Peace, human rights, democracy, gender equity and sustainable development issues take center stage as Miriam College in Quezon City hosts the 22nd UNESCO-Asia Pacific Network for International Education and Values Education (APNIEVE) Philippines National Convention from July 20-22.
The event, which will be conducted in HyFlex (onsite and online streaming) Mode, draws community development agencies and educators from the basic education groups, specifically guidance counselors, teachers, coordinators, head teachers, division and regional supervisors in charge of Values Education, as well as college and university instructors, professors, and administrators from both public and private schools.
According to Ma. Lourdes Quisumbing-Baybay, UNESCO-APNIEVE Philippines president, the conference is inspired by the UNESCO International Day of Education theme, “Investing in People, Prioritizing Education and Values Towards a Sustainable Future.”
APNIEVE’s network in the Philippines receives support from the Philippines National Commission for UNESCO, to conduct a series of teacher training workshops to enhance the competencies of teachers in values education.
APNIEVE–Philippines promote inter-cultural understanding, peace, human rights, and sustainable development through acquiring skills for valuing processes, building broad support for peace education, and training various groups of educators in the Philippines.
Referencing the UNESCO’s advocacy, Baybay pointed out that education must be prioritized to accelerate progress towards all the SDGs against the backdrop of a global recession, growing inequalities, and the climate crisis as 2023 marks the midpoint since the UN adopted the 2030 Agenda for people, planet, and prosperity, with a set of 17 interlocked goals.
“The international community has rallied around six calls to action that each carry the potential to accelerate change, and led by coalitions of partners, these global initiatives span critical areas: foundational learning; the green and digital transitions; gender equality; education in crisis and financing. APNIEVE does what it can to help realize these,” she said.
This year’s conference features speakers known as experts in their respective fields concerning cutting-edge topics in the area of values and international education. The paper presenters come from different institutions, giving participants the chance to learn best practices they can share and apply in their own communities.
Among the confirmed resource speakers are Ambassador Laura Q. Del Rosario, President, Miriam College; Dr. Karol Mark Yee, Executive Director, Second Congressional Commission on Education; Prof. Shermon Ortega Cruz – Director and Futurist, Center for Engaged Foresight, Philippines; Dr. Roland L. Adamat, Commissioner, Commission on Higher Education; Ms. Jona Kristen Macula Valdez, Supervising Specialist for ESP, Department of Education; and international TED speaker Ms. Lou Sabrina Ongkiko.
They are to tackle multiple sub-themes, including: Building and strengthening patches of excellence toward futures thinking; Reimagining Values-Centered Learning Spaces of Excellence and Wellbeing; Achieving Sustainable Development Goals through Education; and the DepEd’s MATATAG-Bansang Makabata, Batang Makabansa directive.
“We expanded the papers for presentation to research, best practices and values education/integration lesson presentations. We wanted to get successful experiences from the field. So we have a representation from basic education and higher education, aside from workshops on how to integrate values in higher education,” said Baybay.
She credited the late Dr. Lourdes R. Quisumbing, former Education Secretary and APNIEVE founder, adding: “We are inspired by our founder, to continue her legacy of providing opportunities of lifelong learning to our educators and students and expose them to UNESCO themes and values.”