MS. OSEÑA-PAEZ: Current developments, presidential directives, accurate and reliable updates straight from the Palace. This is Daphne Oseña-Paez, your Malacañang Insider.

To protect and promote the fundamental right of every Filipino to quality basic education, iyan ang mandato ng Department of Education. Ang patuloy na patibayin at iangat ang kalidad ng pagtuturo upang matiyak ang magandang kinabukasan ng bawat Pilipino.

Alamin natin ang mga programa na ipapatupad sa DepEd para ihatid ang de-kalidad na edukasyon. And we have with us today, Department of Education Secretary, Sonny Angara. Congratulations, Secretary Angara, and welcome to Malacañang Insider.

DEPED SEC. ANGARA: Salamat, Daphne. Magandang tanghali sa ating mga viewers. Thank you for inviting me.

MS. OSEÑA-PAEZ: We are so happy to have you here. And I’m happy that you are the Department of Education secretary, and I’m really excited to find out what your plans are. But first of all, yesterday, we attended the PISA meeting and there are a lot of developments in education. Would you like to share some of the updates?

DEPED SEC. ANGARA: Yes, mayroon tayong PCORP (Private Sector Jobs and Skills Corporation), iyon iyong ipinagawa ni Pangulo na magsama-sama iyong iba’t ibang industriya na gumawa ng isang organisasyon na tutulong sa … iyong tinatawag na job skills mismatch. Ibig sabihin, may kasanayan ang isang estudyante, pero iyong inaral niya, hindi siya makahanap ng trabaho doon sa industriya niya. At the same time, may mga industriya tayo, Daphne, naghahanap naman sila ng empleyado na magtatrabaho sa kanilang industriya, hindi nagma-match.

Kaya sabi ni Pangulo, magtayo tayo ng isang korporasyon, iyong PCORP, at iyong trabaho nila is kung ano iyong pangangailangan ng industriya, kung paano itaas iyong skill level ng Pilipino kaya mayroon tayong PCORP. At dito, nagpirmahan naman iyong PCORP at saka iyong Department of Education na mag-partner para iyong senior high school curriculum natin ay gagawin nating akma sa mga pangangailangan ng industriya.

At iyon, bibigyan din natin ng parang menu o pagpipilian ang mga magulang, ang mga estudyante kung ano iyong natitipuhan nilang pasukan na industriya o trabaho, eh mayroon na silang makukuhang work experience – on the job training, work immersion. At hindi lang iyong padaplis na work immersion na sandali, isang linggo, dalawang linggo, kung hindi babad talaga sila. So, makakakuha sila ng skills and masi-certify sila kaya very employable or hirable sila pagkatapos ng kanilang work immersion. Iyon iyong pakay ng aming memorandum with PCORP na masuwerte kami na mismong si Pangulo ay nag-witness doon at dahil iyon ay galing sa kaniyang utos na kailangan iyong mga senior high school graduates natin ay magkaroon ng trabaho pagkatapos dahil iyon ang pangako natin noong ipinasa natin iyong K to 12 reform – medyo naging controversial noong taong 2012, 2013.

Pero ang ipinangako ng gobyerno sa mga pamilya ay iyong mga anak ninyo ay magkakatrabaho; hindi na kailangang magkolehiyo, hind na kailangang mag-unibersidad para magkatrabaho.

MS. OSEÑA-PAEZ: That’s amazing. So, this addresses the gap that was sort of a low hanging fruit for many years, ngayon mayroon nang internship, on the job training na relevant sa mga gusto nilang pasukan.

DEPED SEC. ANGARA: Iyon iyong maganda noong sinabi ni Pangulo ay nagsama-sama iyong mga industriya at dito sa PCORP ay nandidiyan iyong IT-BPO – ibig sabihin iyong mga call center, iyan ang pinaka-fastest growing industry in the country in terms of employees, over one million employees iyan. Nandidiyan po iyong Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Nandidiyan po iyong SEIPI (Semiconductor and Electronics Industries of the Philippines Foundation Incorporated), semi-conductor industry. So, all kinds of industries nandidito. So, talagang makakapagpili talaga iyong bata at nakikita niya na may pag-asa at may katuturan iyong pag-aaral niya, iyong dagdag na dalawang taon na papasukan niya.

MS. OSEÑA-PAEZ: How do you feel, upon entering the Department of Education, you see this strong support from the private sector and you are now in the cabinet, and it’s just such a great synergy. How do you feel about that?

