PH Ambassador to Portugal Delivers Talk on Transformational Leadership in PH Education, to the Staff of the Directorate-General for Administration of the Portuguese Ministry of Education
LISBON, 02 May 2023 – Philippine Ambassador to Portugal Celia Anna M. Feria gave a talk entitled “Transformational Leadership in Philippine Education” at the monthly sharing session called Partilhas No. 7 of the Direção-Geral da Administração Escolar (Directorate General for School Administration) of the Portuguese Ministry of Education in Lisbon on 18 April 2023.
In her remarks, Ambassador Feria cited the importance of education on her personal and professional life and emphasized that “receiving a good education has served me well in my 33 years in the Philippine foreign service. There are certain personal skills that I was able to develop during my formative years as a student which greatly benefited me in the field of diplomacy, such as communication, critical and creative thinking, and collaborating.”
Ambassador Feria provided insights on the educational profile of the Philippines, particularly on its system and structure; statistical data on the number of public schools and students; the professional standards on the recruitment of Filipino teachers; and the vital role these teachers play in Philippine society as “ultimate role models” for the Filipino youth.
Ambassador Feria’s discussion on transformational leadership in Philippine education also highlighted Filipino teachers as modern-day heroes manifested through their unwavering dedication and resilience in ensuring that their students continue to receive an inclusive, equitable, and quality education at the highest level.
As part of Ambassador Feria’s presentation, three Filipino-produced short videos were subtitled into Portuguese, to show to the audience, who were Portuguese educators in attendance, the realities and challenges that both Filipino teachers and students have to go through in far-flung and remote areas in the most extreme conditions in the Philippines.
“You will also see the teachers’ commitment and perseverance in providing the learning content to their students in remote rural areas, as well as these students getting their education despite their economic struggles,” said Ambassador Feria describing one of the short videos. Moreover, the videos also generally reflected the dedication of Filipino teachers to their profession and their sacrifices as part of their contribution to nation-building.
The session ended with a message from Dr. Susana Castanheira Lopes, the Director General for School Administration, acknowledging the importance of teachers and the hard work they devote to their profession as educators. Dr. Lopes also thanked Ambassador Feria for willingly accepting their invitation and providing a timely and informative presentation.
Partilhas No. 7, is a series of small sharing sessions held at the DGAE that aims to inspire and motivate its employees by inviting guest speakers from different fields of work. The Directorate General for School Administration (DGAE), of the Portuguese Ministry of Education, is responsible for implementing strategic human resources management policies and development in education for public educational institutions in Portugal. END
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