PH Ambassador to South Africa Attends Personal Development Seminar Graduation Ceremony in Maputo

The speakers of the seminar (from left) Rachel Salines, Christina Calaguian, Dr. Rommel Pilapil, and Art Los Banos (Pretoria PE photo)

PRETORIA 16 August 2019 – Ambassador to South Africa Joseph Gerard B. Angeles was the Guest of Honor during the closing ceremony the Personal Development Seminar held on 10 August 2019 in Maputo, Mozambique.

The seminar focuses on the wholistic improvement of teaching and non-teaching personnel, with special focus on imparting the latest methodology in pedagogy, advances in the use of technology in the modern classroom setting, as well as personal improvement.

Over 100 participants attended the seminar bannered by of Canadian University in Dubai professor and The Filipino Times (TFT) Educator of the Year awardee Dr. Rommel Pilapil Sergio,

Ateneo School of Government’s Leadership and Social Entrepreneurship Program Alumni Association in the UAE head and 2018 FTF Entrepreneur of the Year nominee Cristina Calaguian, freelance broadcast journalist and 2015 TFT Journalist of the Year awardee Rachel Salinel, and public relations consultant and socio-civic leader with Couples for Christ Art Lost Banos.

In his message, Ambassador Angeles emphasized the value of teaching, and the need to seek new paradigms for teaching in the age of Information Technology. 

“The old model of teaching with the teacher as a fountain of information filling up a student’s empty vessel is no longer valid.  In this age of information and internet technology, a student with a smartphone already possesses infinitely more information than his teacher can ever give him”, Ambassador Angeles said.

“To be relevant in this time of information at your fingertips, a teacher must get out of this anachronistic mind-set. Instead of being a fountain of information, the modern teacher should instead be a matchstick, lighting up his student’s flame of curiosity,” he added.

The seminar was a resounding success, and the seminar team discussed with Ambassador Angeles the possibility of organizing a similar activity in South Africa. END

Ambassador Angeles talks about the need for a new paradigm for teaching in the age of IT and instant information. (Pretoria PE photo)

For more information, visit https://www.pretoriape.dfa.gov.ph.