PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said on Saturday that he had yet to choose the next secretary of the Department of Education (DepEd), adding the candidate must be a good educator and administrator.

"It turns out it's harder than I thought because we absolutely have to get it right. So I'm giving myself more time," the President told reporters in Makati City.

"As I told you before, we have to see, really, what the DepEd needs. Of course, there are many calls for the new secretary to be an educator. There are many calls for the new secretary to be an administrator. There are new calls for a historical professor. All of these and they are all valid concerns. That's what education is all about," he added.

The President said he had gone through the credentials of various candidates, noting many of them were very good.

Marcos said the next DepEd secretary should be able to "bring up the test scores."

"But then, how do you achieve that? That requires a very good hand on the pillar of the DepEd, who can manage it properly, who understands the bureaucracy, who understands how to use the budget properly, all of these things," he said.

Marcos said he would announce by the end of the week the replacement of Vice President Sara Duterte as DepEd chief.

Marcos thanked Duterte, who resigned from all her Cabinet posts last week, for running the Education Department for two years.

"The DepEd's task is hard. That's why we have to thank Inday Sara for, really, the effort that she put in. There's a great deal more work to be done, and we'll find the right person for it," the President said.

Marcos said the DepEd was "quite possibly, arguably the most important department because education is that important."

"I want it fast-tracked. I asked for many names. What do we like? What do we need? Let's look at the status of DepEd. What must be done?" the President added.

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