From 8 to 26 May, the United States government is hosting a series of intensive training workshops for more than 100 English teachers from across the Philippines to enhance their teaching methods and skills in English language instruction.

The workshops employ a “training the trainers” curriculum designed specifically for the Philippines by US-sponsored English language specialists Donna Brinton and Jan Frodesen. The program is expected to benefit more than 7,000 teachers and 250,000 students in the Philippines by preparing participants to lead follow-on training sessions with colleagues in their local communities.

According to Brinton and Frodesen, the program shares information, strategies and techniques that enable participants to train fellow educators in their home communities.

During the first two weeks of workshops in Manila, more than 60 teachers from academic institutions in Mindanao — including public high schools in Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi — received training. Twelve teachers from the State Department’s English Access Microscholarship Program, including participants from Fiji, also joined the Manila program. More than 50 educators from various campuses of Palawan State University are scheduled to join the final set of workshops from 22 to 26 May in Puerto Princesa, Palawan.

On 17 May, US Ambassador to the Philippines MaryKay Carlson met with workshop participants to reaffirm the United States’ commitment to working with Philippine partners to support quality education in the country, especially in language learning.

“We know that having a strong educational system is the key to prosperity,” Carlson said. “The United States looks forward to seeing the positive results of this program as dedicated Filipino educators share these methods with their peers and students.”

For these workshops, the US government collaborated with the Ministry of Basic, Higher and Technical Education in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, National Commission on Muslim Filipinos, non-government organization Synergeia Foundation Inc. and Palawan State University.