THE DEPARTMENT of Education proposed to the Senate to study the possibility of merging into one agency the three bodies involved in education.

DepEd Undersecretary Epimaco Densing III said that the Philippines is the only country in the region which has three different agencies focusing on education.

“We would want to think that most probably it is time for us to study to have these tri-focal or three bodies blended into one educational agency focusing on basic education, higher education and vocational education be handled by one agency,” he said.

Under the present system, DepEd manages issues on basic education while the Commission on Higher Education focuses on tertiary education and Technical Education Skills and Development Authority handles technical and vocational education.

Senator Pia Cayetano backed DepEd’s proposal.

“I have also called for that. In fact even within Senate, I have said that the committee should be heard as one so that there is more coordination. I will support that,” Cayetano said.