PH, Malaysia eye deeper collaboration on education, disaster response

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines and Malaysia have agreed to collaborate on enhancing education as well as improving disaster response.

This commitment was made after President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. met with Malaysia Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Rural and Regional Development Ahmad Zahid Bin Hamidi in Malacañang on Monday.

During the meeting, Marcos and Hamidi discussed their respective country’s workforce development, noting that both nations have valuable lessons to share and learn from each other.

“Filipinos are used to working with foreign entities because of our diaspora. But we have to train them. After COVID[-19], everything is new. The technologies are different,” Marcos said in his discussion with Hamidi, as quoted by the Presidential Communications Office (PCO) in a recent statement.

Marcos highlighted how the Philippine government adopted a training system in fields such as construction, plumbing, electric work, and carpentry — skills particularly relevant for Filipinos currently working abroad.

Hamidi expressed Malaysia’s interest to learn from this system, as his country pivots its focus toward encouraging students to pursue technical and vocational education and training.

Disaster response

In terms of disaster response, Hamidi told Marcos that a Malaysian special group called SMART Team could be deployed to the Philippines during typhoons and disasters, pending their president’s approval.

The said team could offer assistance to the Philippines in times of calamities.

“Of course, that is a very generous offer of assistance. Yes, thank you. Actually, we can organize that as soon as everyone is ready for that,” Marcos said in response, as quoted by the PCO.

Hamidi’s visit to the Philippines followed Marcos’ state visit to Malaysia in July 2023 and Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s official visit to the Philippines in March of the same year.