Jemelyn M.

Aguilar
11252017

Philippine Christian University

Graduate School of Education

MODERN EDUCATIONAL TRENDS

Prof: Dr. Jose Tuguinayo Jr.
Saturday – 2:00-5:00p.m.

Topic: ASEAN Integration on Curriculum (Asean Integration and K-12 program)

WE BELONG to the Asean region. The 10 member-states of the Association

of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) are the Philippines, Brunei, Cambodia,

Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. In 2003,

these countries agreed to integrate their economies.

In 2007, the members of the Asean countries approved a “blueprint” to guide

each member on initiatives and measures to achieve regional integration which is

scheduled for 2015. Asean integration allows its member-countries (and the citizens

of those countries) to join in the free flow of capital, labor, services, goods, and

foreign investments.

For the Philippines, this is a big challenge because integration will also mean

that Asean members will pay less tax, less custom duties, and less import taxes.

This pattern follows the European Common Market (European Union). In our case

we will also have the Asean Common Market. The Philippines (as a member) will

consider people and products from the Asean region, as if they are people and

products of our country also.

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This is good for Filipinos because there will be a wider door for job markets in

the region. But then, the job market will be tougher. We have to compete with other

qualified applicants from the region. We have already proven in the past (before

Asean integration) that Filipinos can best adapt to multicultural workplaces. We are

good in English. (I would like to believe that.)

Now, I will go to this controversial issue. That could also be the reason why

we have this regional community approach to integration of education in the region.

This could be the reason why the K to 12 Program has been instituted so that we

can level off with Asean and the rest of the world. (I am not just sure if our expert

planners in education and also our Congress have made a careful study before the

implementation of the program.)

Keen observers say that there is the synchronization of the academic

calendar of Asean universities to accommodate the mobility of the faculty and

students within the region. Look at this, only the Philippines has its school opening in

June. Most universities in Japan, Korea, China, and North America start their

academic calendar in August or September.

Sen. Miriam Santiago said, “The synchronization of the academic calendar of

the Philippine universities with most Asean, European, and American academic

partners will create more joint programs and partnerships with other universities and

allow students to get transfer credits from different universities in the Asean.”

The strengthening of our universities is a necessity because we want to

compete with the world as global athletes, not just barangay warriors. That could be

the reason why we should involve the Department of Education, Commission on

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Higher Education, Technical Education and Skills Development Authority, and the

Department of Labor and Employment to have that assurance that our training, skills,

subjects, and courses would fit competition in the world market.

I know that our K to 12 Program has more lapses and creates problems. That

is why government experts (if we have experts) should come in and look into the

program with cyclonic eyes, and reconstruct or improve our system of education in

the country. Let us not give rooms for doubt to our parents and educators that the

people upstairs who are in-charge simply ponder. When there is trouble, they

delegate. When they are in doubt, they mumble.

In our province, we only identify few specialist schools for Technical-

Vocational, School of the Arts, Agriculture, Fisheries, Information Technology, and

Tourism. How about our secondary schools in coastal areas and upland barangays

which are far away from pilot schools? I also know that some basic problems have

not been answered…lack of classrooms, books, working tools and equipment,

laboratory facilities, and competent teachers.

I know that our colleges and universities in Bacolod and Negros Occidental

have problems. Solve your problems (easier said than done) and get ready (if not

ready yet) for Asean integration. Make inventory of your desirable assets: qualified

administrative staff; experienced educators and mentors; internationally responsive

academic programs; school buildings with classrooms equipped with state-of-the-art

technology; and a beautiful and world-class campus conducive to teaching-learning

activities.

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Let us show the world that our institutions of learning are geared towards total

human growth, spiritual development, and economic uplift. All these will attract

foreign students and scholars. This will also convince Filipino students to patronize

their own colleges and universities.

References:

By VER F. PACETE, Tuesday, April 21, 2015

http://www.sunstar.com.ph/bacolod/opinion/2015/04/21/asean-integration-and-k-12-
program-403520