Education Secretary Sonny Angara recently received a strong show of support from non-teaching personnel and several education and business organizations, even as some quarters try to link him to alleged budget insertions and kickbacks — claims he firmly rejects as baseless.

The 48,000-strong Department of Education-National Employees Union (DepEd NEU) took the lead in voicing confidence in Angara’s leadership, saying the secretary deserves the chance to continue his reform agenda aimed at raising the quality of Philippine education.

“When he took the helm at DepEd, he brought a wealth of experience and a genuine concern for improving education,” said DepEd NEU president Atty. Domingo Alidon. “His record goes back to his days in Congress and the Senate, where he championed education legislation and budget advocacy.”

Angara’s legislative background includes his time as a congressman and Senate finance chair, where he pushed for increased funding for schools and education programs. Since assuming the DepEd post in 2024, he has launched initiatives to upgrade school facilities, relieve teachers of administrative burdens, and expand the number of non-teaching personnel so educators can focus on teaching.

The renewed backing comes as Angara faces allegations tying him to supposed fund insertions and kickbacks while he was Senate finance chair — a controversy connected to broader public works projects. Angara has dismissed these claims as hearsay, emphasizing that neither he nor his late father, former Senate President Edgardo Angara, were involved in any corrupt budget networks.

“I have never been involved in corruption,” Angara said, framing the allegations as part of attempts to derail DepEd’s reform agenda. “We will cooperate with legitimate investigations, but the work of improving education must go on.”

Support for Angara has poured in from across the education sector and private organizations. At least 18 groups, including the Association of DepEd Directors, the Philippine Association of School Superintendents, the National Association of Public School District Supervisors, and the Philippine Elementary School Principal Association, reaffirmed their confidence in his leadership.

Business and advocacy groups — including the Philippine Business for Education, the Makati Business Club, the Management Association of the Philippines, and the Coordinating Council of Private Educational Associations — also voiced backing for Angara. Even the Federation of Filipino Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Inc. and Davao del Sur State College joined in, underscoring broad support beyond DepEd itself.

“Consistent leadership at DepEd is crucial to sustaining learning recovery and translating historic budget investments into real gains for teachers and learners,” the Association of DepEd Directors said.

Angara welcomed the support, reiterating DepEd’s commitment to inclusive, transparent reforms. With a unified front behind him, he aims to accelerate systemwide initiatives in 2026, including filling classroom gaps, hiring more personnel, and strengthening early-grade learning — all while continuing to defend against ongoing political attacks.