The Teachers Dignity Coalition (TDC) urged President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. to ensure that the next Department of Education secretary is not a politician or actively involved in partisan politics. 

Rather, the replacement for the post vacated by Vice President Sara Duterte should come from the academe, “or at the very least has the experience teaching in public school,” according to TDC Chairperson Benjo Basas.

TDC said that they have been anticipating Duterte’s resignation as DepEd secretary given the current political situation between the Marcoses and Dutertes.

The resignation of Duterte, a prominent political figure, marks a significant development in Philippine politics, reflecting broader tensions within the Marcos administration and raising expectations for renewed focus on education and governance.”

“What we did not expect was for the resignation to happen today,” Basas said.

Basas stressed that appointing someone outside of politics would ensure that DepEd is spared from such political bickering and being dragged into divisive political fighting.

Aside from this, Basas said the next secretary should be an excellent manager since that person will be managing the largest bureaucracy in the country, with the most personnel, the most geographically dispersed, and the greatest resources.

“We also hope that the next secretary comes from the academe, or at the very least, has experience teaching in a public school. Someone who has lived through the daily experiences of teachers and students, grasps the situation on the ground, and whose heart is truly a teacher’s,” he said.

TDC said it expects the president to consider the opinions and sentiments of teachers and the public education sector.

Education crisis

Meanwhile, Senator and EDCOM 2 (Second Congressional Commission on Education) Co-chairperson Sherwin Gatchalian also expressed surprise at the resignation of Duterte, noting regular interaction with DepEd on various initiatives like the Alternative Learning System.

Gatchalian highlighted smooth collaboration with the department and cited no recent issues.

The Senator emphasized the importance of continuing the initiatives already underway, noting that frequent policy changes would not benefit the ongoing crisis.

He stressed the need for a smooth transition and a clear explanation to the incoming education secretary about the ongoing initiatives in the education sector and the discussions between EDCOM and DepEd.

Regarding potential successors, Gatchalian mentioned having names in mind but stressed the need for careful consideration given the recent developments.

“May mga pangalan ako top of mind but I have to think about it thoroughly dahil bago lang itong pangyayari. Kailangang pag-isipang mabuti kung sino yung itatalaga dyan [I have some names top of mind but I have to think about it thoroughly because this is a recent development. I need to carefully consider who will be appointed there],” he said.

He also underscored the importance of political will in Duterte’s appointment, emphasizing the President’s prioritization of education. Gatchalian noted the significance of aligning TESDA, CHED, and DepEd under a unified direction to address sectoral challenges effectively.

“That’s how important education is to the President. On top of that, importante rin ang political will ng isang vice president [a vice president’s political will is important]. We have a lot of problems in the education sector, you need someone with a political will – an overarching figure – para ilagay ang tatlong arm ng education system (TESDA, CHED, and DepEd) sa iisang direction [to align the three arms of the education system in one direction.],” Gatchalian said.