During a joint deliberation of the House of Representatives Committee on Basic Education and Culture (CBEC) and Committee on Higher and Technical Education (CHTE) on House Concurrent Resolution No. 28, national government agencies and private education organizations manifest their full support in the creation of a cabinet cluster for education.
The Department of Education (DepEd), Commission on Higher Education (CHED), Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), Department of Budget and Management, Department of Labor and Employment, Department of Science and Technology (DOST), Coordinating Councils for Private Education Associations (COCOPEA), Technical Vocational School Associations of the Philippines (TVSA), and other private education groups, including the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, today manifested that they are in full support of the creation of a cabinet cluster for education.
The said agencies and organizations stated that this initiative will not only help streamline the policies and plans of the entire education sector, but can also ensure that resources are efficiently directed to address the learning crisis of the country.
“The [DepEd] Secretary defers to the honorable committee with the optimism that the creation of the cluster would improve greater coordination between the education agencies…The Department supports the proposal,” says DepEd Undersecretary for Legal and Legislative Affairs, Omar Romero.
CHED Commissioner Ethel Agnes Valenzuela also manifested the agency’s support to the concurrent resolution. “We are in full support of this proposal, specifically that the cabinet cluster will actually contribute to better alignment, better coordination, and effective implementation of priority programs.”
TESDA likewise lauded the objectives of the proposed measure, stating that it will empower educational institutions in the delivery of educational services, and ensure alignment, close coordination, and effective implementation of programs in the education sector. “The work and functions of the PQFNCC [Philippine Qualification Framework National Coordinating Council] will be complementary to the cabinet cluster, thus providing a better avenue for direct discussion and guidance from the President,” adds Mr El Cid Castillo, TESDA Qualifications and Standards Office Executive Director.
EDCOM 2 has previously sent a letter dated June 27 to President Marcos Jr, urging him to create a cabinet cluster as one of the efforts to strengthen the governance structure of the education system, and to urgently address the country’s learning crisis.
“This concurrent resolution is an offshoot of a letter sent by the education commission [EDCOM 2] to President Marcos Jr., urging the creation of cabinet cluster for education in view of the need to provide strong oversight to all education agencies under the executive departments which include the Department of Education, the Commission on Higher Education, and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority,” says Committee on Higher and Technical Education Chairperson and EDCOM 2 Co-Chairperson Rep Mark Go.
Following the strong support gathered from the body, the said committees then swiftly adopted and approved the said resolution, subject to the recommended inclusion of the DOST as member of the proposed cabinet cluster. Once the Joint Committee report is approved, the Concurrent Resolution will be up for Second Reading in Congress’ Plenary Session.
