Education, Culture Promote Regional Cooperation

Sen. Win Gatchalian, chairperson of the Senate Committee on Basic Education, encourages lawmakers in the Asia Pacific region to pursue legislation that prioritizes regional and cross-border collaboration and exchange in the areas of education and culture. Gatchalian, who led the Philippine delegation in the plenary session on the Regional Cooperation in the Asia Pacific Region during the Asia Pacific Parliamentary Forum (APPF 31) Saturday, November 25, 2023, said education and culture are compelling drivers of regional cooperation. He said making education reform a top priority in their respective legislative agenda is a recognition of the right of the child to education under the 1989 International Convention on the Rights of the Child, the world’s most widely ratified international human rights treaty. “Regional and cross-border collaboration and exchange of learners, students, scholars, teachers, artists, and other sectoral actors naturally foster the birth of innovative ideas and technologies, appreciation for previously unfamiliar cultures and traditions, and ultimately cultivate understanding and gratitude for the shared humanity that binds our diverse peoples together,” Gatchalian concluded.