Final
Report: 39th SEAMEO Council Conference
The Empire Hotel and Country Club, Jerudong
Negara Brunei Darussalam
1-4 March 2004
The Empire Hotel and Country Club, Jerudong
Negara Brunei Darussalam
1-4 March 2004
Proceedings
Contents |
| Proceedings |
| Appendices |
Appendix
III |
|
Opening Remarks by
H
E Edilberto de Jesus |
| Your
Majesty, Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah, Sultan and Yang Di Pertuan Negara Brunei Darussalam Your Excellency, Minister of Education of Brunei Darussalam The Honorable Pehin Dato Haji Abdul Aziz Umar Your Excellencies, Ministers of Education of SEAMEO Member Countries and Associate Member Countries, Members of the Diplomatic Corps Distinguished Affiliate Member, High Officials, SEAMES and Center Directors, Ladies and Gentlemen: |
Let
me begin by saying that SEAMEO is indeed honored by the presence
at this opening ceremony of His Majesty Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan
Negara Brunei Darussalam. |
His
Majesty’s presence here tonight gives flesh to the declaration
in the preamble of our charter that the “…Peoples of
Southeast Asia…have, through our governments…adopted…the
Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization.”
|
Let
me also express deep appreciation for the honor given me and my
country, the Republic of the Philippines, while I served as SEAMEO
Council President for one year since March 2003. |
I
began my presidency recognizing that the tasks that lay ahead for
the Organization were challenging, especially in a year of great
uncertainty and tension because of terrorist threats and the SARS
epidemic. |
But
I found comfort in knowing that nine other Ministers of Education
of Member Countries, six ministers of Associate Member Countries
and one affiliate member share with me the responsibility of “promoting
cooperation through education, science and culture in order to further
respect for justice, for the rule of law and for the human rights
and fundamental freedoms which are the birthrights of the peoples
of the world.” |
Today
as I end my term of office, I wish to reiterate my gratitude for
the support you have all given me, for the hospitality you all extended
when I visited your Ministries and Centres, and for the counsel
you so generously gave. |
Visiting
Member Countries and observing Centre events proved instructive
and inspiring. I learned firsthand how pertinent and powerful SEAMEO
as an organization can be in helping member countries --- in the
words of the SEAMEO preamble --- “…recognize the forces
and the challenge of change in the contemporary world…and
provide for constructive direction to these forces of change…” |
We
must pay tribute to the founding fathers of SEAMEO in Singapore
in 1968 who crafted the SEAMEO charter and articulated a preamble
that remains as relevant today as they were 36 years ago. |
In
relinquishing my post to the next SEAMEO Council president, the
Minister of Education of Brunei Darussalam, I am confident that
what we began shall be pursued with even more vigor and resolve
so that we can all look forward to more effective and more dynamic
SEAMEO. |
On
behalf of the Government of the Republic of the Philippines, the
Philippine Department of Education, and on my own behalf, I thank
you for the honor and the privilege to have been of service to SEAMEO
and to its Member Countries in the Southeast Asian region. MABUHAY! |
