The Commission on Higher Education – Caraga Regional Office (CHED Caraga) conducted a webinar on the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Identity in the Context of Higher Education as part of a two-day Training Workshop on the ASEAN Identity and Curriculum Integration on the morning of August 17, 2021 via ZOOM Teleconferencing and Facebook Live. In line with the month-long celebration of the 54th ASEAN Founding Anniversary, the webinar was participated by faculty and heads of Caraga Higher Education Institutions (HEIs), as well as CHED Caraga personnel.

Regional Director Dr. Leonida Calagui opened the webinar with a brief message to welcome everyone to the event and detailed the relevance of the topic of the webinar they were about to participate in.

“In line with our vision of increasing ASEAN Awareness, it is important for us as leaders in our respective Higher Education Institutions to be educated and reminded of the importance and value of our ASEAN community, and our roles within this community,” said Director Calagui.

Participants were then treated to an in-depth discussion by the guest resource speaker, Department of Foreign Affairs – Office for ASEAN Affairs Acting Director Mr. Mikhal de Dios. The speaker gave his discussion in three parts,with a background on ASEAN presented first, followed by a discussion on the priorities in ASEAN, and lastly a presentation of figures on ASEAN Awareness in the Philippines and in the Region. Through these discussions, participants were given a comprehensive overview of the ASEAN from its inception to its purpose, commitments, and status in the minds of Filipino citizens and those in the ASEAN neighborhood.

Speaking on ASEAN awareness among the Filipino youth, Mr. de Dios highlighted the role of educators in strengthening this.

“There’s a need for more concerted awareness-raising efforts specifically focused on the youth. ASEAN needs to feel directly relevant to them, and this is where our educational institutions really come in. You have the key to the youth. You have the most contact with them on a daily basis, and you are shaping their minds,” Mr. de Dios expressed.

After the detailed presentation, Mr. de Dios entertained numerous insightful and complex questions from participants, creating a dynamic and open discussion between the speaker and participants.

The morning webinar wrapped with Dr. Leonida Calagui presenting a certificate of appreciation to Mr. de Dios and thanking him for his generous time and knowledge.

In the afternoon, a training workshop on curriculum integration of ASEAN awareness and concepts was held, with Dr. Concepcion Belza from Philippine Normal University Mindanao (PNU Mindanao) and Dr. Vivian Peligro from Agusan del Sur State College of Agriculture and Technology (ASSCAT) leading the workshop, having already developed ASEAN-integrated curriculum in their respective HEIs.

Participants spent the afternoon and the following day in ZOOM breakout rooms to create their own sample curricula following the discussions given by the two leading HEIs. At the end of the workshop, participants presented their sample curricula, providing an opportunity for all involved to critique and learn from each other’s works as they apply their learnings in the development of their curricula in their respective HEIs.

The month-long activities for the 54th ASEAN Founding Anniversary ran from August 9 to 27, 2021. See the recorded virtual events at our official website, www.chedcaraga.ph, or at our official Facebook Page, www.facebook.com/CHEDCaragaPH.