The Ministry of Basic, Higher, and Technical Education of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (MBHTE-BARMM), led by Director-General for Basic Education, Marjuni Maddi, visited the University of the Philippines Open University (UPOU) on 30 September 2024. They were received by UPOU Officials at the Office of the Chancellor Conference Room at the UPOU Headquarters in Los Baños, Laguna.
Director-General Maddi explained that the purpose of their visit was to discuss potential collaborations that can bridge educational gaps in the region. Dr. Charisse T. Reyes, Dean of the UPOU Faculty of Education, shared the UPOU’s Pagtulay program, a groundbreaking initiative aimed at reaching underserved communities through Open Distance and E-Learning (ODeL).
UP and UPOU officials were present during the visit, both in person and virtually. UP System Executive Vice President Jose Fernando Alcantara and UP Diliman Assistant Professor Ranjit Rye attended, while UPOU Chancellor Melinda dela Peña Bandalaria and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Primo Garcia joined via Zoom. UPOU Vice Chancellor for Finance and Administration Jean Saludadez, University Registrar Luisa Gelisan, Dr. Ria Borromeo, Director of the Office of Student Affairs, Dr. Diego Silang Maranan, Dean of the Faculty of Information and Communication Studies, and Dr. Myra C. Almodiel, Director of the Office of Public Affairs, were also in attendance. The group discussed ways to strengthen the partnership between the two institutions.
Both institutions look forward to further collaboration to leverage UPOU’s expertise in open distance and e-learning to address the unique educational needs of the BARMM. By combining UPOU’s innovative learning approaches with MBHTE-BARMM’s commitment to educational equity, the partnership aims to bridge educational gaps, empower learners, and contribute to the region’s overall educational development.
Written by Zyrene Edrei Villanueva ♦ Edited by Dr. Myra C. Almodiel and Anna Cañas-Llamas ♦ Photo by Anna Mhari Duria
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