Vice President Sara Z. Duterte, in the turnover ceremony of leadership in DepEd, said no matter how good a story is, it also ends. Sec.
Juan Edgardo “Sonny” Angara, the new leader of DepEd, said, “We will build from what you have started.” So, the story doesn’t end. With a sweet smile, VP Sara talked about her dream to increase the quality of education in the country when she started in July 2022.
In the last 24 months, the MATATAG agenda was rolled out and approximately 27 million learners were back to in-person classes. She mentioned the priority programs like curriculum review and institutionalization of alternative delivery modes, and the national learning recovery plan among the many initiatives and developments in the most trusted, top-performing government agency in the country. Sec.
Sonny, known to have a heart for education, was more than prepared to lead. At 31, he was already in public service as a three-term congressman and the next years were spent as a senator. Among the many laws he authored, co-authored, and sponsored, many of them were beneficial to DepEd.
It was a prelude that he would later become the Chief of Education. The following were signed into law: The Anti-bullying Act of 2013, the Kindergarten Education Act, the Kabalikat sa Pagtuturo Act, the Second Congressional Commission on Education Act, the Excellence in Teacher Education Act, the Inclusive Education Act, and the General Appropriations Act. So, the good story that VP Sara has started and the rest of the former Education secretaries will never end.
They will evolve into something more beautiful for the greater good. And life’s story is just like that. When one chapter ends, another chapter opens.
Usually, the next chapter is always the improved version because we learned from the past. We plan for new beginnings but without forgetting the foundations that were established. We move on.
Life is not linear however we want it to be. We have ups and downs and twists and turns. Sometimes, it takes one step forward or two steps backward to find where we really belong.
But everything always conspires. So, there is really no ending in every story. Every story connects to the next.
That is life. For the new leadership in DepEd, the journey continues. But the people will surely love to have an exciting one.
It’s a rousing new school year..
