President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has appointed Negros Occidental third district Rep. Jose Francisco “Kiko” Bantug Benitez as the new chief of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), Malacañang announced Friday.

Benitez succeeds former TESDA Director General Suharto Mangudadatu, who resigned from his post effective 31 July to prepare for the parliamentary elections in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

“The Office of the President is grateful to Mangudadatu for his dedicated service and contributions to TESDA during his tenure,” Communications Secretary Cheloy Garafil said in a statement.

Garafil said Benitez’s “extensive academic background and commitment to sustainable development make him a well-suited head of TESDA.”

“The administration of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. is confident in Benitez’s ability to lead TESDA towards achieving its goals of enhancing the technical skills of the Filipino workforce, promoting lifelong learning opportunities, and driving economic growth through education and skills development,” Garafil added.