Former education secretary Quisumbing, 96

MANILA, Philippines — Lourdes Quisumbing, the first female secretary of the Department of Education, passed away Saturday. She was 96.

Quisumbing served as secretary of then Department of Education, Culture and Sports or DECS during the term of former president Corazon Aquino.

Aside from heading the education department, Quisumbing was also the secretary-general of the UNESCO National Commission in the Philippines, with the rank of ambassador in the Department of Foreign Affairs, which she held until her retirement from public service in 1998.  

She also served as dean of St. Theresa’s College, chairman of Graduate Education at University of San Carlos, dean of the Graduate School of Education at De La Salle University Manila and president of Maryknoll College (now Miriam College) in Quezon City.

During her term as education secretary, Quisumbing pushed for a higher budget for education and expanded free public education to the secondary level.