The University of Northern Philippines–College of Teacher Education opened its doors to 16 pre-service teachers from four universities in Indonesia and one in Thailand as part of the SEAMEO SEA Teacher Program Batch 11. Held from October 13 to November 27, 2025, the program marked another milestone in UNP’s efforts to strengthen international collaboration and enrich cross-cultural learning experiences in teacher education.
The College of Teacher Education highlighted its ongoing commitment to international academic exchange and the preparation of globally competent educators as it welcomed this year’s diverse delegation of pre-service teachers. The cohort included representatives from five partner institutions: Universitas Mulawarman (UnMul) with Charlos Falentino, Erna Sari, and Istantin Mujarofah; Universitas Pakuan (UnPak) with Colla Triana Sari, Dwi Sri Wahyuni, and Marsha Gina Khamila; Udon Thani Rajabhat University (UDRU) in Thailand with Supansa Kongchin, Winyu Sarasan, and Theerapat Sata; Universitas Sebelas Maret (UNS) with Luthfi Nurlaila, Ardyaningrum Saraswati Suwignyo, and Seif Fakih Husein; and Universitas Negeri Malang (UM) with Febiana Rustria Dewi, Nazla Dwi Nuraini, Adelliana Asyaun Niqris, and Baetirrohma Putri Novi Romadhani.
The program formally commenced with a pinning ceremony, symbolizing the participants’ induction into the SEA Teacher experience, before they were deployed to the UNP Laboratory Schools. Over the course of their placement, the SEA Teachers immersed themselves in a range of classroom-based activities—conducting observations, assisting mentor teachers, delivering practice teaching sessions, and completing reflective tasks designed to deepen their professional growth.
UNP-CTE further enriched the SEA Teachers’ international learning experience by organizing a series of activities designed to foster cultural understanding and academic growth. Among these was the vibrant Fil-Indo-Thai Day, where participants immersed themselves in cultural exchange through performances, traditional games, and shared cuisines. Complementing this celebration was the three-part DALLIASAT (Developing awareness of the life and language of Ilocanos among Southeast Asian teachers) program. Its eco-cultural segment brought delegates to key eco-tourism and heritage sites across the Ilocos Region, while the school visit component broadened their curricular perspectives through benchmarking at the Philippine Science High School. The language component, meanwhile, introduced the SEA Teachers to basic Ilokano and Filipino.
Another highlight of the program was the SILAW (SEA Teacher Innadal ken Linglingay para iti Ayat ken Waya-waya) Camp, which strengthened the leadership capacities of the participants by grounding them in the core values of love and freedom.
The program concluded with a roundtable discussion and an exchange of gifts, marking a meaningful culmination of the participants’ stay. UNP-CTE’s continued involvement in the SEA Teacher Program reinforces SEAMEO’s broader goals of promoting collaboration among higher education and teacher education institutions across Southeast Asia, strengthening internationalization, and supporting collective growth within the region’s education systems.
Article and photo by Joey-Nell Marzan
