Thursday, April 24, 2008 DepEd wants sports, culture back in its control
THE Department of Education (DepEd) is working on the passage of a bill in Congress that would again allow it to organize and handle "sports and culture," including the yearly Palarong Pambansa.
Education Secretary Jesli Lapus said they are coordinating with other education stakeholders and even members of Congress for the bill's passage that would effectively amend Republic Act (RA) 9155.
"We will also ask Congress to immediately pass the pending bill that would allow DepEd to once again hold the event," Lapus added.
Passed in August 2001, RA 9155, otherwise called the Governance of Basic Education Act, renamed the Department of Education, Culture and Sports (Decs) to DepEd and redefined the role of field offices, which includes regional, division officers, district officers and schools in the country.
The Decs was created by virtue of Executive Order (EO) 117 issued by then President Corazon Aquino in 1987 upon her assumption of office abolishing the old Ministry of Education, Culture and Sports created under the Education Act of 1982.
The structure of DECS as embodied in EO 117 has practically remained unchanged until 1994, when the Commission on Higher Education (Ched) was established, and in 1995, when the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (Tesda) was established to supervise tertiary degree programs and non-degree technical-vocational programs, respectively.
The Palaro, which is the largest sporting activity of schools in the country, is being handled by DepEd in coordination with the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) and the host local government unit (LGU).
The first official to take the post of DepEd secretary under the new set-up was former senator Raul Roco.
Lapus said allowing DepEd to handle sports and culture also makes more sense as it would unify varied disciplines into a single body thereby making for a more efficient operation.
Activities related to culture were then given to the National Commission on Culture and Arts (NCAA) although Education Undersecretary Vilma Labrador serves as acting chairperson replacing columnist Ambeth Ocampo.
The NCAA is headed by Cecile Guidote Alvarez. (AH/Sunnex)
