Lapus named DepEd chief

Malacañang announced yesterday the appointment of Tarlac Rep. Jesli Lapus, chairman of the ways and means committee of the House of Representatives, as the new secretary of the Department of Education (DepEd), ending months of speculation on who would be the permanent head of the 500,000-strong department.

DepEd officer-in-charge Undersecretary Fe Hidalgo would return to her old post as undersecretary for Plans and Programs.

"Jesli is a highly regarded technocrat-politician," President Arroyo said in a statement. "His well-rounded expertise in executive work will surely be valuable to an enormous organization with nagging areas of concern such as the DepEd."

She added that the recruitment of Lapus to the Cabinet was in line with "the continuous effort towards a high-performance administration."

Lapus is the second member of Mrs. Arroyo’s Cabinet recruited from the House of Representatives. The first was Budget Secretary Rolando Andaya Jr., who was Camarines Sur congressman and chairman of the appropriations committee when he was tapped for a Cabinet position.

Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita said Lapus would assume the post before Congress opens its third and final session on July 24.

Lapus, however, told The STAR that he has requested that the effectivity of his new appointment be reset to the end of the month, as he still wants to attend the opening of Congress.

Fresh from successfully spearheading the crucial fiscal reform measures in Congress, Lapus brings to the DepEd solid management credentials earned from both the private and public sectors.

Prior to becoming a three-term congressman, Lapus was president and chief executive officer of the Land Bank of the Philippines, which became the premier state bank under his leadership. He was also top executive of some of the largest manufacturing companies in the country.

Lapus is expected to use his financial expertise and connections with official development assistance partners to address the huge resource gaps in the Philippine education system.

"The quality of education in the country is alarmingly eroding as evidenced by several national and international tests and studies. A World Bank study of trends in mathematics and science ranked the Philippines in the lowest 10 percent of countries in both subjects. Local employers have also observed the scarcity of qualified employee candidates, particularly in the booming industries like call centers and technology," a statement from Lapus said.

"There is no quick fix in restoring RP’s high standing in quality and relevant education. No less than a concerted effort of the national and local government and the various stakeholders is urgently called for.We will do our share and give it our best shot. After all, human resource remains our country’s most crucial asset," Lapus said.

His colleagues in the House of Representatives welcomed his appointment, saying "his expertise in professional management and dedication to public service will enable him to effectively lead the department."

"There is no doubt he can deliver the President’s agenda for the education sector because of his proven leadership skills and wealth of knowledge and experience. He has shown his deep concern for the education sector during our appropriation hearings. This is his chance to do more for the education sector," Bulacan Rep. Wilhelmino Alvarado said.

"Jesli is even called a ‘champion of public school teachers’ for exposing and leading the streamlining of the infamous multi-billion automatic payroll deduction scheme at the DepEd, which had adversely affected the take-home pay of public school teachers," House Majority Leader Prospero Nograles added.

Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel Jr., however, advised Lapus to just stay in Congress where he will be more productive.

"If I were in his shoes, I would rather stay in Congress, " Pimentel said. "Jesli Lapus is a good choice for secretary of education. The sad thing is that he will serve under a rotten administration whose thrusts in government appear to be dictated by corrupt considerations."

Teachers dismayed

Even as Lapus vowed to restore the quality of the country’s educational system through better management, DepEd’s National Employees Union (NEU) launched yesterday a signature campaign opposing his appointment as DepEd chief.

About a hundred union members staged a rally at the DepEd’s Rizal Building in Pasig City where the Office of the DepEd chief is located. Union members led by lawyer Domingo Alidon said all 187 provincial, district and division school superintendents and 17 regional directors nationwide have expressed opposition to Lapus’ appointment.

Alidon expressed confidence they would be able to collate about 100,000 signatures, out of the half a million DepEd employees and public school teachers nationwide, within one month.

The document used for the signature campaign stated: "We the non-teaching employees of the Department of Education hereby support OIC Fe Hidalgo to become Secretary of DepEd."

The protesters also wore shirts proclaiming "Fe Kami (We are with Fe Hidalgo)" and brought banners expressing their support for Hidalgo.

A petition was also issued earlier by key DepEd officials as well as officers and members of the Association of DepEd Directors and the Philippine Association of School Superintendents asking Hidalgo to be appointed as DepEd secretary instead.

"Hidalgo’s long years of experience in the public school system, rising from the ranks as a public school teacher, and her being concededly an insider amply provide her the edge over the other candidates for the position," the petition read.

Alidon stressed that as a provider of a specialized social service, DepEd deserves a secretary who specializes in education.

The Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) likewise expressed dismay over MalacaÒangís announcement.

"Why is a politician with no background in education being given the top post in DepEd?" asked ACT chairperson Antonio Tinio. "Once more, Malacañang is placing political expediency ahead of the interests of the education sector."

Alidon said they will form a human barricade today at the DepEd Central office along Meralco Avenue in Pasig City to prevent Lapus from entering the premises.

Failure not an option

In a phone interview, Lapus told the press he would use a management strategy to restore the quality of our educational system.

"It’s more managerial. We will give it our best shot. We need to streamline from the levels of schools to the central office," Lapus said.

He added that public school teachers need to be trained in managerial and administrative functions. "Some schools are run better than others. We need to restore ‘managerial competence,’ he stressed, adding that what is most needed is ìfinancial engineering to catch up in the gaps on resources."

Lapus also bared that during his term, the DepEd will tap various stakeholders to help improve the quality of education, especially in the basic subjects of English, Mathematics and Science.

"There is a mismatch on teaching competencies," he said, noting that they need to match the school curriculum with the needs of the industries and the job market.

Lapus downplayed the protests aired against him believing that "they do not represent the vast majority." He said he hopes he can win the protesters over because he needs all hands on deck.

"The awesome challenge of restoring the countryís past world-class quality of education is a mission of a lifetime. The very future rests on the quality of our human resource," he said. "We will do our utmost as failure is not an option."

Lapus holds a Doctorate in Public Administration, an MBA from the Asian Institute of Management and completed post-graduate studies at the Harvard University, INSEAD and UCLA. He was core faculty at the AIM in development management and has taught for many years at the Ateneo de Manila University and Miriam College.

His return to Cabinet is a milestone in his career as he now holds the distinction of having served three presidents: Corazon Aquino, Fidel Ramos and Mrs. Arroyo.

He first joined government from the private sector in 1987 as Undersecretary of the Department of Agrarian Reform where he established the Agrarian Reform Fund and the Support Services Sector. — With reports from Sandy Araneta, Christina Mendez, Delon Porcalla