• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
The Philippine Business for Education (PBEd) has recommended Negros Occidental Third District Rep. Jose Francisco Benitez to be the next chief of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA).
TESDA Director General Suharto Mangudadatu is set to resign from his post on July 31 to prepare for the first parliamentary elections in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).
In a July 24 letter addressed to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., the PBEd, through its president Dr. Chito Salazar, said that 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 the Filipinos’ employability,” the group said in the letter.
“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.
They also said that Benitez, as the vice chairperson of the Special Committee on Creative Industries, can provide insights in improving the competencies of technical vocational learners through active industry collaboration.
Benitez, who is on his second term as a legislator, was earlier endorsed to be the Department of Education Secretary, a position vacated by Vice President Sara Duterte which was given to Senator Juan Edgardo Angara.
“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,” the PBEd further said. | GB
