Vice President and Education Secretary Sara Duterte will visit the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization (SEAMEO) center in Brunei Darussalam next month, she said on Thursday, May 18.
(From right) Vice President Sara Duterte and Brunei Darussalam Ambassador to Manila Megawati Manan (OVP photo)
The official met with Brunei Darussalam Ambassador to Manila Megawati Manan to talk about her visit in June to check the initiatives of Brunei’s education sector.
“Bilang Presidente ng Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization (SEAMEO), tungkulin kong personal na bisitahin ang mga SEAMEO centers ng mga member-countries at matingnan ang mga posibleng pamamaraan ng pagpapaunlad ng kalidad ng edukasyon sa Timog-Silangang Asya (As president of the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization (SEAMEO), it is my task to personally visit the SEAMEO centers of member-countries and check the possible ways to improve the quality of education in Southeast Asia),” she said in a Facebook post.
Aside from education, Duterte and Manan also discussed the culture of Brunei and the Philippines and the strengthening of defense.
The two officials also talked about the Filipino community in Brunei that numbers to some 23,000 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) and the strengthening of the Halal industry in the Philippines.
Meanwhile, Duterte also visited Malaysian Ambassador to Manila Abdul Malik Melvin Castelino and they expressed commitment to boost the friendship between Malaysia and the Philippines.
(From left) Vice President Sara Duterte and Malaysian Ambassador to Manila Abdul Malik Melvin Castelino (OVP photo)
“Napag-usapan namin ang kooperasyon sa larangan ng edukasyon, trade and investment, tourism promotion, at ang pagpapatibay ng Halal industry dito sa Pilipinas (We talked about cooperation in the fields of education, trade and investment, tourism promotion, and the strengthening of the Halal industry here in the Philippines),” she wrote.
The Vice President also invited Castelino to the upcoming Philippine Book Fair in Davao.
Dr. Lionel Dabbadie, the country representative for the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, also paid a courtesy call on Duterte.
They discussed FAO’s “Forests for a Sustainable Future: Educating Children” project, which would create opportunities for the Department of Education (DepEd) and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to work with the FAO.
“The Department of Education, we have so many agricultural and fishery high schools that are underutilized with regard to the properties that they own,” Duterte said.
The project will use “interactive learning approaches and the development of strategic education modules” to equip younger generations with the necessary skills and knowledge to address current food production, distribution, and nutrition challenges.