Educational Exchange Seminar Highlights Sino-Filipino Ties

The 2020 Sino-Philippines Educational Exchange Seminar was held in Beijing, China on Oct 16, 2020. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

To celebrate the 45th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and the Philippines, the 2020 Sino-Philippines Educational Exchange Seminar was held in Beijing on Friday. Hosted by Beijing-based online English education platform 51Talk, the event was broadcast via live stream.

Jack Huang, 51Talk Founder and CEO, Huang Xilian, Chinese ambassador to the Philippines and Jose Santiago Sta. Romana, ambassador of the Philippines to the People's Republic of China, attended the event with the two countries' top diplomats, education officials and corporate representatives.

A Guinness World Record for "the largest online video album of people waving" was set during the seminar, with active participation from officials to the broad public – a heart-warming emblem of hope against the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic that highlights the friendship between China and the Philippines.

Ambassador Huang delivered the keynote speech and emphasized the people-to-people exchanges and cooperation between China and the Philippines.

"China's emerging industries, such as online education under the epidemic, have catalyzed a new win-win cooperation model for China and the Philippines. On the one hand, it has helped China's distance education, and on the other hand, it has provided a large number of online job opportunities for the Filipino people," Huang said.

"Under the strategic guidance of President Xi Jinping and President Duterte, China-Philippines relations have entered a 'new golden age', and the cooperation in various fields between the two countries has achieved fruitful results," the ambassador added.

"With the help of online digital technology, 51Talk has opened a window for thousands of children in China to communicate with foreign teachers worldwide, and it has created an online platform for China-Philippines educational cooperation," he said.

Philippine Ambassador to the People's Republic of China Jose Santiago Sta. Romana, on the other hand, shared how language-learning exposes a person to exciting new worlds and broadens one's perspective.

"Learning a language helps bridge the present embodied by our youth to a future that is full of opportunities for their personal development—that of their families and their communities," the ambassador said.

"I'm very pleased that 51Talk is giving an opportunity to 20,000 competent Filipino educators to take part in nurturing the eagerness of nearly 300,000 young Chinese people to learn the English language. This educational exchange, albeit virtual, provides an enabling environment for cultural exchange between Filipinos and the Chinese. As the demand for online-based learning surges in China brought about by the new normal, it is my hope that more doors will be opened up for more and more Filipino educators," the ambassador added.

Another highlight of the education exchange seminar was the official announcement of 51Talk's successful attempt to set a Guinness World Record of "the largest online video album of people waving", engaging more than 5,000 people.

"I'm so honored to be here in Beijing today on behalf of Guinness World Records and as having adjudicated the attempt for the largest online video album of people waving," announced Iris Hou, Guinness World Records adjudicator. "It's been a great pleasure to witness this amazing attempt!"

Guinness World Records, originating from the UK, has over 65 years as the global authority of record-breaking achievements.

51Talk's Jack Huang talked about the role of the online education platform in promoting the bilateral cooperation and exchanges between China and the Philippines.

"The year 2020 marks the 45th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the Philippines. Under the guidance of the two countries' presidents, the support to the Belt and Road Initiative to synergize development strategies was strengthened. Because of this, Sino-Philippines relations have grown ever more vibrant, with fruitful cooperation outcomes in various fields, particularly on the education front. And we at 51Talk are very happy to have contributed to the strengthening of the ties of our two countries through online education," Huang said.

In May, 51Talk donated 5.25 million pesos ($108,000) worth of medical equipment and supplies to several hospitals in the Philippines to aid in their efforts to combat COVID-19. As the pandemic additionally caused economic fallout and the loss of millions of jobs, 51Talk launched several campaigns, which attracted 30,000 online English teachers.

"Through 51Talk, nowadays, Filipino online teachers are well-received among Chinese families. Chinese parents understand that Filipinos share their roots from Asia and that they have a better understanding of Chinese culture, which helps them in teaching Chinese kids effectively," Huang added.