on his support to fully carry out their responsibilities. “I just want to be a channel for reform in our system so makikinig po ako sa inyo at maraming gustong tumulong sa loob at labas ng ating bulwagan at departamento” (I will listen to you, and many people want to help both within and outside of our department and office),” he added.
Angara mentioned that the private sector, international organizations, charitable institutions, corporate donors, and well-meaning individuals are willing to extend help to DepEd.
“Papasukin natin sila sa ating bahay at siguro, palakasin natin ang ating tahanan para makapagnilbihan tayo ng mas maigi sa ating mga kababayan” (We welcome them into our home, and we will strengthen our house so that we can better serve our fellow countrymen),” he added.
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