Foreign business chambers back appointment of new education chief

The Joint Foreign Chambers of the Philippines said they look forward to collaborating with secretary Sonny Angara to further improve the education, workforce, and country’s economy.| PHOTOS: Official Facebook page of DepEd and Senate PRIB

The Joint Foreign Chambers of the Philippines (JFC) on Thursday said it welcomes the appointment of senator Sonny Angara as the secretary of the Department of Education (DepEd), marking a fresh wave of support from the business sector for the selection of the veteran lawmaker.

The JFC, a coalition of the American, Australian-New Zealand, Canadian, European, Japanese, Korean business chambers, as well as the Philippine Association of Multinational Companies Regional Headquarters Incorporated, highlighted Angara’s past accomplishments they deemed would be helpful in the post.

“In his two terms as Senator, he has championed crucial legislation to improve the Philippine investment climate,” the JFC said in a statement.

We believe Secretary Angara will channel that same dedication towards championing and implementing much-needed educational reforms,” the business group added.

READ: Angara expected to push gov’t aid to teachers, students as DepEd chief

Further, the JFC said that they look forward to collaborating with the new secretary and the DepEd to further improve the education, workforce, and country’s economy.

Earlier this week, the private sector-led Philippine Business for Education (PBEd) also welcomed President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s decision to appoint Angara, which was their top pick for the role.

The PBEd highlighted that Angara has authored landmark legislations in the area of education, including the Free College Law and the Free Kindergarten Law.

“He has also served as the chairman of the Senate committee on youth, where he pushed for greater opportunities for the youth to participate in policy-making and nation-building,” the group said in an earlier statement.

The organization also highlighted his experience and involvement as a commissioner of the Second Congressional Commission on Education, saying this will help address the learning crisis in the Philippines effectively.

The Makati Business Club (MBC) had also congratulated Angara for the appointment and highlighted his other works on education policy and legislation.

The business group cited Angara’s role in pushing for Senate Joint Resolution No. 10 which created the Second Congressional Commission on Education, and serving as one of the body’s commissioners, and co-chairing its governance and finance standing committee.