DEPED SEC. ANGARA: I am very gratified. I think, it’s also, number one, it’s a sign of the goodwill of the Marcos administration dahil nakikita ng pribadong industriya na very open si Pangulong Marcos na may say ang pribadong sektor sa pagpapatakbo ng gobyerno at very open and nakikinig si Pangulo. So, iyon ang nagugustuhan yata ng industriya, kaya dito sa edukasyon, nakikita nila na nakikinig din si Pangulo na kapag sinabi ng industriya na medyo bumababa iyong kalidad ng ating edukasyon, kaya sabi niya sa akin, kailangan ayusin natin iyan; hindi tayo papayag na patuloy iyong pagbaba ng ating edukasyon. Tapos iyong sinasabi niyang skill-level natin, kailangang itaas natin. Tapos iyong mga trabaho na nakukuha ng ating mga graduates ay hindi lang iyong basic na trabaho; kailangan mas quality jobs, ‘ika nga.

MS. OSEÑA-PAEZ: Wow, so you got straight to work right away. Let’s go back to the day that you became Department of Education secretary. I have known you for so long and I have always known you as a politician. Yes, and now you are in the Marcos cabinet.

DEPED SEC. ANGARA: Twenty years of politicians, Daphne.

MS. OSEÑA-PAEZ: So, what is it like for you in this stage? And how different is it as a politician and now being in the cabinet of the Marcos administration?

DEPED SEC. ANGARA: It’s very exciting. But the political skills, medyo useful din siya kasi you have to deal with a lot of people – principals, teachers, students, families, administrator. The DepEd is one of the biggest organizations in government, so your political skills come in handy. But dito naman, in politics kasi, you want to say yes to everyone, it’s very hard to say no. But here, hindi naman tayo tumatakbo sa posisyon, so we can run it very professional and learn how to say no sometimes.

MS. OSEÑA-PAEZ: While you were approaching the end of your term as senator – the timing, were you ready for this? Is this something you wanted?

DEPED SEC. ANGARA: Well, it cut short my term by one year, kasi naka-five years na tayo dito sa pangalawang termino natin, Daphne. But I think the President’s offer was too good to turn down. At saka iyong oportunidad na makatulong talaga sa ating mga pamilya, mga estudyante, mga teachers, to help the education sector, it was a very big opportunity and I’m very thankful to the President for entrusting me with this difficult job.

MS. OSEÑA-PAEZ: Right, difficult job. It is a difficult job, it is an agency that needs a lot of help, needs a lot of improvement. As you can see from yesterday’s meeting, even the private sector is so willing to help just to improve the quality of education for our students. What can you bring in to the organization?

DEPED SEC. ANGARA: I think, I can bring in some vision, a long-term vision and I think, I can bring also some efficiencies, meaning, run it in the more efficient manner. Nakita natin na sometimes hindi umaabot iyong mga aklat. So, the President said, sabi nga ni Presidente sa kaniyang SONA, we must deliver the books free and on time and in one year. So, he set a goal for us.

Basically, sinasabi ni Presidente sa atin, you better be more efficient. At saka kung hihingiin natin sa mga bata na mag-perform sila, eh kailangan iyong departamento ay magpi-perform din siya. So, you deliver the books on time; you build the classrooms; you create the learning environment. Kailangang i-train natin iyong ating teachers in a way na hindi masyadong hard sell. Kumbaga gusto rin niya alagaan natin sila dahil alam niyang may mga pamilya itong mga teachers natin, sabi niya. And tingnan natin holistically iyong mga sitwasyon ng ating teachers dahil karamihan diyan umuutang, sila iyong breadwinner ng kanilang pamilya. So, sabi niya, based on his experience noong governor siya ng Ilocos ay importante na kausapin sila as human being, as family, heads of family.

MS. OSEÑA-PAEZ: The Matatag Curriculum was established just before you came in. Are you amending it, improving it? Are we continuing?

DEPED SEC. ANGARA: We’ll continue it. This is the product of several years of studying, Daphne. And the direction, we are continuing the direction but again, it’s a pilot, so this year, we are doing grades 1, 4 and 7 for the Matatag Curriculum; and the following year, grades 2, 3, 5 and 8. So whatever the learnings are for that first year, we will, kumbaga iterative iyong process, meaning, we are willing to change as we go along, as we learn from the experience at actual, on the ground and then we get feedback din from our teachers at saka iyong estudyante, ano ang kailangang baguhin, anong puwedeng pagandahin.

