DepEd opposition to Cha-cha won”t automatically sway Congress vote, say solons

The Department  of Education’s opposition to economic Charter change (Cha-cha) will not automatically sway lawmakers to make the same position, House members said Wednesday.

House Deputy Majority Leader Neptali Gonzales II of Mandaluyong City, 1-Rider party-list lawmaker Rodge Gutierrez and Taguig legislator Amparo Maria Zamora made the position in response to the DepEd’s argument that having foreign entities control and administer basic education in the Philippines—which would be allowed in the proposed Cha-cha—contradicts the Matatag curriculum launched in August 2023, which includes imparting a sense of patriotism and nationalism to learners.

Vice President Sara Duterte, who is against all forms of Cha-cha, is the concurrent Secretary of the Department of Education.

“Although we understand the stand of DepEd, their stand is very limited. They said they can only answer for basic education, and they cannot speak for tertiary education because it is within the purview of CHED [Commission on Higher Education]. We cannot decide on Cha-cha based on one topic, because if you look at it in its entirety, the basic education has an impact on tertiary education and international schools,” Gutierrez said in a press conference.

“So as much as we understand and respect their position as regards their mandate in basic education, we must [also] look at other resource persons [for insights],” he added.

At least two national university student organizations have also expressed their opposition to foreign ownership of schools.

Gutierrez also said the DepEd’s decision to deploy DepEd Undersecretary for Legal and Legislative Affairs Omar Romero as head of its delegation during the House Committee of the Whole deliberations on economic Cha-cha provided under Resolutions of Both Houses (RBH) 7 shows that its position is limited to a legal opinion.

“I am not sure if this is a political view of the department. The fact that their position is very technical in nature, considering their basic education mandate, will tell me that it is a very legalistic view,” he added.

Gonzales and Zamora, meanwhile, said that the resource persons’ takes are there for the lawmakers to consider, but not necessarily adopt.

“These insights of resource persons are meant for the congressmen, [to help them] in making their final decision on how to vote on the matter. At the end of the day, the House members will vote. Whether their [resource persons’] positions were able to influence the congressmen will be revealed later in the outcome of the voting,” Gonzales said.

“We respect their opinion, and that is for the lawmakers to ponder on since they are the ones who will be casting the vote. But international schools in the country do exist and have been existing for a long time, so there is nothing wrong with allowing more foreign-owned schools here,” Zamora added.

The House Committee of the Whole, via voice vote, already approved RBH 7 on Wednesday afternoon, and the House is expected to approve the same on second reading next week.

“Based on the timeline shared with me, [March] 11, 12, 13 will be the second reading…I guess it will be approved on second reading by Wednesday next week,” Gonzales added. — BM, GMA Integrated News