• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
Advocacy group Philippine Business for Education (PBEd) has recommended Negros Occidental 3rd district Rep. Jose Francisco Benitez to be the next chief of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA).
TESDA chief Suharto Mangudadatu will resign from his post effective July 31, to prepare for the first parliamentary elections in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).
In a letter to President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr., PBEd, through its president, Dr. Chito Salazar, said that Rep. Benitez is fit to lead the agency given his “decades of experience as a legislator, educator, and university president.”
The education reforms advocacy group, composed of the country’s top private sector executives, cited Benitez’s wide range of experience, which they find suitable for the director general position at TESDA.
“With decades of experience as a legislator, educator, and university president, we are confident in his ability to fulfill Tesda’s mandate of providing quality and relevant skills training that will boost Filipinos’ employability,” the group said in a letter to President Marcos Jr.
“He is also one of the first proponents of the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM 2), where he has shown unwavering commitment for education reform,” PBEd added.
Moreover, as the vice chairperson of the Special Committee on Creative Industries, he can provide insights in improving the competencies of technical vocational learners through active industry collaboration, the group said.
Benitez, who is now on his third and final term as 3rd district solon, was earlier endorsed for the post of Department of Education secretary, a position vacated by Vice President Sara Duterte which was given to Senator Sonny Angara.
To ensure quality and seamless delivery of lifelong experience for all, the leaders of the three education agencies must work closely together. Given their active roles as commissioners in the EDCOM 2 and their strong working relationships, Congressman Benitez and Secretary Angara are well-positioned to ensure alignment between our country’s vision for education and employability, PBEd stressed.*
