THE provincial capital of Bataan — Balanga — is emerging as a major educational center in the Central Luzon region. Located 120 kilometers west of Quezon City and bordered by Manila Bay on its eastern seaboard, Balanga's vision is to become a 'smart university town' and an 'established center for global technology businesses' by 2030.In 2008, an area comprising 80 hectares of the city's central district was declared a university town through a city ordinance.
offers a special program in foreign languages , with Mandarin as its most popular course over the past decade.Based on the Department of Education manual of operations, the SPFL is designed to equip graduates of secondary education with meaningful interaction in a linguistically diverse global community.The festival was organized by
Principal Dr. Alma Poblete and DepEd teacher Catherine Labrador, who mentored the SPFL students. Labrador has credentials to boot after studying Mandarin and training as a faculty scholar at the Fujian Normal University in Fuzhou, China, along with many Filipino students and teachers.It was amazing to watch the young students perform their song numbers and lengthy spiels on stage as though they were native Mandarin speakers.
seemed to be better skilled than their counterparts in Manila.Guests at the culminating event were led by Balanga City Councilor Victor Baluyot and Raymon Co of PCCI-Bataan Chapter, as well as faculty members from Castillejos National High School in Zambales and Gordon Heights National High School in Olongapo City.
as their model.Amid the ongoing diplomatic impasse regarding the West Philippine Sea, it was refreshing to witness local public school students showcasing Chinese cultural traditions and Mandarin speaking skills. Juxtaposed against the number of students from China enrolled in Cagayan Valley schools that has turned into a national issue, it makes one wonder if the people of Fujian province likewise questioned the presence of Filipino scholars in their foremost university.