Thirty-four ASEAN participants of the English Leadership Forum sponsored by the Regional English Language Office (RELO), U.S. Embassy, Manila, and the American English Alumni Association of the Philippines (AEAAP) Inc. visited PNU on June 4, 2026, for benchmarking on English Medium Instruction, curriculum internationalization, and the PQF-AQRF referencing and quality assurance. Leading the visit was Mr. Jeffrey Macllevena, RELO, together with the officers of AEAAP.

The group was welcomed with cultural presentations from performing groups, PNU Rondalla, Kislap Sining Dance Troupe, and the PNU Chorale followed by the presentations of Prof. Ruel A. Avilla, Director, Quality Assurance Management Office; Dr. Henelsie B. Mendoza, Director, Admissions Office; and Dr. Maria Teresa L. Manicio, Deputy Director, Research Institute for Teacher Quality who shared on the PNU experience.

The three Vice Presidents were on hand to welcome the visitors; Dr. Marilyn U. Balagtas, VP for Academics gave the welcome remarks, Dr. Leah Amor Cortez, VP4S, the closing remarks, and Dr.  Teresita Rungduin, VPREQA, also joined in. PNU is represented in the Forum by Dr. Ruth A. Alido, Director, Curriculum Management and Instructional Materials Office (CMIMO).

Asked about her impressions on the visit, one of the Forum’s lecturers, Dr. Martha Bigelow from the University of Minnesota, said, “I could feel the 125 years of dedication, hard work, and love for teacher education during my visit.  It was thrilling to see such incredible leadership at the national level but with a beautiful international flare. Student performances were exuberant and impressive! PNU offered us examples of high-end EMI curriculum and instruction. Thank you and congratulations!” 

Meanwhile, Forum participant, Dian Safitri, Cultural Affairs Specialist, RELO Jakarta, Indonesia, pointed out that the visit to PNU, left a truly lasting impression. In her words, “Listening to the faculty’s presentations on English as Medium of Instruction.  and other initiatives revealed an institution deeply committed to excellence in education.  What stood out most was how faculty had embraced the concept of design for transfer from day one, intentionally structuring knowledge-sharing and building cascading mechanisms to ensure that learning extends far beyond the classroom and into communities across the nation.”

The visit was ably coordinated by the Linkages and International Office headed by Prof. Bryan Dayuta in coordination with the Center for Sports, Culture, and Arts Development, and CMIMO. PNU looks forward to establishing EMI linkages with ASEAN universities as part of its curriculum internationalization.

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