Association of Fil-Am Teachers of America (AFTA), Inc. visits BukSU Education for 3rd Balikturo Program

The Bukidnon State University (BukSU) College of Education welcomed the Association of Fil-Am Teachers of America (AFTA), Inc., for its Balikturo Program on August 18, 2025, both held at the Mini Theater and at the Audio-Visual Center.

“This milestone marks the continuation of a strong international partnership that began during the pandemic in 2020, followed by its second iteration in 2022, and now its third in 2025,” Ms. Katrina Faith M. Melig, Alumni Relations Unit Department Head, shared.

The Association of Fil-Am Teachers of America (AFTA), Inc. is a premier Fil-Am teacher organization in the United States. A non-profit national body, AFTA envisions a world where teachers are empowered to achieve their fullest potential and serve their communities. Its mission is to strengthen and advance the teaching profession by providing inclusive services within a “glocal” (global and local) framework.

As one of the long-standing partners of the College of Education, AFTA has consistently supported the academic community through faculty and student capacity-building initiatives. Apart from this, the organization has also extended its generosity by sponsoring the education of one of BukSU’s undergraduate students, now an alumna, underscoring its commitment to nurturing future educators.

The courtesy call and discussions with the University President focused on maintaining and enhancing future collaborations between BukSU-COE and AFTA, Inc. President Mirasol expressed her sincere gratitude to the organization for its consistent support and reaffirmed the University’s dedication to advancing the College of Education’s internationalization initiatives.

The event gathered a wide audience of BECED, BEE, BSED, and BPED fourth-year pre-service teachers who are preparing for their upcoming on-the-job training in the second semester. Also present were COE faculty members from the undergraduate and the graduates’ programs, and students from the Master of Arts in Education (MAEd) programs, the Instructional Systems Design (ISD) program, and the Ph.D. in Educational Administration (EdAd) program.

The event featured an impressive roster of resource speakers who are members of AFTA, Inc., including Ms. Rena O. Pedaria, Adjunct Lecturer at the City University of New York and President of AFTA; Ms. Rizalina C. Labanda, an international literacy expert; Dr. Junifer A. Abatayo, Professor at the University of Bahrain; and Dr. Ermys Bornilla, Professor at the Department of Physics, De La Salle University. Their sessions enriched participants with global perspectives and best practices in literacy, science, mathematics, and innovative pedagogy—topics highly relevant to both pre-service and graduate-level educators. (Jesse James G. Gellor, Jr., COE-IALU Coordinator)