President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has appointed Negros Occidental Third District Representative Jose Francisco “Kiko” Bantug Benitez as the new chief of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA).

In a statement Friday, Malacanang said that Benitez replaced former TESDA director general Suharto Mangudadatu, who resigned from his post, effective 31 July this year, to prepare for the parliamentary elections in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

Communications Secretary Cheloy Garafil said that the Office of the President (OP) is grateful to Mangudadatu for his dedicated service and contributions to TESDA during his tenure.

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