HOUSE Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez on Monday threw his full support behind the Department of Education’s (DepEd) partnership with Security Bank Foundation Inc. (SBFI) and Security Bank Corporation (SBC) to mentor public school principals—a move he described as a vital step in raising the quality of education in the country.
The Leyte 1st District lawmaker emphasized the importance of equipping Filipino public school principals with advanced leadership and management skills, which they can then pass on to their teachers to enhance the learning outcomes of students.
“This is a critical collaboration between government and the private sector to transform our education system. Our principals serve as frontline leaders of teachers and stewards of students, and empowering them means empowering the future of our children,” Speaker Romualdez said.
“Napakahalaga ng ganitong pagtutulungan ng pamahalaan at pribadong sektor upang baguhin at paunlarin ang ating edukasyon. Kapag pinalakas natin ang kakayahan ng ating mga punong-guro, mas mapapalakas din natin ang kinabukasan ng ating mga kabataan,” he added.
He commended Education Secretary Sonny Angara for his leadership in pursuing the initiative in line with President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s directive to leverage Public-Private Partnership programs to advance quality education.
“Secretary Angara’s proactive leadership in forging this partnership shows his strong commitment to the President’s vision of an education system that is modern, inclusive, and responsive to the needs of our learners,” Romualdez added.
Last week, DepEd signed a memorandum of agreement with SBFI and SBC to expand the agency’s principal mentoring efforts under the Mentoring Future Leaders for Nation-Building Program. The MOA also covers support for school infrastructure projects nationwide.
This year, 29 school principals from various parts of the country will participate in a mentoring program, which will run for three years in collaboration with Ateneo de Manila University, De La Salle Philippines, the University of Bristol in the United Kingdom, and The HEAD Foundation of Singapore.
The initiative will merge local expertise with international best practices to help school heads strengthen their personal and professional growth, drive school-wide improvement, and deepen community engagement.
Security Bank has invested P1.9 billion in the education sector, including P237 million in 2024. Its flagship “Build a School, Build a Nation Program” has built 845 classrooms in 145 schools across 86 cities and municipalities since 2011, repaired 449 classrooms, trained over 36,000 teachers, and mentored more than 170 school principals nationwide.
DepEd Secretary Angara earlier noted that while addressing the classroom shortage remains a priority of the Marcos administration, investing in the professional development of principals ensures that infrastructure spending will translate into better learning outcomes.
Speaker Romualdez agreed, stressing that Filipino school principals stand to gain substantially from the mentoring program.
“Collaborations like these are worthwhile investments to upgrade the competence of our school principals as leaders and managers, enabling them to cascade these skills to their teachers and ultimately to our learners,” Romualdez said.
He urged other private sector partners to work hand-in-hand with the government in strengthening the country’s education system, as envisioned by the President.
Romualdez also emphasized that the House of Representatives remains firmly committed to advancing the country’s education sector through adequate budgetary support, priority legislation, and oversight functions.
He said Congress stands ready to back the Marcos administration’s programs that aim to uplift the quality of teaching and learning across the nation.
“The House is united with the President in building a Bagong Pilipinas where every Filipino learner has access to quality education. This is central to our vision of producing a generation of Filipinos who are equipped to lead, innovate, and contribute to the country’s progress,” the Speaker stressed.
“Ang edukasyon ang susi sa isang Bagong Pilipinas. Buo ang suporta ng Mababang Kapulungan upang matiyak na bawat pamilyang Pilipino ay may pagkakataon sa magandang kinabukasan sa pamamagitan ng de-kalidad na edukasyon,” he added.
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