04 February 2016 - Philippine Ambassador to Timor-Leste Evelyn D. Austria-Garcia called on Minister of State, Coordinator for Social Affairs, and Minister of Education António da Conceição on February 02.

Both officials used the opportunity to discuss and exchange views on ways to further strengthen the existing relations between the Philippines and Timor-Leste in the field of education.

As an indication of Timor-Leste’s continuing interest in the Philippine educational system, Minister da Conceição disclosed his plan to visit the Philippines this year. In response, Ambassador Austria-Garcia stated the readiness of the Embassy to extend appropriate assistance to ensure that the Minister would have a pleasant and fruitful visit to the Philippines.

Education constitutes one of the major pillars of the bilateral partnership between the Philippines and Timor-Leste. As an offshoot of the Memorandum of Agreement on Academic Cooperation which the two countries signed in 2008, the Timor-Leste Government began deploying Timorese scholars to pursue tertiary education in the Philippines the following year. The two countries also signed a Memorandum of Understanding on Teacher Training in June 2013.END