
MANILA – Vice President and Education Secretary Sara Duterte went to Singapore as part of her observation tour to learn from best practices in the education system of Southeast Asian countries.
Straight from her visit to Brunei, the official went to Singapore to meet Dr. Vivian Balakrishnan, the country’s foreign minister.
She revealed details of the meeting through a Facebook post on Tuesday, June 13.
“Naging mainit ang pagtanggap sa atin ni Dr. Balakrishnan at tinalakay namin ang ilang mga bagay tulad ng usapin sa edukasyon, na siyang pakay ng aking byahe bilang presidente ng Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization (SEAMEO) (Dr. Balakrishnan warmly welcomed us and we discussed things like education, which is the focus of our trip as president of Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization),” she wrote.
Duterte was elected president during the organization’s 52nd SEAMEO Council conference held in Manila last February 2023
“Kabilang sa ating biyahe ay ang planong pagbisita natin sa Regional Language Center ng SEAMEO dito sa Singapore at sa Temasek Foundation (Part of our trip is the plan to visit the Regional Language Center of SEAMEO here in Singapore and in the Temasek Foundation),” she shared.
As the organization’s council president, she said this is an opportunity to learn about Singapore’s best practices in the field of education, so she can share these with other members of SEAMEO, including the Philippines where she is the education chief.
“Layunin natin na maiangat ang antas ng edukasyon sa Southeast Asian region na siya ring numero unong prioridad natin para sa ating mahal na Pilipinas (It is our goal to lift the level of education in the Southeast Asian region that is also our number one priority for our beloved Philippines),” Duterte wrote.
In her capacity as the Philippines’ education secretary, the official launched the Department of Education’s (DepEd) “MATATAG: Bansang Makabata, Batang Makabansa” program, which aims to resolve the challenges of basic education in the country.
In her Basic Education Report (BER) for 2023, Duterte enumerated the four critical components of the MATATAG program—make the curriculum relevant to produce job-ready citizens, take steps to accelerate the delivery of quality basic education, take good care of learners by promoting their well-being, and give support to teachers.