HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT IN BIMP-EAGA:

Updates, Challenges, Opportunities, & Ways Forward

BIMP-EAGA Symposium on Socio-Cultural & Education Pillar

09 December 2021 I ASEAN Japan Centre (AJC)

ATTY. JOSELITO ALISUAG, PhD

Regional Director, Commission on Higher Education (CHED) – Region IV (MIMAROPA)
and Head, BIMP-EAGA HRD Working Group
 PRESENTATION OUTLINE

 Brief History on the Establishment of the BIMP-EAGA HRD Working

Group

 Updates and Challenges on BIMP-EAGA Human Resource

Development

 Opportunities and Ways Forward for BIMP-EAGA HRD Sector

HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT IN BIMP-EAGA:

Updates, Challenges, Opportunities & Ways Forward
 BRIEF HISTORY OF THE BIMP-EAGA HRD WORKING GROUP

• Philippines proposed the establishment of a strategic pillar of the BIMP-EAGA

that will serve as its “human dimension” during the 18 th BIMP-EAGA Ministerial
2014 Meeting. On the same year, the BIMP-EAGA Leaders approved the proposal.

• The 1st BIMP-EAGA Socio-Cultural and Education (SCE) Cluster Meeting was
held in General Santos City, Mindanao, Philippines. Subsequently, Philippines
2015 also served as the first Country Chair of the Cluster from 2015-2017.

• The HRD Working Group conducted some of its first sub-regional activities led
by the Philippines, namely: 1st BIMP-EAGA Halal Congress (March) and 1st BIMP-
2016 EAGA TVET Forum (July), both held in Davao City, Mindanao.

HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT IN BIMP-EAGA:

Updates, Challenges, Opportunities & Ways Forward
 BRIEF HISTORY OF THE BIMP-EAGA HRD WORKING GROUP

• Inaugural BIMP-EAGA Higher Education Summit, Universiti Malaysia Sabah

(UMS), Malaysia, 19-20 July.
2017

• 2nd BIMP-EAGA TVET Forum and Higher Education Summit, Puerto Princesa
City, Palawan, Philippines on 30 July – 03 August.
2018 • Declaration of BIMP-EAGA HRD Strategic Agenda

• The Working Group approved the proposal to establish two networks: (i) BIMP-
EAGA University Network to be led by the Philippines and (ii) BIMP-EAGA TVEI
2019 Network to be spearheaded by Malaysia.

HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT IN BIMP-EAGA:

Updates, Challenges, Opportunities & Ways Forward
 BRIEF HISTORY OF THE BIMP-EAGA HRD WORKING GROUP

• COVID-19 disrupted the implementation of activities and projects of the

Working Group. The Task Force of the two (2) Networks did not push through.
2020

• Conduct of the 1st BIMP-EAGA Virtual Entrepreneurship Camp (EC) hosted by

Brunei Darussalam on 06-08 December via MS Teams platform.
2021

• 3rd BIMP-EAGA TVET Forum and Higher Education Summit to be hosted by

Malaysia tentatively on July 2022.
2022

HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT IN BIMP-EAGA:

Updates, Challenges, Opportunities & Ways Forward
EARLY MILESTONES OF THE BIMP-EAGA HRD WORKING GROUP
 THE BIMP-EAGA HRD SECTORS, MECHANISM, AND OBJECTIVE

STRATEGIC MECHANISM BIMP-EAGA STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE

Human Resource
Pursue multi-sectorial Development WG
collaborations in human resource Develop highly-competent
development human resource in BIMP-EAGA

Technical
Vocational and
Higher Education
Education Training
(TVET)
 UPDATES AND CHALLENGES
On-Going Deliverables
(2020-Onward)
1. Establishment of BIMP-EAGA
University Network
2. Establishment of BIMP-EAGA
TVEIs Network
Challenges
The Task Force did not push
through; pending Terms of
Reference (TOR) c/o Philippines
The Task Force did not push
through; pending Terms of
Reference (TOR) c/o Malaysia
HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT IN BIMP-EAGA:
Updates, Challenges, Opportunities, & Ways Forward
 UPDATES AND CHALLENGES

On-Going Deliverables Challenges

(2020-Onward)
3. Inventory/Database of Previous In-country level archiving; regular
BIMP-EAGA Universities and TVEIs follow-up and updating; no lead country
identified
Institutional Partnerships and
Collaborations
4. Alignment of TVET and HEI Sub-regional efforts on harmonized
EAGA Qualification Framework (QF),
Programs in BIMP-EAGA
including Credit Transfer System

HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT IN BIMP-EAGA:

Updates, Challenges, Opportunities, & Ways Forward
 OPPORTUNITIES FOR BIMP-EAGA HRD SECTOR

ASEAN Integration

 Accelerating economic growth, social progress, cultural development

among its members;

 Protecting regional peace and stability; and,

 Providing opportunities for member-countries to discuss differences

peacefully

HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT IN BIMP-EAGA:

Updates, Challenges, Opportunities & Ways Forward
 OPPORTUNITIES FOR BIMP-EAGA HRD SECTOR

ASEAN Integration-Related Foreign Policies

 The Common Effective Preferential Tariff (CEPT, 1992), ASEAN Free
Trade Area;
 Southeast Asia Nuclear-Weapon-Free-Zone Treaty (1995);
 Agreements and partnerships in environment, democracy, investment,
and trade in services;
 ASEAN Charter (2008) with the aim of moving closer to an EU-Style
Community, and;
 ASEAN Community by 2015 with 3 Pillars/Communities namely
Economic, Political-Security, and Socio-Cultural.

HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT IN BIMP-EAGA:

Updates, Challenges, Opportunities, & Ways Forward
 OPPORTUNITIES FOR BIMP-EAGA HRD SECTOR

Initial efforts towards International Cooperation in ASEAN and beyond

discussion at ASEAN Education Ministers Meetings
 At the1st Meeting in 2006 on Building of ASEAN Social and Cultural Community,
awareness and education quality for national development were discussed;

 The 2nd Meeting in 2007 discussed the fostering of ASEAN citizens, the
importance of cultivating ASEAN identity and education, the continuation of the
ASEAN Student Exchange Programme, the formation of high school networks on
Science and Math, educational cooperation with participating nations of the East
Asian Summit, cooperation with SEAMEO, fortifications of the AUN and the
promotion of “ASEANness” among students.

HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT IN BIMP-EAGA:

Updates, Challenges, Opportunities, & Ways Forward
 OPPORTUNITIES FOR BIMP-EAGA HRD SECTOR

Activities of Regional Networks in the Field of Academic International

Exchanges in ASEAN and Beyond Regional Education Harmonization Tools
• Student Exchange Programs (M-I-T Program (AIMS) and other exchange programs)

• Credit Transfer System (ASEAN Credit Transfer System (ACTS), UCTS, etc.)

• Quality Assurance Guidelines (AUN-AQ Guideline, UNESCO-APQN Toolkit Regulating

the Quality of Cross-border Education, etc.)

HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT IN BIMP-EAGA:

Updates, Challenges, Opportunities, & Ways Forward
 OPPORTUNITIES FOR BIMP-EAGA HRD SECTOR

MUTUAL RECOGNITION ARRANGEMENTS

 At the 7th Summit (Bandar Seri Begawan, 5 November 2001), ASEAN Leaders
mandated the start of negotiations on Mutual Recognition Arrangement (MRA)
to facilitate the flow of professional services under AFAS;

 An MRA enables professional service providers registered/certified in its

signatory countries to be equally recognized in other signatory countries; and,

 MRA does not warrant unrestricted free flow of foreign professionals, relevant
domestic regulations and market demand still applies.

HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT IN BIMP-EAGA:

Updates, Challenges, Opportunities, & Ways Forward
 OPPORTUNITIES FOR BIMP-EAGA HRD SECTOR

MUTUAL RECOGNITION ARRANGEMENTS

1. ASEAN Mutual Recognition Arrangements on Engineering Services (2005)

2. ASEAN Mutual Recognition Arrangement on Nursing Services (2006)
3. ASEAN Mutual Recognition Arrangement on Architectural Services (2007)
4. ASEAN Framework Arrangement on Mutual Recognition of Surveying (2007)
5. ASEAN Mutual Recognition Arrangement on Dental Practitioners (2009)
6. ASEAN Mutual Recognition Arrangement on Medical Practitioners (2009)
7. ASEAN Mutual Recognition Arrangement on Tourism Professionals (2012) 
8. ASEAN Mutual Recognition Arrangement Framework on Accountancy (2014)

HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT IN BIMP-EAGA:

Updates, Challenges, Opportunities, & Ways Forward
Malaysia Qualifications Framework
 CHALLENGES IN THE BIMP-EAGA
HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT

 How to harmonize different higher education and TVET systems not compromising
diversity;

 Lack of trust and/or information-sharing among countries and institutions;

 How to promote information-sharing and to build trust by establishing QA

systems and other recognition tools;

 Students tend to destine to English-speaking/western countries. Not so many

interested in further studying within this region though this trend is changing
slowly; and,

 How to facilitate mobility within ASEAN countries.

HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT IN BIMP-EAGA:
Updates, Challenges, Opportunities & Ways Forward
 POTENTIAL AREAS FOR JAPAN- BIMP-EAGA
COOPERATION ON HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT

1. Capability Development for EAGA Clusters/Working Groups (Agribusiness,

Tourism, Connectivity, SCE, and Environment);

2. Pursuit of Collaborations and Linkages (Faculty and student exchange

programs, TVET practitioners mobility immersions, Research & Development,
Knowledge and skills sharing, Establishment of the EAGA University and TVEI
Networks, etc); and,

3. Technical Support on Harmonization of BIMP-EAGA Higher Education and

TVET Programs (alignment to ASEAN Qualification Framework, Credit Transfer
System, etc).

HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT IN BIMP-EAGA:

Updates, Challenges, Opportunities, & Ways Forward
 WAYS FORWARD FOR BIMP-EAGA HRD SECTOR

1. Development of the BIMP-EAGA HRD Strategic Plan that will serve as the policy and
operational framework for the identification, implementation, and monitoring of
HRD-related projects and programs by the member-countries;

2. Stronger international partnerships and collaborations with the private sector, local
governments, and development partners; and,

3. Implementation of more people-to-people connectivity initiatives and

knowledge/skills sharing among the member-countries, with the assistance of the
private sector, development partners, and other key stakeholders.

HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT IN BIMP-EAGA:

Updates, Challenges, Opportunities, & Ways Forward
Thank You.

HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT IN BIMP-EAGA:

Updates, Challenges, Opportunities, & Ways Forward