DepEd hands over chairpersonship of ASEAN Education Sector to Vietnam

Wazzup Pilipinas!?


After two years at the helm, the Philippine Department of Education formally turned over the leadership of the Association of Southeast Asian Nation (ASEAN) Education Sector organizations to the Ministry of Education and Training of Vietnam.

“We would like to give our deepest appreciation to the members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, Secretaries and Ministers of Education in the Region, and other officials for supporting us during our tenure,” Education Secretary Leonor Magtolis Briones said.

“The Department was able to assist our neighboring countries in crafting initiatives and ideas to improve the education delivery, especially amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Our leadership was challenging, but the endless support of the member countries made it easier for us,” she added.

Guided by the theme “Transforming Education the ASEAN Way: Forging Partnerships in the Global Age of Disruptions,” the Philippine chairpersonship highlighted the relentless and unified effort of the ASEAN Ministries of Education in ensuring that learning continues and thrives even in times of disruption.

The Department spearheaded and hosted 26 meetings and adopted ten documents and declarations to ensure continuous coordination despite travel restrictions.

DepEd worked closely with the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) throughout its term, following the principle of a trifocalized education system.

In line with this, Vietnam’s Ministry of Education and Training Prof. Dr. Nguyen Kim Son is now the head of the ASEAN Education Ministers Meeting, ASEAN Plus Three Education Ministers Meeting, East Asia Summit Education Ministers Meeting, and their related senior officials’ meetings.

“On behalf of the Department of Education, we would like to congratulate the Vietnam'sMinistry of Education and Training as they take over the ASEAN Education Sector’s organizations. Rest assured that you have the country’s support in your plans moving forward,” Secretary Briones said.

The flow of chairmanship among the member states of the ASEAN education sector follows the alphabetical order. However, with the demands of its current chairmanship of the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization (SEAMEO) council, Singapore shall assume its term as chair in 2024 instead of this year following Vietnam.

PH-UK railway, maritime education partnerships to plant seeds of transport continuity and growth

Wazzup Pilipinas!?

The Philippines and the United Kingdom are expected to plant the seeds of transport continuity and growth by investing in people through education, training, and skills development partnerships in the railway and maritime fields, Department of Transportation (DOTr) Secretary Art Tugade said yesterday, 16 February 2022.

Secretary Tugade made the statement during the ceremonial signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for PH-UK Education Partnerships in Transportation in Makati City.

The partnerships will be carried out by the DOTr’s Philippine Railway Institute (PRI) and Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA) and by the National Skills Academy for Rail (NSAR) and Solent University of the United Kingdom.

The signing of the MOU is a vital component of the PH-UK partnerships, formalizing the cooperation and collaboration between the two countries in terms of education and training of Filipinos in the rail and maritime sectors.

Secretary Tugade said that education and skills training is important for the continuity of growth in the transportation sector in the Philippines.

“It is sweet indeed that today we gather here in order to plant the seeds for education. Why education? Because we want to have a continuity,” Secretary Tugade said.

The partnership between the PRI and the UK-NSAR aims to develop a highly skilled, competent, and world class rail workforce. It is also geared towards efforts to further improve the country’s railway sector which is trailing behind its Asian neighbors for almost three decades.

Programs included in the MOU are railway safety, accreditation framework for the railway sector’s training providers in the Philippines, worldwide recognition, as well as the offering of rail courses and apprenticeships, among others.

Being an archipelagic country and a primary source of 30% of skilled seafarers in the world, Secretary Tugade stressed that the partnership will also help Filipino seafarers.

“You want this to continue? You have to put technical people there. You want the advantage of seafarers to continue? You need to have education,” he said, adding that the partnership between the MARINA and the Solent University will be a boost to the Philippine maritime sector, benefitting the Filipino seafarers.

Under the MARINA-Solent University MOU, Maritime Education and Training (MET) programs will be developed to support human resource requirements of the maritime education sector in the Philippines.

Both Secretary Tugade and Richard Graham, a member of the UK Parliament for Gloucester and the Prime Minister’s Trade Envoy to the Philippines, cited the benefits of skills training in the railway and maritime sectors.

