House Speaker Martin Romualdez was designated as the temporary caretaker of the Third District of Negros Occidental after its Congressman Jose Francisco “Kiko) Benitez was appointed as the new director general of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA).
Before the appointment of House Speaker Romualdez, in an interview, Governor Eugenio "Bong" Lacson already said that there is a possibility of Romualdez being the temporary caretaker to manage the 3rd District.
"Although for me, I believe Cong Paduano would be a logical choice because of his familiarity with the district, it will still be the choice of the Speaker.
For Victorias City Mayor Javier Miguel Benitez, "Only other another Congressman can be caretaker of the district."
On August 16, 2024, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. named the Third District congressman as the new director general of TESDA.
“We were surprised because there was no information or any communication from the Office of the President that my brother will be appointed as the new director general of TESDA,” Mayor Benitez said.
He said the Speaker of the House (Romualdez) will be the automatic caretaker of the Third District of Negros Occidental or he will appoint anybody else.
“We did not ask or lobby for it. It’s more of a recommendation from various stakeholders who know the capacity of Kiko and the President listened to the endorsement,” he added.
The Mayor said he is hopeful that his brother can bring more programs in Bacolod City and Negros Occidental in terms of education.
“We’re looking forward to working together especially here in the City of Bacolod, our various educational institutions, maybe we can coordinate and collaborate with TESDA since Kiko is from Negros and he knows the dynamics here,” he said.
Moreover, Mayor Benitez said that for next year, they haven’t discussed yet who will replace the post of his brother in the Third District.
“We will talk and find out, we will also ask the officials of Third District for their preference for who will lead the said district,” he said.
He added so far, his son, Victorias Mayor Javier Miguel Benitez, will be the strongest candidate for congressman in the Third District.
The Mayor also said that he will accompany his brother in Manila today, August 19, for the turnover ceremony to assume his new post in TESDA.
Congressman Jose Francisco "Kiko" Benitez's statement after PBBM's appointment, "It is my honor to serve the country as TESDA Director General,".
"I thank President Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos Jr. for entrusting me with this important portfolio," he said.
He also thanked the different education organizations and my colleagues in EDCOM2 who nominated me for the position for their endorsement.
"This new role is a full circle moment for me. It was my grand-aunt, Senator Helena Z. Benitez, who authored Republic Act No. 5462 which established the National Manpower and Youth Council, the progenitor of TESDA.
The job market and our skills needs have immensely evolved since 1969. We face many challenges in catching up with digital transformation, for example, and adapting our workforce to the digital economy, Benitez said in a statement.