Governor Arthur “Toto” Defensor, Jr. led the province’s delegation at the Synergeia Washington SyCip Educational Summit 2025 held at the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC), where he highlighted the province’s education initiatives and reforms to address the country's reading proficiency crisis.
“Whether we like it or not, we have to admit that we are facing a reading proficiency problem in our educational system. The classroom setting is not the perfect or ideal setting for teaching reading at the first instance. We have to make adjustments in school methods and strategies,” said Defensor.
The governor further emphasized the pivotal role of local government units (LGUs) in education.
“Our LGUs should treat education as a core responsibility notwithstanding that it is not a devolved function. That is our premise as we move towards further decentralization and devolution of education,” he explained.
𝗜𝗹𝗼𝗶𝗹𝗼: 𝗔 𝗠𝗼𝗱𝗲𝗹 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗘𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗗𝗲𝘃𝗼𝗹𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻
Panay, where Iloilo is located, is considered the first and only region in the Philippines to establish a Regional Education Council, with several LGUs, particularly in Iloilo, actively pursuing education reforms.
As a pilot LGU for education devolution, Iloilo is pioneering a comprehensive approach to education, taking full responsibility and accountability for its performance.
Defensor also shared the Proof of Concept on the Devolution of Basic Education, a partnership between Iloilo, Synergeia, and the Department of Education (DepEd), aimed at localizing education strategies, as well as the province’s Bulig Eskwela sang Probinsya (BES) program, particularly the BES BASA initiative, which aims to improve learners' reading competencies.
𝗘𝗺𝗽𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗦𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿
During the summit, Defensor also called on the private sector to contribute more to education reforms, stressing the need for easier collaboration.
“The least we can do for them to help is to make it easy for them,” he said, emphasizing the importance of enabling partnerships between the public and private sectors to drive education improvements.
𝗡𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗗𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗽𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗪𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗣𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗽𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗦𝗲𝗮
On the topic of national security and the West Philippine Sea, Defensor asserted that the best way to protect the country is by developing a strong and resilient economy.
“The best way to protect ourselves is to have a developed country or at least a developed economy,” he stated.
He further stressed the importance of citizenship as "being an effective and contributing citizen in our society, economy, and government.”
He emphasized that nationalism should be nurtured through education, noting that “external threat is the mother of nationalism.”
Defensor believes this mindset should be part of the indoctrination of students to foster a sense of duty and self-reliance among the next generation of Filipinos.
𝗣𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗧𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗻𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗔𝗱𝘃𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀
Addressing the growing influence of artificial intelligence (AI) in education, Defensor highlighted the need for human resource development in anticipation of technological advancements.
He stated that Iloilo is focusing on developing skilled workers who can adapt to future changes.
Defensor also cited his work as a former congressman, particularly his sponsorship of Republic Act No. 11206 or the Secondary School Career Guidance and Counseling Act, which equips students with the knowledge of the national development plan to help guide their career choices.
This, he believes, will ensure that learners are prepared for the needs of both the government and the economy.
Defensor’s participation in the summit reiterated Iloilo’s commitment to education reform, human resource development, and national progress, reaffirming the province’s role as a leader in shaping the future of Filipino youth.
The summit brings together education leaders, policymakers, and stakeholders from all over the country, and serves as a platform dedicated to strengthening education across the Philippines.
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