“You are giving us the seeds so that the growth which we like to achieve in the maritime sector and the development that we like to achieve in the railway sector can continue, continue, and continue steadily so that the Philippines can grow,” Secretary Tugade pointed out.

“These twin events on both railway and maritime reflect that partnership between the UK and the Philippines across many sectors. The skills, whether in maritime or rail, all these things are in transition into a new world of innovation and technology,” Graham said.

SSS: ACOP compliance deadline is on March 31, 2022; regular schedule resumes April 1, 2022

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The Social Security System (SSS) reiterates that the deadline for compliance to the Annual Confirmation of Pensioners' Program or ACOP is on March 31, 2022.

The ACOP, implemented in 2004, is a measure used by the SSS to ensure the continuous payment of benefits to the rightful pensioners in accordance with the Social Security Law.   All pensioners who have not yet complied with the ACOP for the calendar year 2021 are required to do so on or before March 31, 2022.   Retirement pensioners residing in the Philippines, on the other hand, are no longer required to do the ACOP effective October 30, 2017, but they are subject to other verification processes, if applicable.   The ACOP was suspended from March 2020 until September 2021 in view of the pandemic situation in the country.   “For over one and a half years, we have continuously granted our pensioners their respective pensions without the corresponding reporting under the ACOP since they are high-risk individuals to the virus. We have then resumed the implementation of this program last October 1, 2021, and to make up for the suspension period, we have given all covered pensioners, except those who already complied for CY 2021, a period of six (6) months or until March 31, 2022, to submit their compliance through online and alternative methods that are designed for their safety and convenience,” SSS President and CEO Aurora C. Ignacio said.   If the said pensioners fail to comply, the SSS will temporarily suspend their pensions starting with their May 2022 pensions.   “Starting April 1, 2022, we will follow the usual schedule of compliance for the program, wherein retirement pensioners residing abroad, and total disability pensioners must comply on their birth month; survivor pensioners must comply within the birth month of the deceased member; while dependents and guardians must comply on the birth month of the member or deceased member, whichever is applicable. Non-compliance to this will also lead to the temporary suspension of their pensions,” Ignacio explained.   Covered pensioners may also submit their compliance within six (6) months before their schedule, which will be considered as early compliance.   Currently, covered pensioners can course their ACOP compliance through the following methods: By sending required documents to the corporate email of the nearest SSS branch (if residing in the Philippines) or foreign office (if residing abroad) using “ACOP Compliance” followed by their name as email subject – for survivor pensioners, retirement pensioners residing abroad, total disability pensioners residing abroad, dependents, and guardians. By sending required documents through mail or courier to the nearest SSS branch (if residing in the Philippines), or foreign office or OFW-Contact Services Section (if residing abroad) – for survivor pensioners, retirement pensioners residing abroad, dependents, and guardians. By submitting the required documents through drop box at the nearest SSS branch – for survivor pensioners and total disability pensioners residing in the Philippines. By sending a written request for home visit to the SSS through the email, drop box, or mail of the Medical Services Section of the nearest SSS branch – for total disability pensioners residing in the Philippines. By requesting for an appointment with the SSS for video conference using MS Teams through email at ofw.relations@sss.gov.ph – for pensioners, dependents, and guardians residing abroad except for total disability pensioners. The establishment of the said methods is part of the SSS' continuing compliance with the Inter-Agency Task Force Resolution No. 100, which mandates the adoption of alternative modes of validation for senior citizen pensioners in lieu of personal appearances or submission of documents that require personal appearances before a notary public.   The list of documentary requirements and other information about the said methods of compliance with the ACOP is available at https://bit.ly/SSSCI2021-010, sample photos can also be found at https://bit.ly/ACOPCompliance.   The e-mail and location of SSS branches including its foreign offices can be accessed in the directory on the SSS website at https://bit.ly/SSSDirectory.   For more information, visit the uSSSap Tayo Portal at https://crms.sss.gov.ph, follow “Philippine Social Security System – SSS” on Facebook, “mysssph” on Instagram or YouTube, “PHLSSS” on Twitter, or join the SSS’ Viber Community at “MYSSSPH Updates.”