CFO Chair Ang Meets with Deped Secretary Angara to Discuss Areas of Collaboration
January 7, 2026, Makati City – The Commission on Filipinos Overseas and the Department of Education recently concluded a meeting aimed at strengthening partnership and collaboration on mutual matters.
Sec. Dante “Klink” Ang highlighted that the CFO and DEPED are closely working on Philippine Schools Overseas. He informed that there are presently 35 PSOs located in 11 countries, which are mostly in the Middle East but some are located in East Timor, Cambodia, Italy and Greece. He emphasized the possibility of students and teachers in PSOs availing themselves of Government Assistance to Students and Teachers in Private Education (GASTPE) and Education Service Contracting (ESC) vouchers through the Private Education Assistance Committee (PEAC). Sec. Ang also mentioned that the IAC-PSO Reso. 01-2025 on the proposed inclusion of the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) in the Inter-Agency Committee on Philippine Schools is still awaiting the signature of Sec. Angara.
Sec. Ang also tackled the issue of children in Sabah who have Filipino ancestry but could not access education due to their irregular status. He emphasized that the CFO could no longer continue to go to Sabah since the previous cooperation between the Philippines and Malaysia has expired. He also shared that in the past, the CFO was able to deploy officers to distribute learning resource materials to identified alternative learning centers through the assistance of some Filipino associations therein. Asec. Jocelyn DR Andaya also shared that DepEd went there to give training for the teachers. Given the sensitivity of the issue, the conduct of the distribution of materials and training were done in a discreet manner.
In this regard, Sec. Angara is of the view of revisiting the matter and perhaps seeking the assistance of the Department of Foreign Affairs.
The concern about teachers participating in the Exchange Visitor Program under the J-1 visa was also raised. Sec. Ang mentioned that the standing problem among teachers is the difficulty of finding a job once they return home to the Philippines after their “cultural exchange” has been completed in the U.S. In view of this, Sec. Ang inquired with DepEd if it could look resolution that would be beneficial to the returning teachers, especially since the CSC has issued an administrative order regarding the Plantilla position.
Also present during the meeting were Deped Undersecretaries Wilfredo Cabral, Edson Byron Sy, and Malcolm Garma, Assistant Secretaries Jocelyn DR Andaya and Carmela Oracion, Directors Peter Marc Magsalin and Tara Rama, and CFO officers Ms. Marita Del Rosario Apattad, Mr. Erwin Paul Cristobal, and Ms. Rowena V. Jubinal.
In closing, Secretary Angara, on behalf of DepEd, expressed his strong support for the matters raised by the CFO Chairperson and committed to being a valuable partner on matters that concern both agencies. Sec. Ang also promised to submit valuable materials on the issues discussed for DepEd’s evaluation.
