SEAMEO INNOTECH in cooperation with the Literacy Coordinating Council (LCC) conducted a Research Literacy Forum with the theme “Literacy, Basic Learning Needs, Lifelong Learning and Lifeskills: Defining and Consolidating Actions to Achieve Education for All”  last June 25, 2009 at SEAMEO INNOTECH, Quezon City.

This policy research forum is part of a series of the SEAMEO INNOTECH goal to lead the education leaders in generating ideas for action. Moreover, the policy research forum is tasked to carry out a mandate of informing the education stakeholders on the literacy situation, conceptual definition, and program updates that will redound to the development of sound educational policies.

The Literacy Coordinating Council (LCC) and the National EFA Committee (NEC) are presently putting much emphasis on the different contexts of literacy achievement through the LCC mapping and the NEC Basic Learning Needs Survey, along with varying definitions and standards of literacy, and different methods and frequency of collecting data mean that there is a real difficulty.

Both are identifying the gaps to provide a platform for consolidating actions based on the deliberations of experts on literacy for all.

The overview and statement of purpose was given by Dr. Erlinda C. Pefianco, Director of SEAMEO INNOTECH. She likewise welcomed the participants to the workshop. In her overview, she recalled the several activities and best efforts of the Center and the Department of Education in the past years when it comes to Literacy and Basic Learning Needs. She gave emphasis to the objectives of the Forum which are: 1) to discuss the emerging concepts used in literacy programs; 2) determine courses of action and policy decisions from DepEd and other stakeholders; and 3) encourage discussion of achieving universal literacy by 2015.

The Policy Forum had two sessions, first,  “Basic and Functional Literacy and Basic Learning Needs”  with Mr. Napoleon B. Imperial, Chief of Manpower and Education Division of SDS-NEDA and Mr. Edicio De La Torre, President of Education Network (E-Net Philippines) as resource speakers. The second session entitled “Learning from Life: A Sharing of Studies on Literacy in the Philippines” was discussed Dr. Julian Abuso, Chairman of the Division of Curriculum and Instruction of the University of the Philippines. At the end of the workshop, Mr. De La Torre delivered consolidating actions and recommendations for moving forward.

SEAMEO INNOTECH distributed relevant documents on Literacy and Education for All to all attendees. Participants to the said forum were policymakers who are members of LCC, ALS District and Division Coordinators, NGO representatives, BALS representative, representatives from inter-agencies, and other literacy advocates.