MS. OSEÑA-PAEZ: In addition to improving the curriculum, support for teachers you mentioned, something so important and also close to the heart of the President. Ano ang makikita natin na tulong na puwedeng, you mentioned that you are ready, but what are the other support that you can give to the teachers?

DEPED SEC. ANGARA: The President has really given that clear marching order. Kaya tayo, we really kept that in mind and took it seriously. Now, we have—we signed the implementing rules for the expanded career progression of our teachers. One of the big problems in the teaching profession, Daphne, is the lack of career opportunities or clear career paths for our teachers, meaning pagpasok niyang Teacher I, puwede siyang maging Teacher II, Teacher III, pero pagkatapos doon, parang nababara iyong kaniyang promotion.

So, ang ginawa natin, kinausap natin iyong DBM at Civil Service Commission at saka Professional Regulatory Commission, gumawa tayo ng mga career paths. So, may school administration path tayo, sa mga gustong maging principal. Tapos gumawa tayo ng Teacher IV, V, VI, para ma-promote. Kasi kaya napa-pirate daw iyong ibang teachers natin, kasi after ten, fifteen years as Teacher I or Teacher II ay parang hindi naman tumataas ang kanilang suweldo. So, naghahanap sila ng ibang opportunities minsan abroad. So, very susceptible to poaching ang ating mga teachers. So, with this career progression, maraming matutuwang mga teachers dahil kitang-kita nila na puwede silang tumagal sa teaching profession and they can [unclear] the living wage and provide a decent living to their families.

MS. OSEÑA-PAEZ: Now, tamang-tama iyong timing ng pagpasok ninyo na mag-o-open na iyong school, tapos nagkaroon ng malaking bagyo. Kumusta na, may backlog pa sa improvements or mga bagong classrooms?

DEPED SEC. ANGARA: Medyo kinabahan kami doon, Daphne, kasi the very first day, parang nasa over 1,000 iyong hindi nakabukas noong July 29, kung hindi ako nagkakamali. But maganda, after one week, lahat naman nakabukas, so even the most flooded schools. Maraming binaha sa Metro Manila eh, CAMANAVA and even in Region I and sa Mindanao, mga binaha talaga. But ang maganda diyan, doon ko nakita talaga iyong Bayanihan spirit ng ating mga communities at ng ating mga teachers at iyong sakripisyo. Parang nabilib talaga ako sa ating mga teachers na iyong dedication nila, iyong sila na mismo na nasira iyong kanilang mga bahay o apektado sila ng baha, pero nandodoon sila sa eskuwelahan at nag-o-overtime sila para lang malinis, para lang mahanda iyong mga aklat o iyong mga libro ng ating mga estudyante. It’s very heartwarming, nakakataba talaga ng puso. I cannot say enough about the sacrifice of our teachers.

MS. OSEÑA-PAEZ: We still have a lot to talk about, Secretary Angara.

Up next, pag-uusapan natin ang mga hakbang na ginagawa at gagawin ng Department of Education para matugunan ang mga problema sa basic education. We will be right back.

[COMMERCIAL BREAK]

MS. OSEÑA-PAEZ: Welcome back, you are still watching Malacañang Insider with Secretary Sonny Angara of the Department of Education.

Secretary Angara, let’s go into the problems of basic education. One of them is, of course, the low scores of the Philippines in the PISA testing of the OECD, Organization of the Economic Cooperation and Development. We are like second to the last.

DEPED SEC. ANGARA: That’s right.

MS. OSEÑA-PAEZ: All right, in creative thinking.

DEPED SEC. ANGARA: And reading as well.

MS. OSEÑA-PAEZ: Right. What can we do?

DEPED SEC. ANGARA: Well, it really goes to the quality of our education because the PISA exam measures very specific type of skills. They present you with a situation and you must react to it and analyze it. So, hindi lang siya parang iyong normal exam na ano iyong nangyari itong date na ito o ano iyong cause nito. So, they really give you a problem set. It’s a very real-world type of thinking. It’s not easy. Oo, I’ve seen it also. So hindi siya madali at minsan crosscutting pa siya, ibig sabihin by cross cutting, marami siyang tina-tackle. Puwedeng math, may math, may reading in one problem.

So, it is a challenge for us because very structured iyong teaching natin. And we also teach in a certain form that doesn’t always encourage analysis and critical thinking, which another thing na binanggit ni Pangulong Bongbong sa kaniyang SONA na kailangan analytical thinkers tayo, critical thinkers. So, that is also what the PISA tries to measure.

