On August 30, 2025, the inaugural Seminar-Workshop on the West Philippine Sea for Social Studies Teachers was successfully held at The Heritage Hotel Manila for 200 Social Studies educators from various school divisions across the National Capital Region (NCR) to deepen their understanding of one of the country’s most pressing national issues. The initiative equipped teachers with the knowledge and tools necessary to promote informed, critical, and civic-minded discussions about the West Philippine Sea in the classroom.
The workshop featured prominent speakers who are recognized for their expertise on the West Philippine Sea: ๐๐ซ๐จ๐. ๐๐๐ฒ ๐. ๐๐๐ญ๐จ๐ง๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ฅ, ๐๐จ๐ง. ๐๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ญ๐ข๐๐ ๐๐ง๐ญ๐จ๐ง๐ข๐จ ๐. ๐๐๐ซ๐ฉ๐ข๐จ (๐๐๐ญ.), ๐๐ญ๐ญ๐ฒ. ๐ ๐ซ๐๐ญ๐ญ๐ข ๐. ๐๐๐ง๐๐ก๐จ๐จ๐ง, ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐ฆ๐จ๐๐จ๐ซ๐ ๐๐๐ฒ ๐. ๐๐๐ซ๐ซ๐ข๐๐ฅ๐. Their presentations covered the legal, historical, and geopolitical dimensions of the maritime issue, emphasizing the Philippinesโ sovereign rights and the importance of defending them. Opening messages from the National Security Council through ๐๐๐ ๐๐จ๐ซ๐ง๐๐ฅ๐ข๐จ ๐. ๐๐๐ฅ๐๐ง๐๐ข๐, and the Department of Education by ๐๐ซ. ๐๐๐ซ๐ฆ๐๐ฅ๐ ๐. ๐๐ซ๐๐๐ข๐จ๐ง further highlighted the whole-of-nation approach in shaping a generation that is not only informed but imbued with a deep sense of commitment to nationhood.
This seminar-workshop reinforced the Department of EducationโNational Capital Regionโs commitment to strengthening Social Studies education as a foundation for patriotism and responsible citizenship. As the country continues to assert its rights in the West Philippine Sea, empowering educators with accurate, contextual, and timely knowledge ensures that classrooms become spaces where truth, critical thinking, and national identity are cultivated and protected.
