Australia supports Filipino teacher-leaders

MANILA, Philippines - Eight outstanding Filipino teachers of the Metrobank Foundation Inc. participated in a two-week Strengthening Leadership and Teaching Excellence Skills (SLATES) program in Australia from April 27 to May 10.

The SLATES program is one of the Australian Government’s education initiatives to assist the Philippines in its efforts to professionalize the teaching profession and improve the delivery of education services and quality of education for the Filipino children.

Now on its fourth year, the SLATES program is implemented by the Queensland University of Technology in partnership with the Queensland Education Leadership Institute which provided international benchmarking experience to the Filipino teachers through first-hand exposure to globally-recognized teaching programs in Australia.

The outstanding teachers have been selected as the best among the best in the education profession in the Philippines. Sent to Australia were: Fely Batiloy (Special Education Integrated School for Exceptional Children in Iloilo City), Mitchel Rodriguez (Odiongan Central School in Gingoog City, Northern Mindanao), Cherry Vinluan (Guagua Elementary School in Pampanga), Rodel Sampang (Pedro Guevarra Elementary School in Manila), Dominique Maquiran (University of the Philippines Highschool in Iloilo City), Marcelo Otinguey (Ampusongan National High School in Bakun, Benguet), Maria Teresa Bautista (Bacnotan National High School in La Union) and Maria Lorna Garnace (Philippine Science High School in Palo, Leyte).