With the appointment of Senator Juan Edgardo “Sonny” Angara as the new Department of Education (DepEd) secretary, expect a major transformation primarily on a thrust to make Filipinos globally competitive through local schools.

Angara will be replacing Vice President Sara Duterte as the 39th DepEd secretary on 19 July after the latter personally gave her resignation to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on 19 June. The outgoing senator also brings much knowledge to his new position and a distinct vision for the nation’s educational future.

In 1994, Angara graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations from the London School of Economics and Political Science. He graduated from the University of the Philippines College of Law in 2000 with a law degree, and from Harvard Law School in 2003 with a master’s degree in law.

Like father, like son

Angara has a strong foundation in academia and a comprehensive understanding of governance and legal structures, which he has utilized to his advantage in developing the country’s education policies.

It is important to note that the incoming Education secretary has had the honor of learning from his wise father, the late Senate President Ed Angara, from an early age and collaborating with him to accomplish shared objectives.

Sonny’s father was a strong supporter of education and had served as president of the nation’s top state institution before pursuing a career in politics.

Even though the former Senate President passed away a year and a half ago, the younger Angara still finds inspiration in him, he was the first Angara in Philippine politics, a fervent supporter of advancement, education and patriotism.

The elder Angara provided his son with a blueprint on how to live and establish a solid reputation in public service.

“Seek not to follow the footsteps of the wise; seek what they sought,” Sonny said.

Sonny’s political journey

The younger Angara’s political journey began in 2004 when he was elected to the House of Representatives, representing the lone district of Aurora.

As a senator, Angara authored and sponsored numerous laws aimed at improving the education system.

“Education is a big one. It’s my dad’s legacy, especially free high school education for everyone. We did the Universal Kindergarten Law together when I was a congressman, and he was a senator,” the incoming Education secretary said.

As a congressman, he championed various educational reforms, including the Universal Kindergarten Education Act and the Unified Student Financial Assistance System for Tertiary Education (UniFAST) Act.

In 2013, Angara was elected to the Senate, where he continued his advocacy for education, health and economic reform.

Notable among these are the Free College Education Law, which provides free tuition to students in state universities and colleges and the Enhanced Basic Education Act (K-12 Law), which extended the basic education cycle to 12 years.

Angara also had a major role in the passage of the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act a few years ago, which allows students to attend college for free.

The senator added that students can study in private universities through the use of vouchers under the law.

“It’s a lesser-known aspect of the law. If a town has no state or public school, a low-income family can apply for a voucher from the government so the person can enroll in a private university. Everyone should have a chance,” Angara said.

Hurdles, solutions

Angara has acknowledged the intricacies of the educational system and said that he is receptive to cooperation and learning. Besides, he understood the need for expert guidance and constructive dialogue with educators.

“We’ll go back to basics; we must improve our reading education. The quality of education in terms of math, languages, and science has gone low. We must improve its system as this would help the country in general,” he said.

“I am committed to working with all sectors of society, including my predecessor, Vice President Sara Duterte, to ensure that every Filipino child has access to quality education,” Angara said.

“We will not politicize this very important department,” Angara added.

The incoming Education secretary takes up an enormous burden in the sector, one of which is the dismal results of Filipino students in international competency tests. Nine out of 10 Filipino kids in grade 10 struggle to read simple text, according to World Bank research.

Angara’s handling of the K–12 program debate presents another difficulty. In the face of demands that he abandon the law that he co-wrote, Angara remains unfazed. He said, “The K-12 program is already a law, and we are obligated to follow it.”

The K–12 program added two more years of senior high school, restructuring the nation’s fundamental education system.

The DepEd is currently revising the 11th and 12th-grade curriculum to generate more graduates who are prepared for the workforce.

“Let’s fix the curriculum of Grade 11 and Grade 12 so that what will be taught to them would be something that can provide them with jobs. Apart from their personal growth, they should also have professional growth and the potential to get a job,” Angara said.

Angara’s focus will include the quality of teachers and the benefits that are given to them.

Progressive nations have an excellent educational system that emphasizes reading, math, science and technology.

“We’ll go back to basics; we must improve our reading education. The quality of education in terms of math, languages, and science has gone down. We must improve its system as this would help the country in general,” Angara said.

His attention will be also directed toward enhancing the educational system, which he plans to update for today’s learners.

Angara intends to give teachers greater benefits as “directed by the President.” He will investigate teacher benefits and loans, requesting that financial institutions give instructors “preferential treatment” when granting them access.

Additionally, Angara stated that salary increases will occur either this year or the next.