MANILA, Philippines – President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. named economist and former dean of the Ateneo School of Government Ronald Mendoza as an undersecretary of the Department of Education (DepEd), Malacañang announced on Thursday, October 3.
Mendoza has over two decades of experience in governance, development policy and public administration reforms advocacy. He has held various advisory and board positions in government councils and committees in the country.
He was a fellow of the Philippine Public Safety College, and member of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Multi-Sector Governance Council, Philippine National Police Special Action Force Advisory Council, AFP Health Service Command Multi-Sector Advisory Board, Ateneo University Press Editorial Board.
According to research organization IDinsight, Mendoza obtained his bachelor’s degree in economics from Ateneo de Manila University (AdMU), master’s degree in Public Administration and International Development from the John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University. He also has a Master of Arts and PhD in Economics from Fordham University.
Meanwhile, education advocate Ani Almario has been appointed assistant secretary of the DepEd. She is co-founder and director of The Raya School, a progressive institution dedicated to fostering national pride and a love for science in young children. She also serves as vice president for Product Development at Adarna House, the Philippines’ first and largest children’s book publishing company.
In 2022, Almario was one of the awardees of the Outstanding Women in the Nation’s Service (TOWNS) in the field of education.
She obtained her in master’s degree in Learning, Design, and Technology from Stanford University and her doctorate in Curriculum Studies from the University of the Philippines Diliman.
Malacañang also announced the appointment of Georgina Yang as assistant secretary of the DepEd. Yang served as the director and National Program Manager of the social welfare department’s Sustainable Livelihood Program. She was the head of the Anti-Poverty Programs of the Office of the Vice President during the time of former vice president Leni Robredo.
Yang also served as Robredo’s spokesperson.
Yang graduated in 2007 with a degree in AB Interdisciplinary Studies and earned her master’s in Social Development in 2012, both from AdMU. She completed her Mid-Career Master’s in Public Administration at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government in 2019.
Malacañang also announced the appointment of the following:
- Nilo Rosas, assistant secretary
- Marcelino Veloso III, assistant secretary
- Kevin Carl Santos, director IV
The President appointed the new key officials four months after naming former senator Sonny Angara as his new education secretary. – Rappler.com
