AUSTRALIA GOVERNMENT SENDS VISAYAS EDUCATORS TO AUSTRALIA AND THAILAND TO TRAIN ON EDUCATIONAL MANAGEMENT
Forty-nine education officials from the Visayas recently attended separate training courses and study visits in Australia and Thailand under the auspices of the Philippines-Australia Strengthening the Implementation of Basic Education in Selected Provinces in the Visayas (STRIVE) Project.
STRIVE, funded by the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID), is assisting the Department of Education (DepEd) to improve access to and the quality of basic education in the provinces of Bohol and Northern Samar through provision of leadership and management capacity building activities to school heads and managers, and alternative basic education and livelihood opportunities for out-of-school-youth and their families.
The Trainers’ Training Program in Australia was conducted by the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology. The course enabled participants to develop process skills of a trainer through acquisition of varied training techniques, and enriched them with content on educational management through exposure to practices and mutual exchange of ideas with co-educators. Specific areas of study included transformational leadership, change management, educational planning, and school-based management.
The group who studied in Australia included education specialists from the Provincial and City Schools Divisions, principals from various public high and elementary schools, and DepEd regional officials: Elisea de la Torre, Luisa Ramirez and Marene Sarabia from Tagbilaran City Schools Division; Cleofe Genabe, Desiderio Deligero, Rodrigo Almedilla, Wilfreda Bongalos and Tarcisia Quilatan from Bohol Schools Division; Generosa Tocatani, Maria Fe Comahig, Lope Hubac, Jupiter Maboloc, Maria Petra Ocio, Rachel Sabijon and Estella Susvilla from Bohol; Corazon Abella from DepEd Region 8 office in Palo, Leyte; Rey Bulawan, Francisco Aniban, Julian Calera, Cristito Eco, Nimfa Graciano, Gorgonio Diaz Jr, Concepcion Ocanada, Gil Lobenia, Caridad Mercader, Noe Hermosilla, Arminda Infante,
Alberto Tilbe and Imelda Valenzuela from Northern Samar.
Two batches of DepED officials visited Thailand. The first study visit enhanced the participants’ skills in effective stewardship and efficient management of their respective region/division offices. It opened further opportunities for institutional linkages, collaboration and networking, as well as promote mutual exchange of ideas, expertise and sharing of educational innovations and technology. Participants were Dr. Carolino B. Mordeno, Regional Director, Region VII; Dr. Sol Matugas, Regional Director, Region VIII; Dr Cerina Bolos, Schools Division Superintendent, Bohol Division; Dr. Elpidio Jala, Schools Division Superintendent, Tagbilaran City Division; Dr Thelma Quitalig, Schools Division Superintendent, Northern Samar Division; Norma Varquez, Assistant Schools Division Superintendent, Bohol Division; Juanita Layon, Assistant Schools Division Superintendent, Northern Samar Division; Lilia Roces, Assistant Secretary, DepEd Planning Office; Antonio Ordovez, Jr, Human Resource Management Officer, National Educators Academy of the Philippines; and Rosario de Leon, Interim Project Manager, STRIVE, Educational Development Projects Implementing Task Force.
A Professional Training Program was conducted in Thailand by the SEAMEO Innotech. The program enabled the participants to identify practices of high performing individuals, organisations, institutions and offices that can be adapted in their respective workstations for quality improvement of educational services and efficiency in resource utilization in DepEd Regions VII and VIII. The program focused on educational planning, school-based management, monitoring and evaluation of training programs, and management and assessment of learning.
The participants were school principals Helena Alumbres, Carlos Balanquit, Eleanor Bido, Liza Engo and Lydia Paredes from Northern Samar; Maya Tumalon, Dolores Cuizon and Erlinda Ejoc from Bohol; Fely Lagonoy, District Supervisor, DepED Division of Tagbilaran City; and Carmela Restificar, District Supervisor, Inabanga District, Inabanga, Bohol. #