UP Faculty Regent Gadong to keynote Iloilo education summit

Prof. Early Sol A. Gadong, the 28th Faculty Regent of the University of the Philippines System and a respected Western Visayas educator and writer, will serve as one of the keynote speakers at Education Summit 2026 in Iloilo City.

EDSUM 2026 will be held July 24 and 25 at the Graduate and Continuing Education Building of UP Visayas.

Gadong is expected to bring to the summit a perspective that connects classroom teaching, research, public service and educational leadership.

The UP Visayas Master of Education Alumni Association is organizing the two-day summit in partnership with the UP Visayas Division of Professional Education and the Mathematics Teachers Association of the Philippines-Iloilo Chapter.

The summit carries the theme “Reimagining Philippine Education: Equity, Innovation, and Transformative Learning.”

It is part of the UP Visayas Homecoming Week celebration and has drawn support from education stakeholders across Western Visayas.

Gadong represents more than 4,000 faculty members in the UP System at the Board of Regents, the university’s highest policymaking body.

She was sworn in as the 28th Faculty Regent on Jan. 6, 2025, for a term covering 2025 to 2026.

Gadong earned a Bachelor of Science in Applied Mathematics and a Master of Education in Mathematics from UP Visayas.

She teaches at UP High School in Iloilo under the university’s Division of Professional Education, where her classroom work is complemented by research, teacher development and public service.

Her scholarly work covers ethnomathematics, writing-to-learn approaches in mathematics and the decolonization of mathematics education.

Her recent extension work has focused on training teachers in action research.

Beyond academe, Gadong is a four-time Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature winner whose fiction and poetry have been published by local and international publishing houses.

She has also mentored teachers in developing children’s literature and worked with people’s organizations to advance social justice, gender equality and inclusive mobility.

Gadong is expected to discuss educational leadership, equity, transformative learning and the role of educators in building a more responsive and inclusive Philippine education system.

Joining her as keynote speakers are Dr. Karol Mark Yee, executive director of the Second Congressional Commission on Education, and UP Visayas Chancellor Dr. Clement C. Camposano.

EDCOM II is mandated to conduct a comprehensive review of the Philippine education sector and recommend policies, programs and a reform road map to address the country’s learning crisis.

The summit has received endorsements from the Department of Education Regional Office VI, the Regional Association of State Universities and Colleges VI, and the schools divisions of Iloilo province, Iloilo City, Roxas City and Antique.

Several higher education institutions have also endorsed the event.

Organizers said the endorsements reflected a shared commitment to strengthening professional learning, promoting research-informed educational practices and improving collaboration between the basic and higher education sectors.

They said endorsements issued by participating DepEd offices encourage official attendance, provided that participation does not disrupt classroom instruction, school operations or existing DepEd policies and regulations.

Attendance remains subject to the approval of school heads and applicable service requirements.

EDSUM 2026 seeks to provide a collaborative platform where teachers, school leaders, researchers, guidance practitioners, graduate students, curriculum specialists and policymakers can exchange ideas.

Participants will discuss pressing education issues and explore innovative and equitable approaches to improving Philippine education.

Faculty members, school administrators, supervisors, guidance counselors, curriculum specialists, local government education personnel, graduate students, researchers and other education professionals may participate while slots remain available.

Registration will be accepted on a first-registered, first-served basis.

Interested participants may register at bit.ly/EDSUM26RegistrationSubmission.

The summit primer and endorsement request template are available at bit.ly/EDSUM26_Primer.

For inquiries, participants may contact the EDSUM 2026 Secretariat at 0945-264-2938 or email upvmeaa@gmail.com. (UPVMEAA)