The country’s top education agencies pledged to strengthen disaster resilience in schools as they held their first-ever Joint National Management Committee (ManCom) meeting Friday, citing the urgent need to protect students from learning losses during calamities.
Education Secretary Sonny Angara said the gathering of the officials of the Department of Education (DepEd), Commission on Higher Education (CHEd), and Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) aims to ensure that learning delivery is ready for the disruptions brought by disasters.
‘For the first time, the three main education agencies in the country came together to make sure our learning delivery is ready to respond to the challenges of disasters,’ Angara said after attending government relief operations in earthquake-hit Bogo City, Cebu.
The plenary session centered on addressing urgent issues, boosting public-private partnerships, and improving graduates’ employability. About 15 industry partners also joined the ManCom, underscoring how collaboration with government can better prepare students for the evolving demands of the workforce. Some partners cited existing projects with public schools to provide upskilling opportunities and sought alignment of these into structured career pathways.
The government agencies signed agreements to bolster education continuity, including a memorandum of understanding on data sharing and a memorandum of agreement to strengthen the technical-vocational track under senior high school.
They also reviewed ways to expand access through programs linked to the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program and the Tertiary Education Subsidy.
CHEd Chairperson Shirley Agrupis called the joint effort a milestone for the country’s trifocalized education system.
‘This is the time that we will be together with our team for a common goal toward quality education and address the problem and concerns on the ground,’ she said.
TESDA Secretary Kiko Benitez led a moment of silence for Filipinos affected by recent disasters, stressing that resilience is vital for human development. EDCOM 2 Executive Director Karol Mark Yee also joined the discussions. /dm