DepEd Secretary Sonny Angara (left), Vice President Sara Duterte (Facebook)

Ranking congresswomen said that Vice President Sara Duterte left a glut of problems in the Department of Education (DepEd) for her successor, erstwhile senator, Secretary Sonny Angara. 

Airing their frustrations on this so-called "education crisis" on Monday, Sept. 2 were House Committee on Appropriations Senior Vice Chairperson Marikina City 2nd district Rep. Stella Quimbo and Deputy Minority Leader ACT Teachers Party-list Rep. France Castro. 

At the same time, Quimbo and Castro expressed great relief that Angara was at the helm now in DepEd. 

"I-congratulate natin ang buong bansa dahil nagkaroon tayo ng bagong pag-asa dito sa pagharap sa ating napakalaking education crisis," Quimbo said during the House panel's budget hearing with DepEd. 

(Let's congratulate the entire country because we have a new hope in facing this huge education crisis.) 

Angara led the resource persons in the hearing. 

"Klaro naman po, napakalaki ng problemang kinakaharap natin, medyo nangungulelat tayo pagdating po sa buong mundo lalo naman po sa PISA rankings...So yun ang kinakaharap ng ating kalihim, buong kagawaran. So kailangan nating tulungan ang DepEd," Quimbo said. 

(Clearly, we're facing a huge problem right, we're somewhat lagging behind in the whole world especially in the PISA rankings...So that’s what the secretary and the agency are facing. So we need to help the DepEd.) 

PISA stands for Programme for International Student Assessment. 
 

'We cannot waste funds, we cannot waste time'

Vice President Duterte served as DepEd secretary for two years. Angara took over the post only last July 19. 

Quimbo then noted DepEd's low budget utilization rate under former secretary Duterte, as per the findings of the Commission on Audit (COA). 

"So having said that, big crisis, we cannot waste funds, we cannot waste time. I think those are the two things. So nakakalungkot na pagdating sa COA report...isa sa pinakamalaking finding ng COA report in 2023, low utilization. Ibig sabihin, mabagal ang paggastos ay may natitirang pondo. So wasted funds, wasted time," she explained. 

(It saddening that when it comes the COA report...one of the biggest findings in the COA report in 2023 was low utilization. This means that spending is slow and there are remainder funds.) 
 

'Mas maganda ito kesa noong nakaraan'

For her part, Castro somewhat threw shade at Vice President Duterte by hinting that Angara was an upgrade for DepEd. 

"Si Secretary Angara, very accommodating, ang mga bills sa salary ng mga teachers ay talagang sinusuportahan niya [noong senador siya]. Ngayong secretary na siya, mukhang mas maganda ito kesa noong nakaraan,” Castro said. 

(Secretary Angara is very accommodating, when he was senator he really supported the bills on teachers' salaries. Now that he's the secretary, this looks like a better situation than before.) 
 

Castro slams MATATAG curriculum

“Kaya lang, Mr. Chair, nakakalungkot po, medyo iniwanan siya ng maraming problema ni Vice President Sara Duterte, lalong-lalo na po itong MATATAG curriculum,” said the Makabayan solon. 

(But it's saddening Mr. Chair, that Vice President Sara Duterte left him with a lot of problems, especially this MATATAG Curriculum.)

She pointed out that the curriculum has placed significant strain on high school teachers, who are now handling seven to eight teaching loads per day, with each class lasting 45 minutes. 

The teacher-solon prodded Angara to conduct an immediate review of the MATATAG curriculum, which Vice President Duterte implemented. Castro said it was rushed and problematic. 

“Iniwanan kayo ng nakaraang administration ng ganitong problema, ngayon ‘yung mga teachers talaga natin problematic dito, sobrang pahirap itong MATATAG curriculum,” she said.

Strategic reforms a must 

Meanwhile, appropriations panel chairman, Ako Bicol Party-list Rep. Zaldy Co underscored the need for strategic reforms and increased support to the country’s education sector.

“It’s deeply concerning that Filipino students are lagging behind global standards in science and math,” Co said in his speech during the budget hearing Monday.

The Bicolano cited the alarming results of the 2022 PISA, where the Philippines ranked third from the bottom in science and sixth from the bottom in both mathematics and reading among 81 countries.

“These results are a wake-up call. We cannot afford to let our students fall further behind. We must act now to address these learning gaps and provide our children with the education they deserve,” Co said.

“The education system is in urgent need of strategic calibration...It’s not just about literacy; it’s about equipping our youth with problem-solving skills and critical thinking that are essential for tomorrow’s challenges. We need an education system that does more than just teach - it must inspire and empower,” he stressed.

With a proposed budget of P748 billion, the DepEd represents the largest allocation in the 2025 National Expenditure Program (NEP) or proposed national budget.