VP Duterte hopes SEAMEO helps create innovative, inclusive education

Sara Duterte — Photo from
Inday Sara Dutere Fb page

MANILA, Philippines — Vice President Sara Duterte voiced optimism that the cooperation among different Ministries of Education in Southeast Asia will lead to the development of innovative and inclusive education initiatives in the region, especially in the Philippines.

Duterte made the pronouncement during her official visit to the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organisation’s (SEAMEO) Tropical Medicine and Public Health Network (TROPMED) in Malaysia.

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“The collaboration between our Ministries of Education and the SEAMEO Centres will hopefully pave the way for new programmes towards achieving our vision for an innovative, inclusive educational system,” said Duterte in a speech.

“I believe that cooperation and collaboration can foster unity and stability for our learners, for our countries, and for the region,” she added.

Duterte also pointed out how the Philippines, for its part, is “eager to learn” from Malaysia’s successful educational strategies,as well as certain SEAMEO Centers — the SEAMEO’s Regional Centre for Education in Science and Mathematics (RECSAM), Centre for Special Educational Needs (SEN) and TROPMED.

“Together, these three centers’ expertise supports our shared goal of inclusive, quality education,” said Duterte.

“Their knowledge will help us reach our goals faster, especially in educational and scientific development. They also offer valuable insights for the Philippines in the implementation of our Matatag Agenda and curriculum,” she added.

Duterte emphasized opportunities for learning that the DepEd can gain from the centers, particularly in its endeavor to make the science and math curriculum in the country more “relevant.”

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“Making the curriculum relevant is one of our thrusts, and the lessons on science and math teaching from RECSAM can help us achieve this,” said Duterte.

“We will also learn from SEAMEO SEN’s inclusion programs on how to ensure the well-being of all our learners,” she added.