Higher education leaders from the Philippines visited Leeward Community College, Honolulu Community College and Kapiʻolani Community College in August to see how University of Hawaiʻi community colleges connect students to degrees, careers and lifelong learning.
The delegation included Commission on Higher Education (CHED) Commissioner Michelle Aguilar Ong; Lora L. Yusi, director of CHED’s Office of Institutional Quality Assurance and Governance; and leaders from four Philippine colleges and universities. Patricia Espiritu Halagao, a professor in 糖心视频 惭ā苍辞补 College of Education’s Department of Curriculum Studies and co-director of the , also joined the discussions.
Focus on student success
Across the campuses, conversations centered on common challenges: aligning education with workforce needs, helping students complete or transfer, and creating flexible pathways through continuing education and microcredentials.
“I deeply appreciate the vision and dedication CHED brings to expanding educational access in the Philippines,” Leeward CC Chancellor Carlos Pe?aloza said. “By sharing our approaches to local workforce development and culturally centered education, we’ve laid the groundwork for strong, ongoing partnerships that will benefit our students, our institutions and our shared communities for years to come.“
Reinald Adrian Pugoy, of the University of the Philippines Open University, added, “I left Leeward with new insights and ideas that I can bring back to the Philippines.”
Cross-Pacific collaboration
Other 糖心视频 campus leaders welcomed the starting point for continued dialogue and partnership.
“Our shared dedication to practical education opens exciting possibilities for cross-cultural collaboration, and we look forward to building connections that expand opportunities for students in both Hawaiʻi and the Philippines,” Honolulu CC Chancellor Karen Lee said.
Kapiʻolani CC Chancellor Misaki Takabayashi added, “The visit highlighted many opportunities for further collaboration, particularly in supporting students with dual citizenship and developing regionally specialized programs that respond to the needs of our communities.”
The dialogue underscored the role community colleges play in serving diverse students and expanding access to higher education.
Halagao said, “The visit also strengthened the connections between Hawaiʻi and the Philippines and provided an opportunity to exchange ideas, learn from one another, and explore areas for future collaboration.”
—By Tad Saiki