WHEREAS, the Presidential Commission on Educational Reforms (PCER) was created in 1998 to continue the work of the 1991 Congressional Commission on Education and to further strengthen the role of education in accelerating national development and global competitiveness;

WHEREAS, Executive Order No. 273 (Series of 2000), now Executive Order 632 (Series of 2007), institutionalized the system of coordination, assessment planning and monitoring of the entire educational system;

WHEREAS, Executive Order No. 632 (Series of 2007) amended Executive Order 273 (Series of 2000) abolishing the National Coordinating Council for Education (NCCE) and mandating a Presidential Assistant for Education to exercise its functions;

WHEREAS, Executive Order No. 652 (Series of 2007) created the Presidential Task Force to assess, plan and monitor the entire educational system to further strengthen the role of education in accelerating national and global competitiveness;

WHEREAS, the Presidential Task Force for Education laid down the foundation for a stronger teamwork and coordination among the various education agencies and stakeholders, leading to a fruitful coordination among the different education agencies and stakeholders, the execution of agreements and Executive Orders 652-A, 652-B, 685, 694, 705, 705-A, 729, 730, 693 and 237 for a harmonized implementation of crosscutting polices and programs that would further optimize the utilization of resources and to position the Philippines as a knowledge center in the Asia-Pacific;

WHEREAS, the Office of the Presidential Assistant for Education (OPAE) shall continue the task of coordinating the efforts and programs of all education agencies.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, GLORIA MACAPAGAL-ARROYO, President of the Republic of the Philippines, by virtue of the powers vested in me by the Constitution, do hereby order:

1. The implementation by the Department of Education (DepEd), Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) of the Recommendation and Action Plans of the Presidential Task Force for Education (PTFE), on improving the different stages of the Philippine Main Education Highway towards a knowledge-based economy and to attain the vision of every Filipino family in ensuring that each son or daughter has the opportunity to get an education that will lead them to a productive and well-paying job and/or become an entrepreneur.
   
   
2. All concerned departments, bureaus, offices, agencies and instrumentalities of the government, including government-owned and/or controlled, corporations are hereby directed to implement the recommendations and action plans of the Presidential Task Force for Education (PTFE) on improving the different stages of the Philippine Main Education Highway.
   
   
3. All other orders, issuances, rules and regulations, or parts thereof which are inconsistent thereof with this Executive Order are hereby repealed or modified accordingly.
   
   
4. This Executive Order shall take effect immediately.
   

Done in the City of Manila, this 21^st day of January, in the Year of Our Lord, Two Thousand and Nine.


By the President:

(Sgd.) EDUARDO R. ERMITA
Executive Secretary