Pasig City (9 October) -- Education Secretary Jesli Lapus welcomed Singapore Education Minister and concurrent President of the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization (SEAMEO) Council Tharman Shanmugaratman at the Department of Education (DepEd) Central Office today.

The Singaporean education chief's visit to the Philippines is part of his introductory rounds to the ASEAN countries. In addition to his position as SEAMEO Council President, Tharman is also the chairman of the SEAMEO Governing Board and the Second Minister of Finance in Singapore.

Tharman is scheduled to visit Ramon Magsaysay High School in Manila, the SEAMEO Regional Centre for Educational Innovation and Technology (INNOTECH) facility in Quezon City, as well as the Tropical Medicine and Public Health Network Center at the University of the Philippines (UP) in Manila.

DepEd and SEAMEO have been partners in the improvement of basic education in the South East Asian region, and in the country. Some learning methods and technologies of SEAMEO such as modules for Enhanced Instructional Management for Parents, Community and Teachers (e-IMPACT) have been shared with teachers in the Division of Albay. The said modules allowed learning activities to continue even while schools were being used as evacuation centers.

Minister Tharman is accompanied by his wife, Jane Ittogi and Singaporean Ambassador to the Philippines Lim Kheng Hua. Other members of his delegation from the Ministry of Education in Singapore are Wong Siew Hoong, Director of Schools; Yu Sing Tong, Deputy Director of Schools; and Alex Tan Weng Cheong, Head, Innovation and Organization Learning.