Manila, Philippines – Joined with the presence of eminent guests, professional teachers, and teacher educators from all over the ASEAN region and nationwide, the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC), through the Professional Regulatory Board (PRB) for Professional Teachers, successfully held the "First Southeast Asian Conference of Teachers and Teacher Educators" last 6-9 December 2022 at the Manila Marriott Hotel.
The two-day conference acquired lessons from shared best practices, collaborative research, environmental advocacies, and regular annual conferences on themes relevant to teaching and pre-service teachers, thanks to the efforts of the ever-diligent PRB for Professional Teachers, together with its accredited integrated professional organization (AIPO), the Philippine Association for Teachers and Educators (PAFTE) and in coordination with the PRC International Affairs Office (IAO) – International Development Division (IDD). Ultimately, the conference was graced enough thanks to the shared words of wisdom of PRC Chairperson Charito A. Zamora and Commissioner Erwin M. Enad, while PRC Commissioner Jose Y. Cueto Jr gave a significant presentation entitled, “Paving the Way to Mutual Recognition Agreements among the ASEAN Countries.”
Potential collaboration and partnership have also commenced between the Philippines, represented by the PRC through the PRB for Professional Teachers, and delegates representing the respective distinguished ministries of education, universities, colleges, and institutions from Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Thailand, and Vietnam through the signing of a Commitment of Collaboration.
Small steps may seem, yet this commitment upholds the spirit of synergy towards the initiation of collaborative actions for the establishment of professional linkages between and among teachers, teacher educators, and teacher education institutions in the Southeast Asian Region, definitely leading to bigger accomplishments.
In a post-conference meeting prompted by the "Way Forward" presentation of PRB for Professional Teachers Chairperson Hon. Rosita L. Navarro, ASEAN, and national leaders unanimously declared their intention to establish an international organization called the ASEAN Professional Teachers and Educators Association (APTEA) to represent the ASEAN body of professional teachers and teacher educators. This aims to expedite the development of the profession, eyeing global mobility and increased collaborative activities while demanding the highest standards on training, research, and professional practice.
The PRC, on the other hand, will continue to support exchanges and greater mobility within the ASEAN region as the Philippine government’s lead on professional services trade, ensuring that collaborative efforts toward professional teaching development are sustained.
