Dr Vitaliano Bernardino, Filipino 8 February 1975 - 7 February 1978 Appointment by 9th SEAMEC (IC) Conference, Bangkok, 1974. (Ref.:  SEAMEO DIGEST No. 17 January-March 1975, Page 4)

Dr Vitaliano Bernardino, former Philippine Undersecretary of Education, Republic of the Philippines, is the new  Director of the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Secretariat.  The highly successful educator succeeds Indonesia's Dr Soedjono P Pusponegoro, who ended his term of office on February 7, 1975.

Dr Bernardino's professional background in education and his extensive work in community service made him the obvious choice as SEAMEO Secretariat Director.  He was chosen unanimously as SEAMEO Secretariat head at the Ninth Conference of the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Council (SEAMEC) held in Bangkok from January 28 through February 1, 1974.

Before assuming the top SEAMEO Secretariat post, Dr Bernardino served as Professorial Lecturer at the Philippine Normal College, University of the East, Centro Escolar University and the University of the Philippines.  He also has served as the Executive Director of the Philippine-American Education Foundation (PAEF) before assumming his three-year position in SEAMEO Secretariat.

Dr Bernardino studied at the Philippine Normal School and later at the National University where he obtained his Bachelor of Science in Education in 1933.  Five years later, he completed his Master of Arts in Education and Psychology at the University of the Philippines.  He obtained his PhD from the same University, the first to be conferred that degree by the university.

Dr Bernardino started his career in Education as an elementary classroom teacher.  He consistently rose from the ranks until he was appointed Assistant Director of Public Schools from 1963 to 1966 and later Undersecretary of Education from 1966 to 1968.

In addition to Government education posts, Dr Bernardino held an array of international professional posts.  He was a member of the two Unesco Educational planning missions, the first to the Philippines in 1949-1950, the second to Korea in 1952-1957.  He also served UNICEF-WHO as Project Director of its training programme from 1961 to 1966.   He was Senior Specialist of the Institute of Advanced Projects at the East-west Centre in Hawaii from 1964 to 1965.

Dr Bernardino has attended and chaired a long list of significant international conferences and educational activities from the inception of his professional career.

His membership in professional, civic and fraternal organizations is too long to mention.   However, several of these memberships give an indication of the new Director's status in the Philippine community:  President of the Philippine Public School Teachers Association and Philippine Association of School Superintendents; Life Member, Philippine Fulbright Scholars Association; President, Manila Philippines Chapter, Phi Delta Kappa International; Member, Manila President, Dagugan Rotary Club; President and Chief Scout, Boy Scouts of the Philippines.

Listed in Who's Who in American Education and Who's Who in the Philippines, Dr Bernardino holds a list of awards and honours which include: President Award for Outstanding Service, Xth World Jamboree (1959); Special Award for Outstanding Service, Philippine Amateur Athletic Federation (1961); Outstanding Alumni in Education, National University (1961) and the University of the Philippines (1967); Plaque of Merit for Distinguished Achievement, PNC Alumni Association (1963), Citation of Merit, Philippine Public School Teachers Association (1965).

Dr Bernardino has authored and co-authored several professional books.  He also co-authored textbooks used in Philippine schools.  A frequent contributor to newspapers and educational journals, he has also written several brochures and pamphlets on topics concerning education.