Southeast Asia’s longest running organization promoting quality education celebrated its 55th year in November this year with 26 regional centers across the region, three of which are hosted by the Philippine government.
The Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization (SEAMEO), of which the Philippines is a chartered member and represented in the SEAMEO Council by the Secretary of the Department of Education (DepEd), anchored its celebration on the theme, “Stronger Together for Quality, Accessible and Responsive Education.”
The three centers are the University of the Philippines Los Baños-based Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA), the Regional Center for Educational Innovation and Technology (INNOTECH) located in the University of the Philippines-Diliman, and the Regional Center for Public Health, Hospital Administration, Environmental and Occupational Health (TROPMED Philippines).
SEARCA, founded on Nov. 27, 1966, is the oldest SEAMEO center.
“SEAMEO has come a long way since its inception in 1965 and has taken pride of its achievements over the years as Southeast Asia’s longest running regional organization for promoting quality education, science and culture,” said Dr. Ethel Agnes Valenzuela, a Filipino and the director of the Bangkok-based SEAMEO Secretariat.
She said the organization’s strength lies in the 26 regional centers and network in Southeast Asia through programs, projects and activities that follow the lead of education ministers to support countries in achieving educational objectives as well as regional vision through bilateral and multilateral programs and activities in and beyond Southeast Asia.
“I am proud to say that SEARCA, INNOTECH and Tropmed Philippines have contributed a lot to the region through your programs, research, scholarships, and partnerships,” Valenzuela stressed.
SEAMEO was founded on Nov. 30, 1965 and has grown from six founding-member countries — the Philippines, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand – to 11 current members, which include the 10 Asean members plus Timor-Leste. It also has eight associate member countries — Australia, Canada, France, Germany, New Zealand, the Netherlands, Spain and the United Kingdom, as well as affiliate member institutions. Thus, SEAMEO can be considered as one of the most resilient and viable intergovernmental treaty bodies of nations.
Its centers and network have been both think tanks and implementing arms, specialty through policy advocacy, technical and consultancy services, as well as capacity building programs and activities, fora, research, and other intellectual and practical platforms and networks.
SEARCA Director Dr. Glenn Gregorio noted that for almost six decades, SEAMEO has been at the forefront of education in the region and beyond.
”[SEAMEO] has perfectly exemplified the importance of interconnectivity among different sectors and stakeholders of the society while taking multi- and interdisciplinary approaches in dealing with various issues and challenges. It has evolved with the changing times without losing its relevance, making education an enabling vehicle for growth and sustainability,” Gregorio said.
Education Secretary Leonor Briones congratulated SEAMEO centers for “the long years of collaboration.”
She said the Covid-19 pandemic has pushed and encouraged and perhaps even inspired the education sector to develop and innovate ways to resume teaching and learning safely and inclusively.
“We appreciate the initiatives of the SEAMEO Secretariat and the regional centers in promoting distance learning and providing our teachers with capacity-building webinars this year. And we look forward to more years of partnership with SEAMEO,” Briones said.
Tropmed Philippines Director Dr. Vicente Belizario Jr. said they realized that their theme for the 55th anniversary which is for stronger collaboration and cooperation among SEAMEO networks already offers an approach in implementing their mandate and addressing the many concerns in these very uncertain times.
“More than ever, we need to come together as One SEAMEO,” he said.
INNOTECH Director Dr. Ramon Bacani also emphasized the need to rely on and share among SEAMEO centers in the face of current challenges, particularly those brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic.
“I do hope we will continue with this spirit of regional cooperation, learning and sharing from one another in the many activities we will undertake together under SEAMEO – in education, science and culture,” Bacani said.
Respective INNOTECH and Tropmed Philippines directors planted trees in their compound, while the SEARCA directorate along with some heads, staff and scholars planted 10 Taiwan bamboo within the center’s complex along the bank of Molawin Creek in Los Baños, Laguna to memorialize SEAMEO’s 55th anniversary.
“We planted a tree that symbolizes our collective aspiration as one SEAMEO community to help address the challenge of our time, that we can bear fruit together and be of better service to the country and our people in the Southeast Asian region better if we grow together,” Belizario said.