So, sa akin, I think we need to have more test exams that are PISA-like, kasi hindi tayo sanay sa ganoon. And number two, binibigay iyan sa computer eh, it’s administered through computer. So iyong ibang bata, hindi sila sanay mag-computer, mas lalo na mag-exam, medyo kinakabahan ka. So, kapag nakita mo iyong computer for the first time, medyo apektado iyong performance nila.

And again, we should also zero in kung sino iyong grade levels na iyon and make sure, iyong science education is very, very focused and targeted very towards that type of exam.

MS. OSEÑA-PAEZ: So, there are many ways to address that?

DEPED SEC. ANGARA: Yes, different ways, through teaching and also through technology and also through tutorials.

MS. OSEÑA-PAEZ: Well, education, it takes like a generation to see the result. What reforms you put in now, we won’t see until they graduate 12 years later. So, what are the seeds that you want to plant as DepEd secretary?

DEPED SEC. ANGARA: Well, the learning delivery is important, I think. But if you are talking about a lot of things, I want to change the culture in way because we want to have a culture of assessment and measurement, meaning based on—our decisions are not based on what we think or what we feel, but really based on evidence, we measure our outcomes. So, when we test our teachers, when we rate them, I don’t mean necessarily more exams, but maybe more objective tools to measure our education outcomes. And then technology, bring the education system into the modern world. So, I think, kasi may have traditional problems, iyong classroom gap, iyong kakulangan ng computers or libro. I think technology can help us live from a lot of these problems.

MS. OSEÑA-PAEZ: And now, there are so many other apps and companies that are willing to do these things for free or for less cost.

DEPED SEC. ANGARA: Yes, that’s right.

MS. OSEÑA-PAEZ: And I believe DepEd is looking into these kinds of partnerships?

DEPED SEC. ANGARA: Yes, we actually signed the—I don’t know if you heard of Khan Academy, that’s one of the biggest …

MS. OSEÑA-PAEZ: That’s my mommy’s best friend.

DEPED SEC. ANGARA: You used it?

MS. OSEÑA-PAEZ: Yes.

DEPED SEC. ANGARA: Yes, that’s right, parang education software or edtech as they like to call it. Ang ganda eh, kasi interactive siya, but it requires na may computer. At saka ang maganda sa kaniya, another thing that you talk about what we want to plan, I think we have to make learning engaging and fun. Kailangan masaya iyong bata, kasi kapag masaya siya on his own, he will seek out new forms of learning on his own, kahit wala iyong teacher or hindi required, gagawin niya talaga dahil enjoy siya ‘di ba. I think Khan Academy, that is one thing they do very well and we can learn from that.

MS. OSEÑA-PAEZ: You mentioned, dapat masaya at hindi gutom, that is another thing that the DepEd is involved in, nutrition.

DEPED SEC. ANGARA: Yes, we have a feeding program, the President mentioned that during our meeting because he knows, he is very aware that it’s a crosscutting thing. It’s not just about food supply, sabi niya; it’s about nutrition, making sure kids eat the right thing. Hindi lang any type of food – it’s nutritious food, it’s a good mix – the right protein, carbohydrates or energy. He is very concerned about it.

MS. OSEÑA-PAEZ: Secretary Angara, I was asking you earlier about this path that you took 20 years being a politician and then now, Secretary of Education. And you know, I think about it, it’s not surprising, you do have roots in education. Your father is the OG (Original) of education.

DEPED SEC. ANGARA: That’s right, he was a UP President back in 1980s and he was the chair of the first EdCom or Education Commission. Iyon iyong nag-analyze ng mga problema ng education system, which is why we have—as a result of his work at EdCom, nagkaroon tayo ng DepEd, ng CHEd, ng TESDA and all these education agencies, National Book Development board, et cetera.

MS. OSEÑA-PAEZ: So, as part of the legacy, is there something that you would like to continue that your father had instilled in you?

DEPED SEC. ANGARA: Aim high, gusto niya talaga world class iyong mga Pilipino. So, I think, that is one thing that we should try to instill sa baba na talagang kaya natin. Minsan iyong culture na—huwag ‘puwede na lang’; dapat ano talaga, we aspire for mastery. That’s something the founder of Khan Academy, when he said we don’t aspire for puwede na, you aspire for mastery. Maaaring hindi mo makuha pero hindi ba, parang kapag gumagawa ka ng bahay, tatapusin mo iyong bahay. Hindi mo sasabihin na gagawa lang ako ng one storey, iyon lang ang matatapos ko. In everything, you have to aspire for mastery.

