Fifteen teachers and three schools from the Philippines were recognized by the Department of Education (DepEd) for participating in this year’s KPTEP Online Teacher Exchange Programme.
DepEd, in a statement issued Thursday, May 13, said that the 2021 KPTEP Online Teacher Exchange Programme - in partnership with the Korean Ministry of Education (MOE Korea) - aims to foster intellectual understanding and global citizenship in schools.
Undersecretary for Curriculum and Instruction Diosdado San Antonio underscored the need to expose teachers and students global citizenship. “I always believe that opportunities to understand other cultures would always enhance the competence and commitment of our fellow teachers in terms of effort to really create learners who are respectful of diversity,” he said.
The 2021 KPTEP Online Teacher Exchange Programme participants from the Philippines are Elizabeth Catibog (KPTEP Alumna, Lead Coordinator), Efraim Coronacion, Fergie Gonzales, Barbara Ramos, and Emmanuel Dela Cruz from Luzon.
Edmund Dacua (KPTEP Alumnus, Lead Coordinator), Reggie Lou Savior, Regine Lagrimas, Honey Riza Yu Vega, and Jocelyn Llego are the participants coming from Visayas.
From Mindanao, the teacher-participants are Cherry Lyn Balbacal (KPTEP Alumna, Lead Coordinator), Johanna Paño, Honeyline Depra, Shella Rose Amodia, and Edgardo Pamugas III.
DepEd said that the three selected Philippine schools for this year’s program are Renato Lopez Elementary School in Mandaluyong City, Tisa II Elementary School in Cebu City, and Rizal Elementary School in Panabo City.
For each school, DepEd said that participants will be comprised of a study group and one lead teacher that is a KPTEP Alumnus.
“According to our own experience, we’ve been able to work very well with our Korean counterparts in making sure that participants from the Philippines become fully able to develop and acquire the competencies intended to be focused on as this exchange program is implemented,” San Antonio said.
Meanwhile, Department of Foreign Affairs - Office of Asia and the Pacific Affairs Assistant Secretary Nathaniel Imperial also congratulated the participants and the organizers of the program.
“Through programs like the KTEP, Filipino and Korean teachers have the opportunity to learn from each other’s best practices in the field of education, as well as from strong cross-cultural connections,” Imperial said. “This exchange epitomizes the true essence of people-to-people cooperation with its focus on global citizenship education,” he added.
Likewise, UNESCO-Asia Pacific Center of Education for International Understanding (APCEIU) Director Lim Hyun Mook also underscored the need for countries to work together to overcome the challenges of the pandemic in education. “Global education emphasizes solidarity and cooperation, which are the keys to problem-solving,” he said.
Mook also noted that this year’s online exchange program is particularly important since it is the first-ever conduct of the KTEP. “Since this is our first attempt, we will be facing a number of unexpected problems and challenges. But through this process, we will also learn valuable lessons that will help us a lot in planning our future exchange programs to include both offline and online equities,” he explained.
APSEIU, Mook added, also reconfirms its support to the participating teachers and schools for the success of the program.
DepEd Regional Directors including Wilfredo Cabral of National Capital Region (NCR), Salustiano Jimenez of Region VII, and Allan Farnazo of Region XI - as well as Schools Division Office (SDO) officials ASDS Dr. Romela Cruz of Mandaluyong City, SDS Rhea Mar Angtud of Cebu City, and SDS Reynante Solitario of Panabo City - also gave their support to the participants.
DepEd said that the Programme was launched this year to “spread the impact of educational exchange” despite of the ongoing coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.