MANILA, Philippines - The Philippines and Vietnam expressed willingness to further education cooperation, with the aim to “improve higher education” and “make it more accessible,” the Philippine Embassy in Vietnam shared.
The Philippine delegation, led by Department of Education (DEPED) Secretary Juan Edgardo “Sonny” M. Angara, met with Vietnam Minister of Education and Training Nguyen Kim Son in Hanoi, to further collaboration in advancing the quality of education in the region.
The delegation also met with two SEAMEO Centres based in Ho Chi Minh City earlier, the SEAMEO Regional Training Centre (RETRAC) and SEAMEO Regional Centre for Lifelong Learners (CELLL) on 29 April 2025, as a working visit made in Secretary Angara’s capacity as Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization (SEAMEO) Council President, the Embassy said.
SEAMEO, a regional intergovernmental organization established in 1965 to promote cooperation in education, science and culture in the region, conducts capacity building activities aimed towards improving teacher education, as well as learning outcomes for students in basic education in the region, the Embassy mentioned.
The Philippines assumed the two-year SEAMEO Council Presidency in 2023, which will be handed over to Brunei Darussalam in July 2025, the Embassy added.
During the meeting, Minister Son welcomed the delegation and expressed Vietnam’s willingness to work with the Philippines to “further education cooperation.”
Son also commended the Philippines for the efforts in education, noting especially how many Vietnamese citizens visit the country to learn English.
For his part, Secretary Angara commended Vietnam and its strong emphasis on “early childhood education, its efforts in ensuring inclusive, universal education, and its commitment to allocating 20 percent of the national budget to education.”
Meanwhile, SEAMEO representatives shared various programs and initiatives for leadership training for educators and advancing lifelong learning in Southeast Asia, and expressed their commitment to collaborate with countries in the region and strengthen partnerships to create inclusive educational systems to create opportunities, the Philippine Embassy said.
Angara also underscored the importance of sharing best practices “to improve higher education and make it more accessible, with a particular focus on teacher development through the SEAMEO centers.”
According to Angara, this is crucial to realize the shared vision for a stronger ASEAN.
“As we continue to strive towards the collective dream of a prosperous Southeast Asia, let us remain resolute in our commitment to these shared principles: empowering our educators, enabling our learners and building stronger, more resilient societies,” Angara stated.
