SECRETARY OF EDUCATION JUAN EDGARDO “SONNY” ANGARA GOES TO HANOI FOR A WORKING VISIT AS SEAMEO COUNCIL PRESIDENT
29 April 2025 - A delegation from the Department of Education headed by H.E. Secretary Juan Edgardo “Sonny” M. Angara visited Hanoi to call on H.E. Nguyen Kim Son, Minister of Education and Training in Vietnam and met with the two SEAMEO Centers based in Ho Cho Minh City: SEAMEO Regional Training Centre (RETRAC) and SEAMEO Regional Centre for Lifelong Learners (CELLL). The working visit was made in the Secretary’s capacity as Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization (SEAMEO) Council President.
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 Philippines assumed the two-year SEAMEO Council Presidency in 2023, which will be handed over to Brunei Darussalam in July 2025.
Minister Son welcomed the delegation and expressed his willingness to work with the Philippines to further education cooperation. He commended the Philippines for their efforts, noting especially how many Vietnamese citizens visit the Philippines to learn English.
Secretary Angara thanked the Minister for the warm reception and expressed his congratulations to Vietnam for the 50th Anniversary of the Reunification and Liberation of the South being celebrated nationwide on 30 April. He likewise commended Vietnam and its strong emphasis on early childhood education, its efforts in ensuring inclusive, universal education, and its commitment to allocating 20% of the national budget to education.
SEAMEO representatives shared their 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 two sides shared best practices to improve higher education and make it more accessible, with a particular focus on teacher development through the SEAMEO centers which Secretary Angara highlighted as 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.”
END.
Department of Education Secretary Juan Edgardo “Sonny” Angara with Vietnam Minister of Education and Training Nguyen Kim Son
Secretary Angara and Minister Son (8th from left) with representatives from DepEd, MOET, the Philippine Embassy in Hanoi and SEAMEO
