EDUCATION Secretary Sonny Angara called on ASEAN member states to prioritize digital transformation in education during the 13th ASEAN Education Ministers Meeting, emphasizing the need to prepare the region’s youth for future challenges.

Angara highlighted the collective responsibility of policymakers to equip learners with the skills and values necessary to thrive in an increasingly digital world.

“We must ensure our students are not merely passive recipients of knowledge but active citizens capable of shaping their futures and contributing to the growth of their communities and the entire ASEAN region,” Angara stated.

“While the future will undoubtedly be more digital, we must remember that education remains a fundamentally human endeavor—technology is merely a tool to address real human challenges,” he added.

The Department of Education noted that this year’s meeting featured key milestones, including a report on the implementation of the ASEAN Work Plan on Education 2021-2025, the adoption of the ASEAN-SEAMEO Joint Declaration on Common Space in Southeast Asian Higher Education, and the updated ASEAN Plus Three Guidelines on Student Exchange and Mobility.