Angara starts as DepEd chief, Duterte hands over seal and report

On Thursday, July 18, 2024, Secretary Sonny Angara officially began his tenure as the Department of Education (DepEd) chief at a turnover ceremony in Pasig City.

Vice President Sara Duterte formally handed over the department's seal and flag to Angara along with a transition report detailing her achievements such as returning face-to-face classes and the MATATAG curriculum, while also resigning from her cabinet position out of concern for teachers and students.

Duterte highlighted accomplishments like the return to in-person classes after COVID-19 and DepEd receiving its highest 'unqualified opinion' rating from the Commission on Audit in 2022 but admitted to unfinished projects including teacher overtime pay, a universal school-based feeding program, calamity fund for teaching personnel, health insurance for teachers, and the institutionalization of alternative delivery modes.

Angara pledged during his speech to build upon Duterte's initiatives and work towards enhancing educational quality under President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s vision for a 'New Philippines'.

The Alliance of Concerned Teachers-Philippines (ACT-Philippines) called on Angara to ensure that red-tagging will cease under his leadership and respect the rights of teachers, personnel, and students.

Angara's resignation from the Senate took effect on July 18, with him officially assuming his new role as DepEd secretary on Friday, July 19.