COTABATO City—A doctorate degree holder has assumed as new regional secretary of the Department of Education in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (DEpEd-ARMM) after Regional Secretary Jamar Kulayan stepped down over the weekend. Dr. John Magno has formally assumed Monday as the new DepEd-ARMM regional secretary following his appointment by Governor Mujiv Hataman.
Magno, who previously served as assistant secretary for operation, vowed to continue the reforms that have been introduced by the present ARMM administration in the department. In a status message he posted on his social media account after words of his appointment came out, reads: “No profession can be nobler than that of teaching.
The humble teacher may be forgotten in time but never in the legacy he leaves: the formation of professionals who shape the nation and chart the future of the many generations to come.” Magno replaced Kulayan, a lawyer, who formally resigned as ARMM Education Secretary on Friday, May 22, ending a three-year tenure marked by administrative and fi nancial reforms in the once problematic agency.
Kulayan said his resignation “was a well-thoughtout decision based on my desire to be with my family whom I had spent very limited quality time with since I dedicated to serve along with Gov. Hataman.” Kulayan was instrumental in the crackdown of the Hataman administration against all sorts of “ghosts” in the agency – ghost students, ghost teachers and ghost schools.
He has also helped championed the restoration of the rights and benefi ts of around 26,000 teaching and non-teaching personnel of DepEd-ARMM from the state-pension fund GSIS through a tripartite agreement that established the settling of close to P1 billion unpaid premiums.
Kulayan described his time in offi ce as “fi lled with lessons shared and learned and encouraging stories of people whose lives changed for the better.”
He said he is not “abandoning public service” and vowed “to continue serving the people of ARMM and supporting Gov. Hataman” in his “personal capacity.” Despite change in leadership, Magno said DepEd-ARMM is now ready for the opening of classes on June 1.
He said “Brigada Eskwela” has been going on smoothly in the fi ve provinces of Maguindanao, Lanao del Sur, Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi. Gov. Hataman has also appointed Sittie Mariam Ibrahim Balahim as the new Assistant Secretary for Operation and Marjuni Maddi as Assistant Secretary for Academics. PNA
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