5 DepEd execs leaving this week

MANILA, Philippines — Five ranking officials of the Department of Education are leaving the agency with Vice President and outgoing DepEd Secretary Sara Duterte this week, giving incoming education secretary and outgoing Sen. Sonny Angara a free hand to choose members of his executive committee.

Undersecretary and chief-of-staff Michael Poa made the announcement on Tuesday ahead of Duterte’s last day in office on Thursday, saying he was among the officials who have resigned.

“Our resignations are effective July 19, 2024… I think it is only appropriate to give the incoming secretary of education, Secretary Angara, a free hand to choose the people that will form part of his team,” Poa told reporters.

Angara announced the courtesy resignations last Sunday, but did not give further details on the officials’ names, ranks and reasons for resigning.

Sought for comment on the matter, Angara said he has already started drawing up names for his shortlist for their replacements.

“(The) search is ongoing as we speak,” he told The STAR.

He added that he would announce new appointees soon.

Also leaving with Poa are the two retired Philippine Army generals that Duterte appointed to her executive committee last year: retired Maj. Gen. Nolasco Mempin and retired Brig. Gen. Noel Baluyan.

Mempin is the undersecretary for administration while Baluyan is assistant secretary for administration.

Before their appointments to the DepEd, Mempin was commander of the Army’s 10th Infantry Division, which has operational responsibility over the Davao Region. Baluyan was the assistant division commander of the 3rd Infantry Division.

Also leaving are Assistant Secretaries Sunshine Fajarda and Reynold Munsayac, who are both lawyers.

Munsayac had served during former president Rodrigo Duterte’s administration as commissioner of the Presidential Commission on Good Government, a post he left in 2022 to help the younger Duterte’s campaign for the vice presidency. Munsayac was later appointed as spokesman of the Office of the Vice President before his appointment to the DepEd.

Poa did not say what was next for him following his courtesy resignation from the high-profile post, but hinted at his loyalty to Duterte, saying, “I will just wait for instructions from the Vice President, if any.”

“We respect the decision of the DepEd undersecretaries and assistant secretaries who tendered their courtesy resignations ahead of our assumption as secretary of education,” Angara said.

The courtesy resignations came days before Duterte was scheduled to turn over the DepEd’s reins to Angara tomorrow at a ceremony at the DepEd Central Office.

Duterte filed her 30-day notice last June 19 before President Marcos, in which she stated that she would be vacating the office on July 19 to help facilitate a smooth transition for the new education secretary.

Despite Duterte’s vow to help in the transition, Angara admitted earlier this week that he has not met with Duterte since her resignation and his appointment as her replacement.

Angara said he would meet with Duterte tomorrow, during which he said he hopes there can be time for the pair to discuss matters about the agency.

Angara, however, said that he had already met with DepEd undersecretaries and assistant secretaries to discuss pending items and projects, as well as what he needed to expect for the opening of classes.

“We eagerly anticipate taking on our new role this Friday. Any appropriate appointments will be announced soon as we intend to hit the ground running and drive immediate progress,” he said.

RBPMS suspension

Meanwhile, teachers and school heads are commending DepEd field offices that suspended the implementation of the Results-Based Performance Management System (RBPMS) for school year 2023-2024.

In a statement, the Teachers’ Dignity Coalition said that regional directors (RDs) from the National Capital Region, Bicol Region, Central Visayas, Cordillera Administrative Region, SOCCSKSARGEN and Zamboanga Peninsula have ordered to halt the implementation of the RBPMS.

“We want to express our gratitude to several RDs and even SDSs (schools division superintendents) who have taken decisive action by instructing their respective areas of jurisdiction to halt the implementation of the RBPMS,” TDC chairman Benjo Basas said.

Manila SDS Rita Riddle had issued a message instructing the city’s school heads to defer the submission of the RBPMS until clear guidelines will have been provided.