THE DEPARTMENT of Education said it looks forward to working with presumptive Vice President Sara Duterte-Carpio, the next chief of the agency.

DepEd made the statement after presumptive president Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos Jr. announced that Duterte agreed to be the education secretary.

“I welcome the announcement by Presidential frontrunner Bongbong Marcos that incoming Vice President Sara Duterte will concurrently serve as Department of Education Secretary,” Education Secretary Leonor Briones said in a statement.

“I and the DepEd family are ready to work with her team for the orderly transition of DepEd leadership,” she added.

Briones noted that the future plans of the DepEd “will be in able hands” under the leadership of Duterte.

“We will turn over the Basic Education Plan 2030, the first time that an outgoing administration will leave behind a medium-term plan. We are confident that DepEd will be in able hands and anticipate a continuity,” she said.

However, College Editors’ Guild of the Philippines deputy Secretary General Regina Tolentino said Duterte will only put the education system in further chaos.

“Like father, like daughter — Sara will surely be an education predator of her own with her history of violence, abuse, and impunity. Someone like her is never qualified to lead and represent the education sector,” Tolentino said.

“We urge campus journalists and the youth to condemn this supposed appointment. We cannot afford to be under a Duterte learning system that killed lives and dreams again,” she added.