Senator Juan Edgardo “Sonny” Angara is set to replace Vice President Sara Duterte as DepEd Secretary on July 19, 2024. According to the Presidential Communications Office on July 2,  President Marcos announced it during the 17th Cabinet Meeting.

In a statement, Angara said: “I am deeply honored and grateful to President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. for the trust he has placed in me by appointing me as the Secretary of Education. This significant responsibility is one I accept with humility and a profound sense of duty.”

Angara also said that he is “committed to working with all sectors of society, including my predecessor, Vice President Sara Duterte, to ensure that every Filipino child has access to quality education”.

A day before his appointment was announced, Angara complimented Duterte for doing “a decent job” in DepEd.

Senator Risa Hontiveros said in a press release that “Sen. Sonny Angara is one of the most qualified and acceptable DepEd Secretaries among education reform advocates”.

Senator Angara holds a Bachelor of Science in Economics from the London School of Economics, a Bachelor of Laws from the University of the Philippines Diliman, and a Master of Laws from Harvard University.

One of his prior legislative works is the Enhanced Basic Education Act of 2013 (K-12). Angara is also a commissioner of the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM 2), created to evaluate the Philippine education sector and recommend reforms to make it globally competitive by 2025.

Duterte’s resignation will be effective on July 19, 2024,  declining to give the reason, with her stating that it was not out of “weakness” but due to “compassion for teachers and students”.