Quezon City - CFO Chairperson, Sec. Dante โKlinkโ Ang II met with Commission on Higher Education Commissioner Ethel Agnes P. Valenzuela, and discussed various initiatives where CFO and CHED can collaborate in bringing home the talents and skills gained overseas by Filipinos. Also present during the meeting was Project Management Division Chief, Marita Del Rosario - Apattad.
The two officials tackled several areas that may be worked on jointly by the two agencies. Both CFO and CHED sit on the Exchange Visitor Program (EVP) Committee of the Philippines, an inter-agency body that oversees the implementation of the US-sponsored program that aims to obtain necessary skills and technology for Philippine national development. The two agencies will share statistical information coming from the registration of EVP participants, and look into the programs that Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) are offering to ensure that participation of college students are maximized.
To ensure that reintegration of students studying in Philippine Schools Overseas (PSOs) are seamless, CHED will disseminate a list of PSOs duly recognized or have obtained permits from the Department of Education, to HEIs.
Likewise, CHED has agreed to help CFO find suitable avenues for overseas Filipino professionals, such as recipients of the Presidential Awards for Outstanding Filipino Individuals and Organizations Overseas (PAFIOO), where they can transfer knowledge and skills obtained abroad. These may be in the forms of talks, symposia, executive programs and similar activities for institutions here in the Philippines. While these are already being done by CFO, Sec. Ang said that he looks forward to formally institutionalizing these activities, and letting them be more sustainable for national development by continuously engaging our overseas Filipinos.
Lastly, CFO may provide research agenda to local state colleges and universities, and propose to have migration and development as topics for student and faculty research.
The meeting ended with a commitment of coming up with a Memorandum of Agreement covering all and future activities which may be undertaken by CFO and CHED.
