The Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM 2) cemented partnerships with the Metrobank Foundation, The Asia Foundation (TAF), and the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde (DLS-CSB), today in a signing ceremony held at University of the Philippines BGC.
“These partnerships are essential to making EDCOM 2’s mission in education reform and policy-making successful”, EDCOM 2 Executive Director Dr. Karol Mark Yee said. “Organizations like The Asia Foundation, Metrobank Foundation, and DLSU-CSB have proven to be invaluable partners in our three-year mission to uplift the quality of our education system”.
“The pursuit of education reforms is a shared responsibility, and we are grateful for the support of partners who share their expertise and resources to help us succeed. As the EDCOM 2 continues to perform its mandate, we look forward to a productive collaboration with the Asia Foundation, the Metrobank Foundation, and DLS-CSB that will lead to the formulation of landmark education reforms,” Senator Win Gatchalian, EDCOM 2 Co-Chairperson, said.
Present as witnesses were EDCOM 2 Co-Chairpersons Senator Gatchalian, Representative Roman Romulo, Representative Mark Go, as well as Commissioners Representative Kiko Benitez, Senator Sonny Angara, and Senator Pia Cayetano.
Workshops on decentralization, teacher awards
The Metrobank Foundation will work with EDCOM 2 through their network of outstanding teacher awardees from the Metrobank Foundation Outstanding Filipinos program. Metrobank Foundation will also be involved in undertaking programs and projects that will contribute to addressing the learning crisis and other challenges in the Philippine education sector.
“The mission of the Metrobank Foundation is to engage and empower communities toward nation-building and our partnership with EDCOM 2 allows us to do that. We believe that Metrobank Foundation’s Network of Outstanding Teachers and Educators can contribute valuable insights to help reinforce standards in our education system. Also, as part of the learning ecosystem, they can provide credible inputs that can help in the development of policies and programs that can address the current learning challenges of our teachers and students.” emphasized Metrobank Foundation President Aniceto M Sobrepeña.
The Asia Foundation will work with the Commission on the design and implementation of workshops on decentralization and participatory governance. “Our joint research endeavors to unpack the necessary interface between different institutions and stakeholders, paving the way for better education outcomes for all Filipino children”, said TAF Country Representative Sam Chittick.
Sharing education stories with DLS-CSB
DLS-CSB partners with EDCOM 2 through the creation of multimedia projects aimed at bringing the plight and stories of teachers and students through short films and social media content, through the efforts of their students and faculty.
“De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde acknowledges the importance of nation-building and embraces our role in this collective effort. Benilde, as a community known for creativity, innovation, and inclusion, is partnering with EDCOM 2 to contribute to this mission by sharing the real-life stories of teachers and students”, DLS-CSB Chancellor Benhur Ong said.
“Through collaborative projects involving nutrition and culinary arts, short films, social media content, and other digital forms of expression, we hope to help shed light on the educational landscape of the Philippines. It’s an attempt to make a difference, bringing people together to understand that every effort counts”, he continued.
“We thank our partners for making the commitment to lift up the quality of education in the Philippines”, Dr. Yee said. “Through these partnerships, you attest to your continued hope in our education system. Present kayo para sa kinabukasan ng ating bayan”.
