Marcos picks Angara as new DepEd chief

Malacañang on Tuesday said President Marcos is set to appoint Senator Juan Edgardo ‘Sonny’ Angara IV as the new Secretary of the Department of Education (DepEd).

The announcement was made during the 17th Cabinet Meeting at Malacañan Palace, where President Marcos confirmed that Angara had accepted the position.

“Sonny has agreed to take on the brief of the Department of Education,” President Marcos said.

Angara will succeed Vice President Sara Duterte, who resigned as Education Secretary on June 19, 2024. Her resignation will take effect on July 19, 2024.

The Presidential Communications Office (PCO), moreover, stated that Angara has been part of educational reforms since becoming a senator, citing his legislative achievements in passing the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act and the Enhanced Basic Education Act of 2013 (K-12).

Educational organizations, including the Coordinating Council of Private Educational Associations (COCOPEA) and the Philippine Association of Colleges and Universities (PACU), have endorsed Angara.

President Marcos previously emphasized the importance of choosing the new DepEd chief and the necessity for strong leadership.

“DepEd is arguably the most important department given the crucial role of education,” he said.

Last month, Duterte left her posts as the country’s education secretary and the head of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC).

Many experts believed that the vice president’s decision stemmed from the ongoing tirades between President Marcos and her father, former President Rodrigo Duterte.

Duterte, however, clarified that she remains on good terms with the Chief Executive despite her resignation.

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