MS. OSEÑA-PAEZ: And also, in their generation, nakikita natin na talagang umangat sila through education and aspiring for excellence?

DEPED SEC. ANGARA: Yes, iyon ang ipinagyabang sa akin ng aking ama, Daphne. Ipinagyabang niya na never siyang nagbayad ng tuition, laging may nagbayad. Of course public school product siya eh, from elementary to part of his high school, tapos UP subsidized iyong tuition niya and then he earned a scholarship to go to the University of Michigan. So, iyon ang ipinama niya sa akin, sabi, you have to open doors for the less fortunate, increase access to educational opportunities.

MS. OSEÑA-PAEZ: Okay, well you mentioned tuition, I’ll go back to some of the questions here, mayroon palang request na magtaas ng matrikula or inaapila ng mga pribadong paaralan. Where we at, at this request?

DEPED SEC. ANGARA: They are private schools, so I think that’s their prerogative. But they should know also, alam nila may market penalty iyan, kapag itinaas mo masyado, maglilipatan iyan. That is why, in fact, some of the good public schools doon naglilipatan iyong ibang estudyante kasi alam nila maganda iyong programa.

MS. OSEÑA-PAEZ: Is there anything being done to protect those who need it most to get into these public schools

DEPED SEC. ANGARA: Yes, we have a voucher system, iyon ang maganda. So, under the Expanded Government Assistance to Students and Teachers in Private Education (E-GASTPE), mayroon tayong vouchers na ibinibigay sa mga mahirap na pamilya. So, kahit walang public school doon, puwede silang lumipat sa private school. So, it’s looking at the educational system as a whole, parang iyong public saka private complementary iyan. They are complementary parts of the whole.

MS. OSEÑA-PAEZ: So, looking at the education system now, you are the Secretary, you have so many partners in the private sector, multi agencies, you also have foreign government and agencies trying to help. Sino ang katuwang ng DepEd sa pag-i-ensure na ang bata ay may quality education?

DEPED SEC. ANGARA: Madami, Daphne. It’s really, sabi nga nila, it’s a village. Talagang buong … it’s a community effort, that is what we are trying to develop.

Nakita natin dati, pero parang may time na nawala siya, na parang inasa na lang lahat sa eskuwelahan o sa gobyerno. Gusto nating ibalik na iyong pagpapakain sa bata, iyong creating a learning environment at home pag-uwi ng bata ay conducive to learning siya, hindi iyong maingay, malakas iyong TV ‘di ba, nakakakain siya. The basics eh, and then also putting up vegetable gardens, iyong gulayan sa paaralan, ‘di ba? These are not, strictly speaking, the function of a school but because these are the problems, kailangang medyo creative tayo sa ating approach. That community approach, we should be one to bring it. So, katuwang natin is everyone actually.

And the reason why, I think, it has come to a point na, all these people want to help, kasi nakikita nila apektado na sila eh. Iyong mga negosyante, iyong mga … parang, teka, bakit parang hindi masyadong productive iyong ating mga employees. They realized it’s the function of educational system. So, kami, we have started young – feeding programs, reading, comprehension. Sabi ni President Ferdinand Marcos, make sure iyong fundamentals natin are very sound, iyong tinatawag na foundation of skills.

MS. OSEÑA-PAEZ: That’s great, any future plans and messages for our kababayan?

DEPED SEC. ANGARA: Well, binabati natin ang ating mga viewers at makakaasa sila sa mga reporma dito sa ilalim ni Pangulong Marcos. At ang hamon nga niya sa kaniyang State of the Nation Address, sa atin, sa ating bagong kalihim, sabi niya ay iyong hamon ay itaas iyong antas ng ating edukasyon. So, we are taking that to heart, Daphne, at talagang lahat ng posibleng gawin, gagawin po natin.

MS. OSEÑA-PAEZ: Secretary Angara, we are so excited that you are at the helm of the Department of Education. And I’m here to help you communicate to the public your programs and we are here to support you all the way.

DEPED SEC. ANGARA: Thank you very much, Daphne. Maraming salamat.

MS. OSEÑA-PAEZ: Thank you. Education is the cornerstone of our nation’s future. It is also part of the Marcos administration’s eight-point socio-economic agenda, which aims to improve the quality of education in the country. Bagay na tututukan ng Department of Education para maihatid ang dekalidad na edukasyon sa mga mag-aaral, maging ang kapakanan ng bawat guro sa bansa.

We bring you in-depth views of the latest issues and regular Palace updates. I am Daphne Oseña-Paez, your Malacañang Insider. Have a good day.

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