The Private Education Assistance Committee (PEAC) has expressed strong support to newly appointed Department of Education (DepEd) Secretary Juan Edgardo ‘Sonny’ Angara, who is pushing to further expand government assistance for poor students.
Angara, as Education Secretary, will serve as Chair of PEAC. This is a five-member committee constituted to serve as trustee of the government’s Fund for Assistance to Private Education.
“We are eager to collaborate closely with Secretary Angara to further the mission of the PEAC, striving towards an inclusive, equitable, and superior educational system for all,” PEAC Executive Director Doris Fernandez Ferrer said in a statement.
“We are committed to sustaining our mission of alleviating classroom shortages and student overflow in public schools by providing financial support to Filipino learners in private high schools through the Government Assistance and Subsidies (GAS) Programs,” she added.
Under Angara’s leadership, PEAC hopes to help more students through the expansion of their programs that aim to make private education more accessible.
These include the Education Service Contracting (ESC) program, which provides financial assistance to students transitioning from elementary to junior high school, as well as the Senior High School Voucher Program (SHSVP) for senior high school students.
Moreover, PEAC implements the Teacher Salary Subsidy (TSS), which offers annual subsidies to qualified teachers in ESC-participating schools, along with the In-Service Training (INSET) program, which enhances teacher competencies through targeted training.
She said Angara’s appointment heralds “an era of renewed commitment and strategic initiatives for education in our nation.”
“Senator Angara’s distinguished record of policy reforms underscores his unwavering dedication to advancing education. His tireless advocacy for increased budget allocations, enhanced teacher training programs, and substantial infrastructure development has addressed critical gaps and elevated the standard of education,” Ferrer explained.
She also added that Angara continues the legacy of his father, the late Senator Edgardo Angara Sr., revered as the “Father of the Government Assistance to Students and Teachers in Private Education (GASTPE).” –With Rolando Ng III
