SEAMEO INNOTECH Recognized as Vital Partner in Teacher Development at the 2024 Basic Education Report
Vice President and current Philippine Department of Education (DepEd) Secretary Sara Duterte recognized the significant role of SEAMEO INNOTECH as a reliable educational partner during the 2024 Basic Education Report (BER) at Sofitel Plaza Hotel in Pasay City.
In her report to the President of the Republic of the Philippines and education stakeholders, Vice President Duterte detailed the department’s accomplishments and laid down the expanded MATATAG Agenda for the rest of her term as Secretary of Education. Highlighted in the report is the DepEd’s Digi-ED program.
Emphasizing the commitment to the MATATAG agenda, VP Duterte outlined the initiative’s core pillars. “We will bravely take the challenge of sustaining our actions in our MATATAG agenda,” she added. The education chief emphasized in her report the importance of professional development for educators, acknowledging partner organizations contributing to the advancement of this critical aspect of education.
In her address to the members of the diplomatic corps which include SEAMEO INNOTECH Director, Dr. Leonor M. Briones, in attendance, stressed that, “for professional developments, we [the Department of Education] partnered with SEAMEO to provide strategic thinking and innovation training to 2,378 school leaders, apart from various learning and professional development interventions.” VP Sara, who concurrently serves as the SEAMEO Council president, plays an important role in promoting regional cooperation and educational advancements across Southeast Asia.
INNOTECH Center Director Prof. Leonor Magtolis Briones meeting with Vice President of the Philippines, Department of Education Secretary, and SEAMEO Council President, HE Sara Z. Duterte during the Basic Education Report 2024. Image courtesy of HE Sara Z. Duterte/Instagram
Celebrating its 54th anniversary coinciding with the BER 2024, INNOTECH reaffirms its dedication to fostering innovative educational solutions and initiatives in Southeast Asia. The center has engaged with the Department of Education, particularly in building capacity for teachers and school leaders. Dr. Briones appreciated the recognition of the Center’s campaign in enabling a better future for every learner in Southeast Asia through its educational programs and partnerships with DepEd and other institutions. “SEAMEO INNOTECH will continue to remain at the forefront of providing our learners, our educators, the programs and trainings on life skills, the use of technology and A.I.” She also emphasized the importance of a holistic learning environment of learners, by the inclusion of arts and humanities into the mix as well. “I look forward to further enhancing the education situation of our learners through our partnerships with the Department of Education and the National Educators Academy of the Philippines.”
Notably, INNOTECH has been a constant ally of the National Educators Academy of the Philippines (NEAP) since 2009. NEAP, as the training arm of DepEd, has collaborated extensively with INNOTECH in developing courses on instructional and curricular excellence, school leadership, and technology integration.
INNOTECH facilitates an online learning course/program for Region 7 learners in partnership with the National Educators Academy of the Philippines.
NEAP remains steadfast in its commitment to helping educators and school leaders create an enabling and supportive environment for effective learning through its training programs. And in collaboration with INNOTECH, NEAP has cultivated and developed courses on instructional and curricular excellence in school leadership and management, as well as assisting educators on efficiently navigating the modern age of technology in the 21st century.
Over the years, NEAP has endorsed various INNOTECH programs, including MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses) on teacher motivation, leadership, and individual development. Through this strategic partnership, over 10,000 educators and school heads have been trained.
As INNOTECH commemorates its 54th year, it remains dedicated to supporting the Department of Education and NEAP in advancing the MATATAG agenda. The organization reiterates its vision to contribute to a better future for learners in Southeast Asia through innovative educational solutions, aligning seamlessly with the shared vision to elevate the quality of education in the region.
