

Southeast Asians celebrated their religious festivals a little differently this year—in the privacy of their homes.

Children in ASEAN are living in a rapidly changing world brought about by technological advances and demographic shifts. It is crucial that children have their basics needs fulfilled to enable them reach their potential, and also be equipped with 21st century skills to manage anticipated long-term challenges.

Soil liquefaction swept their homes and loved ones away. Now, survivors of the Central Sulawesi quake get new homes on sturdier ground.

Nobel Peace Prize Winner Desmond Tutu once said, “Do your little bit of good where you are; it’s those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world.”

Our region is only as strong as our peoples. ASEAN’s economic growth and social development in the past decade have been resilient owing to the contribution of its productive workforce and growing middle class.

Human resources development has been on the agenda of ASEAN since its formation in 1967. The 2008 ASEAN Charter reaffirmed the development of “(…) human resources through closer cooperation in education and lifelong learning (…)” as a key purpose of the ASEAN community.
In an effort to curb the spread of COVID-19, over 190 countries have ordered school closures. This move impacts 90 per cent of the world’s learners, which translates to a staggering 1.6 billion children and young people.

As ASEAN transforms itself to rise up to the challenges of continuous digitalisation brought about by the Fourth Industrial Revolution, the Philippines’ Department of Education ensures that educational mechanisms are in place to sustain lifelong learning opportunities for Filipinos.

The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated digital transformation. Stringent social distancing measures are changing lifestyles and work arrangements. Businesses and governments have to rely even more on technologies to provide information, goods, and services to meet shifting demands from the public.