DepEd Secretary Leonor Briones and Korean Ambassador KIM Jae Shin led the memorandum of agreement (MOU) signing together with DepEd Undersecretary for Curriculum and Instruction Dina Ocampo and Korean Embassy First Secretary and Korean Cultural Center Director LEE Jincheol.
Under the MOU, the DepEd will introduce Korean language as a second foreign language and elective through a pilot program which will be conducted starting this year in select ten high schools in Metro Manila.
SPFL helps learners develop skills in listening, reading, writing, speaking, and viewing that are fundamental in acquiring communicative competence in a second foreign language.
“We are very happy that finally we are having this signing of the MOA. This is not a beginning. This is a continuation of very long years of fruitful relationship, including the field of education, between Korea and the Republic of the Philippines.” Briones said.
The Korean Embassy, through this program, hopes to strengthen the implementation of the Korean language in order to better respond to opportunities for local and international employment and to facilitate studies in Korea for select Filipino students.
Ambassador KIM emphasized the importance cultural and educational cooperation in strengthening bilateral relationship between the two countries. “I’m very happy that Korean language is added as one of the second foreign languages. Language is very important so teaching and studying [foreign languages] in schools is very helpful to deepen the bilateral understanding between two nations,” said Ambassador KIM.
In 2009, DepEd implemented the SPFL to prepare the graduates in a linguistically and culturally diverse global workspace. Among the languages currently offered in the program are Spanish, Japanese (Nihongo), French, German and Chinese (Mandarin).
