With the advancement of the digital technology and innovation, the need for students to be equipped with technical knowledge and skills is paramount. This as the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) on Thursday expressed hopes that the new DepEd Secretary, Senator Juan Edgardo “Sonny” Angara will have ICT development and proficiency of students as part of his priority agenda.
“We welcome the appointment of Senator Angara to the DepEd; and as we prepare our students to be future members and leaders of our workforce, we hope that our government could prioritize honing their skills and equipping them with right information and tools to cope with the ever-changing digital landscape,” PCCI President Enunina V. Mangio said.
Among the legislative measures that Angara authored when he was Senator include Digital Workforce Competitiveness Act, the National Digital Transformation Act, the Local ICT Officers Act, and the Science and Technology Parks Incentives Act.
In the 2023 Coursera’s Global Skills Report, the Philippines ranked last, placing 99th out of 100 countries, among its peers in East and Southeast Asia in the areas of technology, business and data science.
“I believe this is something that we should seriously assess and address to better improve our ranking; our competitiveness in these areas have been deteriorating,” Mangio added. Based on the report Technology pro?ciency fell to 5% from 29%, while data science pro?ciency worsened to 1% from 21%.
Mangio lauded Angara for his extensive experience as a legislator and visionary leadership that he could carry on to do more reforms within the Department.
She said that PCCI is confident that under his stewardship, educational institutions will thrive, fostering an environment where students can excel and educators are empowered.
Mangio hopes Angara will continue the policy reforms and programs that Vice President Duterte has initiated and implemented to ensure students especially in the far-flung areas will have access to better and quality education.
Among the programs that Duterte implemented include Matatag Curriculum, National Learning Camp, Free wifi sa mga paaralan, Inclusive Education, Pansarap Program, Repaired 4,542 schools nationwide, Farm School and 30-day straight break without work for teachers.
Moreover, she said that PCCI, through its Committee on Education and Human Resource Development Foundation (HRDF) will proactively work with DEPED in creating an equitable and competitive educational system for all.

PRESS RELEASE
July 05, 2024

Angara urged to prioritize students’ proficiency in ICT, digital technology