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Singapore, 20 September 2024 – Education Secretary Sonny Angara highlighted the Philippines’ commitment to fostering creative and innovative Filipino learners during his speech at the 4th Philippine-Singapore Business and Investment Summit (PSBIS), held at the Shangri-La Singapore on Thursday, September 19.

In his address, Secretary Angara emphasized the vision of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. of enhancing the quality of education in the Philippines by integrating technology and digital literacy into the curriculum. This initiative aims to prepare Filipino students for the demands of a rapidly evolving global economy, fostering innovation and entrepreneurship while building a highly skilled, adaptable workforce.

“Our biggest asset is our people. Under President Marcos Jr.’s leadership, we are envisioning a more creative and innovative Filipino learner, which will be a significant boost to industry,” Sec. Angara stated during the panel on Innovate and CREATE: Transformative Technology and Advanced Manufacturing.

“President Marcos Jr. has introduced new laws and policies that would really entice investors,” he added.

Angara also shared insights on the Philippines’ efforts to learn from Singapore, particularly its success in teaching coding at a young age. “We are working to incorporate coding into our curriculum and are utilizing educational technology, such as analytics, to assess learners in real-time. This will allow teachers to focus more on teaching and less on administrative tasks, ultimately improving the quality of education,” he said.

He also underscored the Philippines as a key player in the global workforce, noting that the country graduates over a million students each year from both basic and tertiary education systems.

“There’s a leap of faith involved in investing in the Philippines but there’s also a lot of pleasant surprises so I think one of the pleasant surprises is that the Filipino worker who is immensely adaptable and a quick learner so I think that’s something we could all benefit from,” Angara said.

The PSBIS served as a platform for high-level discussions on fostering sustainable growth, inclusivity, and innovation in the region, further strengthening the longstanding partnership between the Philippines and Singapore. The event marked the 55th anniversary of bilateral relations between the two countries, focusing on opportunities for collaboration in education, technology, and workforce development.

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