VICE President and Education Secretary Sara Duterte cited the successful education strategies of the Malaysian Ministry of Education and the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization Centers which can offer valuable insights for the Philippines in its implementation of the MATATAG Agenda and curriculum.

“Making the curriculum relevant is one of our thrusts, and the lessons on science and math teaching from RECSAM [Regional Centre for Education in Science and Mathematics] can help us achieve this,” Duterte said in her speech during an official visit to SEAMEO Regional Tropical Medicine and Public Health Network Malaysia.

“We will also learn from SEAMEO SEN’s [Regional Centre for Special Educational Needs] inclusion programmes on how to ensure the well-being of all our learners. TROPMED Malaysia’s initiative will help support the health of our learners and teachers, and establish a safe and healthy learning environment for them,” she added.

Duterte commended the SEAMEO RECSAM for its forward-thinking science and mathematics programs, like the Space Education Hub and the upcoming Makerspace, envisioned to be a hub for creativity and hands-on learning, and the SEAMEO SEN for championing inclusive education.

The DepEd chief likewise lauded TROPMED’s One Health Initiative.

The three centers support the shared goal of inclusive, quality education, as outlined in the Sustainable Development Goal 4, and will help reach goals faster, especially in educational and scientific development.

As president of the SEAMEO Council, Duterte’s visit aimed to strengthen ties in education, science, and culture between the Philippines and Malaysia.

“The collaboration between our Ministries of Education and the SEAMEO Centres will hopefully pave the way for new programmes towards achieving our vision for an innovative, inclusive educational system. I believe that cooperation and collaboration can foster unity and stability for our learners, for our countries, and for the region,” she said.