ILOILO CITY: Two Ilonggo leaders rallied behind Senator Sonny Angara following his appointment as the new head of the Department of Education (DepEd), replacing Vice President Sara Duterte, who will relinquish the Cabinet post on July 19. Rep. Julienne Baronda said she had known Angara when she was still president of the Sangguniang Kabataan of Iloilo City. She said she knows how passionate and dedicated Angara is to serving the public. 'I know very well, too, how he values education as a platform to help people uplift their lives. I have no doubt he will champion initiatives that would improve the state of our education,' she said in a statement on Wednesday. Baronda praised President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. for 'choosing a qualified, experienced, and visionary leader to shepherd the Department of Education into the Bagong Pilipinas.' Mayor Jerry Treñas, in a separate statement, expressed satisfaction over Marcos' decision, since they worked together as legislators in the House of Representatives. "He has a very good work ethic. He understands the needs of the LGUs when it comes to education. He has my full support as Education Secretary," Treñas said. Source: Philippines News Agency