(UPDATES) PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has tapped Sen. Juan Edgardo Angara as the new secretary of the Department of Education (DepEd), Malacañang confirmed on Tuesday.

Marcos made the announcement during the 17th Cabinet Meeting in Malacañang after Angara officially accepted the position, the Presidential Communications Office (PCO) said.

The lawmaker, however, was not present during the meeting.

"Senator Angara has an extensive legislative history, having championed significant education reforms since joining the Senate in 2013," the PCO said.

"His notable legislative achievements include the Universal Access to Tertiary Education Act and the Enhanced Basic Education Act of 2013 (K–12)," it added.

Angara will replace Vice President Sara Duterte, who resigned as education secretary on June 19, 2024.

Marcos earlier noted education as one of the most important sectors and that he is looking for a leader capable of overseeing its extensive operations.

Angara holds a Master of Laws degree from Harvard University, a Bachelor of Laws from the University of the Philippines and a Bachelor of Science in Economics from the London School of Economics — credentials the President ascertains would greatly help him in leading the DepEd.

The senator's appointment earned many positive responses, especially from education-related organizations.

He received endorsements from the Coordinating Council of Private Educational Associations (Cocopea) and the Philippine Association of Colleges and Universities (Paascu).

Angara said he accepted with "humility and a profound sense of duty" his appointment as the next DepEd secretary.

The senator on Tuesday said he was deeply honored and grateful to the President for the trust he has placed in him.

Angara's second six-year term as senator expires in 2025, and his seat will remain vacant until the next election in 2025, the Commission on Elections said Tuesday.

"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. I look forward to building upon her accomplishments," he said.

"I am eager to collaborate with President Marcos and the entire administration in serving our students, supporting our teachers, and enhancing the overall quality of education in our country," Angara said.

Angara's fellow "Solid 7" groupmates in the Senate also aired their support for his appointment.

Sen. Juan Miguel Zubiri said Angara would bring to the DepEd "his brilliant fiscal mind, being a former chair[man] of the Senate finance panel, and his heart for our youth, being part of the Congressional Committee on Education (Edcom).

"The Senate is losing an invaluable member, but the nation, and especially our children, are gaining an excellent champion," Zubiri said in a statement.

Sen. Loren Legarda said with a strong educational background and significant contributions as a commissioner of Edcom 2, Angara's leadership "promises a bright future for Philippine education."

Sen. JV Ejercito said with his extensive educational background and commitment to public service, Angara "is an excellent choice" for the role. "I am confident that his leadership will bring significant positive changes to our education system," he said.

Sen. Nancy Binay said that as an active participant in Edcom 2, Angara "has shown that he has an excellent grasp of the various issues hounding the education sector.

"We in the Senate will miss the breadth of his knowledge especially on matters of finance and law. But definitely, the Senate's loss is the country's gain," Binay said.

In a statement, DepEd said it is looking forward to working with the new leadership as it continues its "relentless pursuit toward improving the quality of basic education in the country."

The Teachers' Dignity Coalition, on the other hand, said that it is open to working with Angara, despite its earlier call to President Marcos not to appoint a politician as education secretary.

In an interview with The Manila Times, TDC Chairman Benjo Basas said they were open to discussing with Angara possible reforms in the education sector.

"Whoever sits as education secretary, we are willing to engage," Basas said in Filipino.

The militant Alliance of Concerned Teachers, on the other hand, said Angara is a "much-improved choice" over his predecessor, Duterte, as he is known to be open to dialogue with teachers unions and organizations and his consistency in pushing for increasing the salaries and benefits of teachers.

"We anticipate seeing him asserting some of his progressive [ideas] on education... even if they run counter to the administration's policies that only exacerbate the education crisis," ACT said.

Speaker Martin Romualdez said Angara's experience, unwavering dedication and exemplary public service would make him an "outstanding choice" for the role.

