UPOU pays Courtesy Call to BSU to Revive Discussion on Creation of ODeL Consortium in PH_1

With the COVID-19 cases in the country continuing to decline and the restrictions relaxing, University of the Philippines Open University (UPOU) Chancellor Melinda dela Peña Bandalaria and team paid a courtesy call to the newly appointed Benguet State University (BSU) President, Dr. Felipe S. Comila, on 15 June 2022 at La Trinidad, Benguet.

The revival of the discussion on forming the Consortium of Open Universities in the Philippines was discussed, as well as the challenges encountered by BSU during the height of the pandemic. President Comila expressed his strongest support to the forming of the said consortium as a member of the Technical Working Group that will forward academic collaborations and partnerships in research and extension among its members. Dr. Bandalaria also introduced BSU’s possible involvement in the Global Advocacy Campaign on Open, Flexible, and Distance Learning (OFDL) of the International Council for Open and Distance Education (ICDE).

UPOU pays Courtesy Call to BSU to Revive Discussion on Creation of ODeL Consortium in PH_2

The group from BSU who were present in the meeting are Dr. Esper L. Feliciano, OU Director; Dr. Imelda O. Degay, Vice President for Academic Affairs; Dr. Gretchen C. Ablaza, Director, University Public Affairs Office; Dr. Leonard T. Apilis, OU Assistant Director; and Dr, Imelda B. Galinato, Executive Dean of La Trinidad Campus.

As part of the efforts to continue reviving the forming of the consortium of ODeL Providers in the country, the other members of the Technical Working Group from Don Mariano Marcos Memorial State University (DMMMSU), Ifugao State University (IFSU), and Mariano Marcos State University (MMSU) are scheduled to meet virtually on 20 June 2022. John B. Lacson Foundation Maritime University (JBLFMU) Arevalo, Inc., and Cavite State University also signified their participation in the said undertaking and will also be present during the virtual meeting.

The consortium’s Technical Working Group is established in a number of areas of shared interests and cooperation. Among these are academic collaboration— program development and offering, cross-enrollment, open educational resources sharing, and research collaborations; capacity building through faculty and student exchange; international collaboration; and international accreditation.

Written by Shaira Tanay

Edited by Myra C. Almodiel and Anna Cañas-Llamas

#UPOpenUniversity

The 7th AAWS Congress opened with compelling plenary sessions that framed key conversations on empowerment, inclusion, and women’s scholarship.Plenary 1, “Revisioning Gender/Women’s Studies in the Post-Pandemic World: Work for Empowerment,” was delivered by Assoc. Prof. Finaflor F. Taylan, Dean of UPOU FMDS and President of AAWS. Dr. Taylan discussed how crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic deepened gender inequalities—particularly in sectors with high female participation—and intensified unpaid care work. She emphasized the need to integrate crisis-related realities, including gendered vulnerabilities, labor shifts, and digital divides, into Gender/Women’s Studies teaching and research, and called for stronger advocacy toward gender-responsive recovery and structural transformation. The session concluded with an engaging Q&A moderated by Asst. Prof. Lorena Jean Saludadez.The second plenary, “Emerging Issues in Diversity, Multiculturalism, and Democracy in Asia: The Role of Advocates,” was presented by Dr. Aileen Park, Associate Professor at Philippine Normal University Mindanao and AAWS Council Member. Drawing from migration-related experiences in the United States, Korea, and Australia, Dr. Park explored discriminatory practices and highlighted the importance of a multivoiced academic mindset rooted in cultural sensitivity, self-awareness, and social responsibility. The session was moderated by Asst. Prof. Maria Lourdes Jarabe, Director of UPOU’s Office of Gender Concerns.Several Parallel Presentation Sessions were also held in the afternoon, featuring research topics on Evolution of Women and Gender Studies Across Asia; Gender, Social Inclusion and Women Empowerment in ASEAN; Women’s Struggles and Democracy in Asia; Gender and Development: ASEAN’s Performance on the SDGs; Gender, Social Inclusion and Women Empowerment in ASEAN; and it also included a Colloquium where UPOU undergraduate and graduate students present their research studies.#AAWSCongress2025 #EmpowerSustainDemocratize #AsianWomenInFocus #SDG5GenderEquality #UPOU ... See MoreSee Less
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