University of the Philippines (UP) professor Leonor Briones has said Monday she is ready to head the Department of Education (DepEd), after she was named to the post by incoming president Rodrigo Duterte.

Briones however needs to ask Duterte if she can still retain her posts at two universities and a non-governmental organization before formally accepting the DepEd portfolio.

READ: UP’s Briones to education dept, Diokno to budget

Aside from teaching Public Administration at UP, Briones is currently the chairman of the board of trustees at the Siliman University, chairman-designate of the Universidad de Manila and the lead convenor of budget watchdog group, Social Watch Philippines (SWP).

"Iyan lahat dapat liwanagin, tingnan natin iyung legal aspects na iyan...kung ma-clarify lahat iyan, tatanggapin ko naman," she told radio dzMM.

Briones and Duterte were set to iron this out Monday.

Duterte earlier said one of the first tasks of Briones, a former national Treasurer, is to address the problems caused by the implementation of the K-12 program.

"She's very quite familiar with the problem that we are facing because of the implementation of K-12. There are lot of students who will be marginalized and a good number of teachers also who lost their positions," Duterte said.

The incoming president earlier said he now favors the K-12 program.

Briones said she will also prioritize improving DepEd's service in far-flung provinces.

- DZMM TeleRadyo, 30 May 2016