Australia announced the extension of Palladium as contractor of the Pathways Program in governance committee meetings
By Con Castillo, Pathways
The Education Pathways to Peace in Mindanao (Pathways), a nine-year program, will continue until 2026 with Palladium, as announced in the recent deliberations of the Education Policy Coordinating Committee (EPCC) and the Pathways Steering Committee (PSC). These discussions took place on December 6th and 15th December, respectively, reflecting a continued commitment to enhancing Kindergarten to grade 3 education in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).
The Pathways program is a collaborative initiative between the governments of Australia and the Philippines that aims to improve early years education in the BARMM through technical assistance, institutional reforms, and capacity-building efforts. Since 2017, Australia has invested up to AUD 80 million over nine years to strengthen K-3 education in Bangsamoro and contribute to longer-term peace and stability across the region.
Pathways’ governance structure, composed of the PSC and EPCC, brings together key stakeholders to steer the program towards achieving long-term peace and development goals. The PSC, a tripartite body co-chaired by representatives from the Australian Government, the Philippine Department of Education, and the Bangsamoro Ministry of Basic, Higher, and Technical Education (MBHTE), ensures the strategic direction of the program aligns with broader peace-building efforts. Meanwhile, the EPCC, co-chaired by Australia and MBHTE, focuses on Pathway’s technical direction and deliberates on policy issues related to education programming. Aside from Australia, DepEd, and MBHTE, other PSC and EPCC members include the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA), Bangsamoro Planning and Development Authority (BPDA), Bangsamoro Development Agency, Inc. (BDA), and other MBHTE officials.
The decision to extend Palladium as contractor of the program underscores the success of its approaches and the positive impact on the communities it serves. Education is a crucial element in Australia’s new international development policy, which highlights Australia’s continued commitment to supporting sustainable human development goals and responding to regional and global challenges, such as persistent poverty, climate change, job insecurity, and others.
The PSC and EPCC meetings underlined the significant strides Pathways has made in addressing the educational needs within the Bangsamoro region while also recogniszing the areas that need further improvement, as stated in the program’s Mid-Term Review (MTR) in 2023. Furthermore, discussions also revolved around the program’s Annual Work Plan 7 (AWP7), which is composed of activities that align with MBHTE’s priorities, such as improving access to education for school-less barangays, Madrasah education development, inclusive schools approach (ISA), establishment of Bangsamoro Education Management Information System (BEMIS), K-3 learning and teaching, teacher development and support to the contextualiszation of DepEd’s MATATAG curriculum in the BARMM.
The Australian Government, the Philippine Government, and the MBHTE reaffirmed their dedication to supporting the Bangsamoro’s aspirations through this program. The extension will also see continued collaboration with local institutions to ensure that educational reforms are culturally sensitive and responsive to the needs of the Bangsamoro people.
In his opening remarks, Education Minister Mohagher Iqbal thanked the Australian Government and the Department of Education for their unwavering support. “The essence of our efforts lies in partnership and contextual responsiveness,” Minister Iqbal said. “Any program in the BARMM must resonate with the existing context and the aspirations of its people, particularly our learners, who are the next generation of leaders, and innovators. They will carry the torch of peace, prosperity, and progress in Bangsamoro. Hence, we want to provide them with a safe and nurturing environment and the necessary skills and knowledge to help them achieve their dreams and become productive and responsible professionals.”
This extended phase of the Pathways program, beginning with AWP7’s implementation, is anticipated to bring more innovative solutions to educational challenges, expand learning opportunities for Bangsamoro children, and foster an environment where education can flourish as a cornerstone of peace and development.