"Throughout his career, Senator Angara has demonstrated a profound commitment to enhancing our educational system and championing our students' and teachers' rights and welfare. His impressive background and notable legislative work and education policy achievements equip him with the expertise needed to lead the DepEd with excellence," Romualdez said.

House Appropriations Committee Chairman and Ako Bicol Partylist Rep. Elizaldy Co added that Angara, who was his counterpart in the Senate, is a "good fit" for the DepEd considering the wealth of expertise, credentials and perspectives that he will bring to the department.

He also called on Angara to scrutinize the prepared budget of DepEd in 2025 and make sure that it would solve the quality crisis in the country's public K–12 schools.

"We counsel the new DepEd secretary to be immediately visible to the students, teachers, and parents. Please quickly land on your feet and immediately get your bearings at DepEd. Make your mark, consult the teachers and parents, and make enrollment and school opening smooth," Co said.

House Basic Education and Culture Committee Chairman and Pasig City Rep. Roman Romulo urged the public to support Angara, his co-commissioner in Edcom 2, especially in ensuring that reforms for education will be met.

He added that Angara will now work with a revised curriculum, which he hoped would improve the country's performance assessment scores through a lighter curriculum with a focus on reading comprehension.

"It's already there and what I said, we need to implement the curriculum aggressively. For me, the blueprint is already there, so all you have to do really is to implement it," Romulo told reporters in a virtual press briefing.

House Civil Service and Professional Regulation panel chairman and Bohol 3rd District Rep. Kristine Tutor urged Angara to remove the burdens of teachers by letting the Department of Health, Department of Social Welfare and Development, and Barangay Health Centers carry the burden on school health and nutrition.

His fellow Edcom 2 commissioner, Negros Occidental 3rd District Rep. Jose Francisco Benitez, said Angara was the "right man for the job" as the job needed someone who "intimately knows the ins and outs of our education system, and understands it from a finance and management perspective."

Benitez was one of those considered by the Cocopea as a possible education secretary.

ACT Teachers Partylist Rep. France Castro challenged Angara to "hit the ground running" and immediately address the educational crisis in the country as well as the long-standing demands of teachers and education support personnel.

Castro challenged Angara to overhaul the K–12 system, noting that it had been fraught with issues since its implementation and it's now "high time" for a comprehensive review.

"Sen. Angara must prioritize the improvement of working conditions, salaries, and benefits of our teachers and education support personnel. These frontliners in education have long been calling for just compensation and better support systems," Castro said.

Gabriela Partylist Rep. Arlene Brosas also challenged Angara to reconsider his stand on the enforcement of the mandatory Reserve Officers' Training Corps and the K–12 program, focusing instead on improving the education system and not militarization in schools.

"The Filipino people, especially our students and teachers, need to see concrete plans and immediate action to address the education sector's woes. Secretary Angara must prove that he is up to the task and not just another political appointee perpetuating failed and anti-people policies," Brosas said.

Kabataan Partylist Rep. Raoul Danniel Manuel said that Angara should look at the damage done by the K–12 program and focus on increasing the education budget, removing the K–12 curriculum, and reviewing school regulations to allow more Filipino students to study.

Senate Majority Leader Francis Tolentino said, "He (Angara) will do an excellent job as DepEd secretary with his EdCom background and familiarity with current issues. The Senate will lose another legal mind as a consequence," the majority leader said.

Sen. Bong Revilla assured Angara of his support, saying they would work together for the betterment of the education sector.

Presidential Adviser on Poverty Alleviation Larry Gadon said he hoped Angara's appointment would improve the country's Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) rating.

PISA is an international assessment that measures the literacy of 15-year-old students in reading, mathematics and science.

Gadon noted that one indicator of the country's state of basic education is its performance in PISA, where it hit the bottom of a list of 78 countries in 2018 and was 77th of 81 in 2022.

"Education is a major key in alleviating poverty; hence, I am happy that the new DepEd secretary is someone who is really capable of instituting reforms in our educational system," he said.

WITH ARLIE O. CALALO