ZAMBOANGA del Norte 3rd District Rep. Adrian Michael Amatong on Monday night welcomed Sec. Sonny Angara’s commitment to tackle the deep-rooted issues plaguing the Department of Education (DepEd), many of which he inherited from Vice President Sara Duterte’s tenure as DepEd chief.
During a House budget hearing on DepEd’s proposed P793.18-billion budget for 2025, Amatong did not hold back in expressing his frustration over the state of the education system, particularly the department’s chronic procurement failures and the severe shortage of classrooms and textbooks nationwide.
Amatong pointed out that these issues have persisted despite the availability of funds, which raises serious questions about the management under Vice President Duterte.
“Akala ko naman wala tayong pondo, meron pala. Di ko maintindihan anong klaseng katarantaduhan ang nangyayari, bakit nagsa-suffer ang mga bata? Kasi po kung wala tayong pondo, maintindihan ko eh, pero bakit po DepEd, bakit po, meron naman pala?” Amatong questioned, noting the failures that have left many students, especially those in poor districts, without textbooks and other essential learning tools.
But Amatong expressed optimism with Angara at the helm, praising his commitment to tackling these inherited issues head-on.
“We’ll make sure, Your Honor, that we will coordinate with you. Tayo, we pledge to be fair in the distribution of classrooms. Pagbigyan ninyo sana dahil bago pa po kami. Give us a chance to show, ipakita po namin ‘yun, na makaka-deliver po kami,” Angara, who has been at the DepEd for only about six weeks, assured the House Committee on Appropriations.
Amatong acknowledged the magnitude of the challenges ahead for Angara, especially given the “mismanagement” that occurred under Duterte’s leadership.
“Alam kong kailangan mo ng milagro dyan para maitama lahat,” Amatong remarked, recognizing that the new DepEd chief has inherited a department plagued by systemic issues.
He further emphasized the urgency of addressing the severe classroom shortage, which has left the country short by 160,000 classrooms.
“We talk about improving the learning environment, about computers and textbooks, but if there are no classrooms, what kind of environment are we providing?” Amatong asked, pointing out that previous leadership had failed to prioritize this critical aspect of education.
Angara responded by reiterating his commitment to implementing the necessary changes within DepEd.
“We are committed to making extraordinary efforts to address these concerns. We see the low obligation rates and undelivered resources, and we know this cannot continue. We will change the system,” Angara said.
Amatong expressed hope that with Angara’s leadership, the long-standing issues within DepEd would finally be resolved.
He also urged Congress to fully fund DepEd’s request for an additional P30 billion for classrooms, underscoring the importance of providing every student with a proper learning environment.
“Let’s ensure that every student has a proper learning environment,” Amatong said as he threw his support behind Angara’s efforts to reform and revitalize the education sector.
