The Philippines has a long and proud tradition of educational partnerships with the countries of the Asia Pacific region. This partnership has been driven by a shared commitment to the values of lifelong learning, collaboration and innovation, as well as the need to develop a path forward for the countries of the region in terms of shared economic and social development.
The Commission on Higher Education seeks to advance the Philippine higher education system’s interests as well as its international reputation and visibility through bilateral agreements, and institutional linkages
A Memorandum of Cooperation between the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and the Philippine Embassy in Phnom Penh on the implementation of the Developing Global Filipino Teachers program was signed on 23 October 2020.
The Developing Global Filipino Teachers program aims to pilot an education training program to equip, capacitate and enhance competencies of Filipino teachers in Cambodia to qualify them for better teaching career positions.
CHED, as a non-education providing entity, designated three Philippine higher education institutions as program delivery providers – Cebu Normal University, Philippine Normal University, and St. Paul University Philippines.
With the onset of the pandemic, the Developing Filipino Global Teachers program has become an important component in ensuring transition of overseas Filipino teachers to a new normal. Filipino teachers in Cambodia, especially those working in small schools, were among the most badly affected by the COVID-19 safety measures put in place by the Cambodian government. The pandemic has resulted in laying off, furlough, pay cuts, and to a certain extent displacement of many Filipino teachers.
The Philippines and China have a long history of educational cooperation, dating back to the early 20th century. In recent years, this cooperation has intensified, with the two countries signing a number of agreements to promote student exchanges, faculty development, and joint research.
The importance of training and development of teachers of Chinese language in the Philippines has been identified as a priority of during previous administration in an effort to uplift economic development and strengthen relations with the Filipino Chinese Community. The Training of Trainers on the Teaching of Chinese as a Foreign Language was conceived after the Foundation for Upgrading the Standard of Education (FUSE) sent a delegation to identify possible projects.
As an offshoot of the FUSE trip, a Memorandum of Understanding was entered into by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and FUSE and the Tan Yan Kee Foundation in January 2003.
The ASEAN-China Young Leaders Scholarship Program (ACYLS) is a merit-based scholarship program funded by the government of the People’s Republic of China, which will support ASEAN nationals, particularly young and promising leaders with working experience, to study for Master’s or doctoral degrees, undertake short-term research programs, and participate in training courses in top Chinese universities.
The Philippines and Japan have a long and close relationship, which is reflected in their partnership on higher education. Japan is one of the Philippines’ source of official development assistance (ODA), and has provided significant funding for scholarships, capacity building programs, and infrastructure development in the Philippine education sector.
The program aims to develop personnel with advanced practical knowledge, analytical and problem-solving skills, and the ability to communicate effectively in an international environment.
The Japan Exchange and Teaching (JET) Programme aims to help deepen mutual understanding between the people of Japan and those of other countries through foreign language exchange and cultural immersion at the local level.