SEAMEO INNOTECH Recognized as PEACE Awardee during Metrobank Foundation’s 45th Anniversary

The Metrobank Foundation Inc. (MBFI) recently held its 45th founding anniversary celebration last 29 February 2024, and the foundation gave recognition to SEAMEO INNOTECH as a Partner in Empowerment, Advocacy and Commitment to Excellence (Peace) Awardee. 

The 45th Anniversary Celebration, which had the theme “A Heart That Serves,” was held in commemoration of the legacy of Dr. George S.K. Ty, who founded Metropolitan Bank & Trust Company (Metrobank) in 1962, and later MBFI on January 4, 1979. MBFI serves as the corporate social responsibility (CSR) arm of the Metrobank Group. 

“A heart that serves is powerful and transformative, as we have seen through the last 45 years of Metrobank Foundation’s work. We celebrate it as the legacy of Dr. George S. K. Ty, the man who started it all. It was his corporate vision that the Metrobank conglomerate would pursue nation-building by serving the people who have been an integral part of the company’s acceleration,” stated Aniceto Sobrepeña, the current MBFI President, on his message on the anniversary. 

One of the highlights of the event was the 4th Metrobank Foundation Award for Partner in Empowerment, Advocacy, and Commitment to Excellence (PEACE), in which MBFI organizational partners were honored for their exceptional efforts and commitment towards nation-building. The PEACE award was presented to SEAMEO INNOTECH in recognition for its active efforts in education. Center Director Prof. Leonor Magtolis-Briones received the award. 

“We are grateful that Metrobank Foundation Inc. recognizes INNOTECH’s efforts in improving the education sector,” said Prof. Briones. “INNOTECH continues to do its best in empowering the education system not just in the Philippines, but also in Southeast Asia.”  

The Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization Regional Center for Educational Innovation and Technology (SEAMEO INNOTECH) is dedicated to providing education solutions in Southeast Asia. The Center has collaborated with other partner organizations to further its scope of assistance in the region. “SEAMEO INNOTECH is very much engaged in research and development,” Prof. Briones further elaborates. “The education landscape changes as days go by, and we believe that we must be abreast of all these new developments to respond accordingly and efficiently.”  

INNOTECH has collaborated with USAID and RTI for their Improving Learning Outcome in the Philippines (ILO-Ph) project, which provides educators with modern methods of assessment that they can utilize to determine learners’ capabilities so they can plan accordingly. The Center has also partnered with USAID and the Education Development Center for Opportunity 2.0, where INNOTECH developed the Monitoring and Evaluation handbook for Alternative Learning Systems (ALS M&E).

Prof. Leonor Magtolis Briones, Center Director of SEAMEO INNOTECH during the Metrobank Foundation Anniversary.

The Center, inspired by this award, will continue to be a reliable partner providing quality and innovative education solutions in Southeast Asia. INNOTECH has recently conducted a regional forum on exploring teacher motivation in the region, as part of its advocacy on improving the professional development of teachers. The organization is currently developing the Southeast Asian Framework for Motivation of Teachers in Staying in the Profession project.  

INNOTECH convened delegates from ten Southeast Asian countries including Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Thailand, Timor Leste, and Vietnam to discuss their respective national contexts, including the status of teachers, their society’s general view of them, and the cultural factors influencing the status of teachers.  

The organization remains steadfast in its goals and commitment in the education sector, and will continue to do its best to assist, develop, and further the quality of education in the region.  

The PEACE award was also given to Manila Tytana Colleges, GMA Network, DWIZ (Aliw Broadcasting Corp.) and The Manila Times.