YLDA President named Chief of Staff, Dept. of Education
2005-03-15

Jonathan E. Malaya, who is serving his second consecutive term as President of the Young Liberals and Democrats of Asia, has been named Chief of Staff, Office of the Secretary (Minister) of the Department of Education (DepEd), Republic of the Philippines.

The DepEd is the largest bureaucracy in the Philippine government with 523,196 employees, which accounts for almost half of the state?s work force. It oversees all basic education institutions across the country and sets the direction for all educational initiatives.

In a Memorandum Order, Education Secretary Florencio B. Abad stated that ?We are pleased to announce the appointment of Mr. Jonathan E. Malaya as the new Chief of Staff, Office of the Secretary.? Abad likewise noted Malaya?s extensive experience in government having worked for leading officials of the Senate and the House of Representatives for the past 7 years.

Malaya is replacing Asst. Sec. Teodoro Catindig who will now work full time as Assistant Secretary for Programs and Policies. Previously, he was Director for Legislation for Senator MAR Roxas in the Philippine Senate. He remains as a Consultant on Special Concerns to Roxas.

The youngest member of the Liberal Party National Executive Council, Malaya first joined the Kabataang Liberal ng Pilipins (KALIPI) in 1991 while a student in the University of the Philippines. He rose through the KALIPI hierarchy until he became National Vice President for Students.

Garda Bangsa Garda Bangsa was formed in 1998 following the successful political reform spearheaded by students and other campus activists to depose the tyrannical regime of President Suharto. The organization was founded by Abdurram Wahid, a former adviser of President Suharto who resigned following an escalation in government corruption and political management by the administration. He championed "Responsible Openness" within the government system and proposed the establishment of a Reform Committee in order to mitigate poor governance within the administration. His calls were left unheeded and so he eventually withdrew support for the government and joined the efforts advocating for reform in the government. Read more...