At the recently held 2023 ASEAN Festival and Awarding Ceremony in Tuguegarao City, Cagayan, Atty. Lily Freida C. Macabangun-Milla, director of the Commission on Higher Education International Affairs Staff (CHED IAS), shared insights on the significance of linkages in higher education. She emphasized that the true value lies not in the number of partners an institution has but in the depth of relationships with those partners.

The event recognized Saint Mary’s University (SMU) as one of the most responsive ASEAN Higher Education Institutions in Region 2. This accolade reflects SMU’s commitment to fostering international collaborations and addressing global challenges through education.

Three SMU students were also honored for their outstanding achievements during the ASEAN Month celebration. Nathalie Kaye Dasigan, a fourth-year BS Architecture student, secured the 1st place in the poster-making competition. In addition, Isaac Divina and Jaevren Valdez received recognition for their exceptional performance, claiming 2nd place in the spoken word poetry competition. The students were accompanied by Ms. Rheena Nina Salinas, the STEH promotion and linkage coordinator.

Dr. Clara Gonzales, head of the SMU Promotions, External Relations, and Internationalization Office (PERIO), was acknowledged for her contributions as a resource speaker on internationalization and borderless education.

Atty. Milla’s address highlighted the imperative of transcending boundaries through education by engaging in various internationalization activities in ASEAN and beyond. She encouraged academic institutions to move beyond their comfort zones and broaden their worldview. Emphasizing the role of multicultural literacy, she urged collaboration with the shared objective of transcending educational boundaries.

She underscored the responsibility of institutions to deepen their purpose with the linkages they form, urging them to move beyond the confines of the local level. According to Atty. Milla, beyond these local boundaries, lie endless experiences and knowledge waiting to be explored.

The ASEAN Festival and Awarding Ceremony, organized by CHED Region 2, brought together various Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) from the region. This event serves as a platform to celebrate achievements, share expertise, and inspire collaboration among institutions dedicated to advancing education in the ASEAN region