Acclaimed journalist and author Dr. Ernie Cecilia spoke at an exclusive conference of the top executives of Naga College Foundation, Inc. (NCF) on January 17, 2025, at the GS Library, accentuating business cases for education reformโindustrial revolutions; leveraging technological and pedagogical innovations; learner-centered education; bridging the gaps between basic and higher education; and discerning education as a dynamic phenomenon.
Being exposed in diverse studies on the ever-changing landscape of education and industries across the globe, Dr. Cecilia also shared insights about the future of schooling based on the scenarios cited by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).
According to Dr. Cecilia, participation in formal education continues to expand with high regard for individualized learning as it earns support from international collaboration and technological advances (schooling extended)โthis results in an education that is more diverse, privatized, and flexible with digital technology as a key driver (education outsourced).
In his discussion, Dr. Cecilia placed emphasis on the gravity of “opening the school walls” and “connecting to communities, civic engagements, and social innovation” (schools as learning hubs). As education persists to take place anytime and anywhere, Dr. Cecilia further argued that “the distinctions between formal and informal learning are no longer valid as society turns itself entirely to the power of the machine.”
Meanwhile, the necessary actions, as well as the inherent challenges of the education dynamics amid fast-paced digitalization, came as no surprise to NCF being the center of technological innovation in the regionโwhich earned commendation from Dr. Cecilia.
NCF’s pioneering effort to establish an Institute for Micro-credentials, a Language Center, a Robotics and Virtual Reality Laboratory, the purchase of AI-enhanced facilities, and the systematic integration of soft skills in the curriculum speaks to the institution’s commitment to equip students with the competencies relevant to the future job market and cater to the industry’s needs.
As the dialogue continued, Dr. Cecilia summoned the NCF to constantly “lead in lieu of keeping in step with changes in the system” and “balance modernization and disruption” in its quest of maintaining the identity as the ‘school of choice.’
In his three-part column in The Manila Times, completed on February 13, Dr. Cecilia elucidated the concepts he conveyed and learned from among the NCF executives.
“I had a speaking engagement at one of Naga City’s progressive higher education institutions (HEI), Naga College Foundation (NCF). Interestingly, my topic was “The Future of Education. I was deeply honored by the presence in the audience of Dr. Mario C. Villanueva, NCF president, and the deans and key administration officials, as well as some student leaders. We had a great discussion, and I shall write about my NCF experience in the last of a trilogy of this column,” Dr. Cecilia shared in his column on January 30.
Furthermore, the ‘Ernie Cecilia Collection’ was staged on the same day in the bookshelves of the Learning Resource Center (LRC)โfeaturing Dr. Cecilia’s self-authored books on wide array of topics.
| Photo courtesy of NCF Institutional Marketing and Public Relations Office