Zamboanga Del Norte 3rd District Rep. Adrian Michael Amatong expressed his support for Secretary Sonny Angara’s commitment to address the problems left behind at the Department of Education (DepEd) by former Secretary Vice President Sara Duterte.
According to Amatong, these issues must be confronted by Angara, and he hopes that the new leadership will implement more effective measures to improve the state of education in the country.
During the House hearing on the proposed P793.18-billion budget for DepEd in 2025, Amatong expressed his concern over the state of the education system, particularly the longstanding issues with the department’s procurement processes and the severe shortage of classrooms and textbooks nationwide.
Amatong pointed out that these issues persist despite the significant funds allocated by the government, raising doubts about the management of the department under Vice President Duterte.
However, Amatong is confident that under Angara’s leadership, the inherited problems will be directly addressed. He emphasized the urgent need to address the growing shortage of classrooms, which has reached 160,000.
In response, Angara has acknowledged the magnitude of the challenges he faces and has reiterated his commitment to implementing the necessary reforms to address DepEd’s problems and improve the education system.
Amatong is hopeful that the long-standing issues within DepEd will be resolved under Angara’s leadership. He also urged Congress to fund DepEd’s request for an additional P30 billion for classrooms, stressing the importance of providing every student with a proper learning environment.