The institutional memory of the Philippine National Commission of UNESCO

Part III - 25 years of non-political UNESCO projects for the Philippines

The UNESCO Preamble states “Since war begins in the minds of men, it is in the minds of men that the defenses of peace must be constructed; that ignorance of each other’s ways and lives has been common cause of suspicion and mistrust . . .Often, their differences break into war.”

Thus UNESCO, as part of the United Nations system, has defined its five mandates to develop the “culture of peace”.

Philippines committed to UNESCO since 1946

In 2006, UNESCO celebrated its 60th anniversary. Our UNESCO DFA office had a grand commemorative program too, for the Philippines, which has just then gained independence from America, was among the first signatories in 1946 to commit to the UNESCO goal of eradicating poverty through non-political projects in Education, Science, Social and Human Science, Culture and Communication.

My first article dealt with UNESCO undertaking during President Corazon Aquino’s governance from 1986 to 1992 when I was sent to the Paris Executive Board for the 1986-1987 biennium program. It was a fascinating and such a valuable experience to share with our countrymen that I began writing the weekly column “Point of Awareness” for The Philippine STAR in 1990. From this, I helped publish five books.

Up to the present, I have recorded the complete institutional memory of what UNESCO has done for the Philippines. My second article entreated the son of Ninoy Aquino and former president Corazon Aquino, our current president, Benigno Aquino III to reactivate fully UNESCO and continue supporting its non-political projects for the Philippines and Asia.

1992-1998 President Fidel Ramos and the UNESCO Literacy Decade

Declared as Education for All in 1990 at Jomtien Thailand, the UNESCO EFA global program was intended to access primary education universally and eradicate adult illiteracy — the root cause of poverty. The latter automatically increases yearly since a hundred million children are not enrolled in primary schools. Fifty five percent of them are girls. (MDG # 1: eradicate poverty and hunger).

During President Ramos’ administration the EDCOM survey of all schools in the Philippines was going on. It resulted in the splitting of the Department of Education, Culture and Sports (DECS) into three agencies, DepEd (Basic Education), TESDA (Technical Skill and Development Authority) and CHED (Commission on Higher Education). The National Literacy Coordinating Council was launched at Malacanang, leading to the establishment of the Bureau of Alternative Learning (BALS), promoting non-formal education for adult illiterates in barangay halls or farmers’ cooperative. This was in line with Dr. Armand Fabella as Secretary of Education who believed in the Jacksonian principle of working with the grassroots.

1998-2002 President Joseph Estrada, the UNMDG 21st century Education and the Makabayan curriculum

The terrorists attack of the New York twin Towers on September 11, 2001 shifted the UNESCO scenario. America and England re-joined the UNESCO fold. The UN Millennium Development Goals 2000-2015 was just launched the previous year at the United Nations. EFA was evaluated in Dakar Africa and found successful with increased enrollment in primary schools of developing countries, but found wanting in quality. In answer to this, in 2001, we set up the EFA DAKAR public school pilot in Pulung Bulu Central School, Angeles, Pampanga. Thanks to the continued support of DepEd Region 3 Directors Labrador, Dinah Mindo and Mario Ramirez, the children’s achievements continue to inspire educators and parents from the six provinces. (MDG # 2: universal education)

Senator Roco, taking over the position of DepEd Secretary after Brother Andrew, introduced a new label for the national Basic Education curriculum — “Makabayan.” Did it adhere to UNESCO’s 21st Century Education and its four Pillars: Learning to Be, Learning to Learn, Learning to Work and Learning to Live in Harmony With Others? Hardly. The old curriculum was still in place. This prompted UNESCO Social and Human Science Committee headed by Felice Sta. Maria began to analyze how this traditional curriculum has been used by textbook publishers. In four succeeding years, four books were published to serve as book writers’ guide, to harmonize the fragmented and inaccurate concepts per subjects.

2002-2010 President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, WHS conservation, press freedom, climate change

All presidents from Madame Corazon Aquino, Fidel V. Ramos, Joseph Estrada to Madame Gloria Arroyo have nurtured our five World Heritage Sites in Palawan, Ilocos, Intramuros, and Ifugao. The Culture Committee chair Carmen Padilla with technical expertise of commissioners Joy Mananghaya and Toti Villalon, both heritage architects, are irreplaceable. Both architects took almost 20 years working with international heritage experts from Paris, Rome and Japan to have these five sites nominated and approved. Batanes was about to be approved with a lot of encouragement from Paris but the change in political governance of the province jeopardized it.

The Communication Committee Chairman, Dr. Florangel Braid prepared a full program that enabled the assembly of 150 local and foreign journalists to hold the Guillermo Cano Press Freedom award ceremony at Malacanang with President Arroyo and meet the Senate.

With the ill consequences of climate change, the UNESCO subcommittee of Marine Science headed by Dr. Michael Fortes has been persuading local governments in 17 islands here, like Puerto Galera, Boracay, Zamboanga, Bohol, Surigao and Baler to follow UNESCO guidelines in educating fishermen in ocean conservation to do away with dynamite fishing, proper zoning of hotels and disciplining casual tourists, backpackers to conserve these nature sites.           

The whole UN Country Team’s partnership with P-Noy

Most Filipinos are not aware that there are UN Country Team experts working behind the scenes trying to prevent and help solve our numerous problems.

In 2008, UNESCO Regional Director in Jakarta, Hubert Geijzen, coordinated with Neleema Noble, then UN Resident Coordinator and UNDP Resident Coordinator (current UNCT Resident Coordinator is Jacqueline Badcock) to let me sit as UNESCO representative in the bi-monthly meeting of the UN Country Team. This was right after the Hanoi UNESCO Consultative Conference working out the UN theme of consolidation “Delivering as One”.

Dr. Soe Nyunt-U represents WHO, Ranaud Meyer, UNDP, Vanessa Tobin, UNICED, Stephen Anderson, the World Food Program (WFP), Suneeta Mukherjee, UN Fund for Population (UNFPA) Kazuyuki Tsurumi, Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO), just retired Linda Wirth, International Labor Organization (ILO), Dr. Suresh Chandra Raj, UNIDO, Eden Garde, the UN Habitat, Teresita Bagasao, UNAIDS. UN Coordination Office is managed by Eden Lumilan and Ma. Cecilia San.

Mrs. Noble, assisted by Renaud Meyer was already working out the “country assessment” program of the Philippines by conferring with each of the president’s cabinet men. The meeting of minds was indispensable to match national goals with the UN Development Assistance Program (UNDAP).

Under the topic UN Programme Development and the MDGs are concerned gender capacity development, environmental sustainability, conflict prevention and peace building. Delivering as One and team building involved the DFA and NEDA. (MDG # 3: gender and # 7: environmental stability)

President Benigno Aquino III in his speech to the nation dwelt on the importance of partnership and working together. This is MDG # 8: global partnership. With the UN Country Team, the key is not to predict the future, but that, he CAN HELP SHAPE THE FUTURE.