"Transforming economies" refers to structural changes in the composition of industrial sectors such as agriculture, manufacturing, and services. The World Economic Situation Prospect 2020 report shows 13 APO members in the middle-income range as they transition from economies based on agriculture to other sectors. Recent advances in Industry 4.0 are contributing to the trend as digital technologies become more widespread, which provides opportunities for APO member economies to climb the ladder of productivity growth.

The principle of enhancing productivity is the optimum use of resources such as labor and capital. Optimizing the use of inputs means producing the right products at maximum output, which is one definition of effectiveness. In addition to products, improved services can be developed through new business models. These activities are supported by production technologies and innovations. Processes (systems) are also critical for efficiently and sustainably enhancing the quality of firms, businesses, and industrial sectors. Actively improving quality and innovating create a virtuous cycle. Hence, mechanisms for increasing productivity, quality, and innovation are important items on national Socio-economic development agendas.

The workshop sought to answer the following issues/problems:

  • What are the diverse aspects of creating industrial value and national economic strategies to move APO members for higher productivity?
  • What are the concepts of economic transformation?
  • How can the participants explore opportunities and advantages in their countries' industrial development process to optimize resource use?

The workshop objectives were the following:

  • To understand principle views of productivity and hold discussions on a mix of contributing factors for transforming economies;
  • To review ways of increasing the effectiveness and efficiency of productivity measures through enhancing quality and undertaking innovations at firm, industry, and national levels; and
  • To recommend an integrated approach to transform economies from lower- to higher productivity levels as a key driver of sustainable economic development.

Participant objectives and expectations:

The Department of Education (DepEd) has launched an aggressive educational reforms to globalize the quality of basic education in the Philippines. The four key reform areas include (1) K to 12 Curriculum review and update; (2) Improvement of learning environment; (3) Teachers' upskilling and reskilling; and (4) Engagement of stakeholders for support and collaboration. Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, the Department pursues its efforts to ensure that every Filipino learner has opportunities to learn. Through the Basic Education Learning Continuity Plan (BE-LCP), the Department has strengthened the distance education through different learning delivery modalities to offer all kinds of knowledge that may be useful to all learners despite the public health situation.

Based on the foregoing, my objectives and expectations for my participation in this Workshop on Productivity Quality and Innovation for Transforming Economies are the following:

  • To share and engage the participants and resource persons about the educational system of the country and how it is supporting the learners to be ready for the future;
  • b. To listen to the perspectives of the resource persons and participants in the implementation of productivity measures in the education system; and
  • To acquire knowledge and experience to initiate new and innovative method to further improve the educational system, in particular of the curriculum and instruction.

Participants

The total number of participants was twenty six (3 Filipinos and 23 foreign participants). The table below shows the profile of the Filipino participants:

NAME PRESENT POSITION DEPARTMENT NAME OF COMPANY/ORGANIZATION
Dr. Alma Ruby Caronongan Torio Assistant Secretary Curriculum and Instruction strand Department of Education
Ms. Leila P. Areola Director IV Bureau of Learning Delivery Department of Education
Ms. Meliza F. Abeleda Senior Science Research Specialist Socio-Economics Research Division   Department of Science and Technology - Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development

Scope, content, methodology

The workshop was held virtually through ZOOM by the APO Secretariat and the National Productivity Organization (NPO), Pakistan from 27 to 29 January 2021. The duration of each day's session was up to three hours. Additional one hour was allotted to discuss the group exercise.

The participants were divided into groups and were given assignment for group discussion and a short presentation.

The workshop consisted of interactive lectures, group exercise, and discussions. The table below provides the topics discussed, the Resource Person and the Key Inputs delivered by the Resource Person.

Outcomes and evaluation

The objectives of the workshop were completely met. The resource persons made careful preparations, hence, all the presentations were delivered excellent. Great efforts were also provided by the participants to actively participate in the discussions. I really appreciate the engagement that all have contributed to the discussions and to the group exercise.

The workshop provided a better understanding about the challenges prevailing in the local economies and some of the solutions as well. The participants agreed that most of the countries have huge potential but unable to capitalize it to the fullness of their capacity because of lack of awareness and proper training.

This workshop has been helpful in discussing the important changes taking place among APO member countries such as optimizing "given advantages" like natural resources, cheap and young labor, trade opportunities, FDI, aid, remittances, locational and geopolitical advantages, big projects, construction booms, etc.

New ideas about the " Holistic Approach to Management of Human Capital Productivity" were also presented. It was emphasized that productivity culture, with desired values, should be developed. These values will serve very well as a unifying framework to support all the efforts undertaken to sustain high level of human capital productivity. Adopting these new ideas will surely help to further improve the needs of our educational system, most especially the teachers and school leaders.

Several other important insights that were noted during this workshop include the following:

• Economic transformation has two dimensions: (1) Upgrading- within-sector productivity growth and (2) Restructuring -between-sector productivity growth). As a country develops, its economic structure becomes more complex in terms of the capabilities available and what it is able to produce. This is manifested in two forms: greater diversity of products and higher complexity of the products produced and exported. The ultimate outcome is higher productivity.

• Continuous building of capabilities is critical for increasing economic complexity over time. Enablers are defined as "aspects of the environment conducive to innovation within an economy." Business enablers include human capital, technology and business environment. On the other hand, macro enablers include institutional environment, infrastructure and macroeconomic stability.

• An economy at some point in its growth path enters a phase where additional policy response is required beyond just liberalization, privatization and integration.
.
• Organizations need to consider new inputs through industry 4.0 and subsequently develop their "Quality 4.0" (Q4) program accordingly. Q4 is a term that references the future of quality and organizational excellence within the context of Industry 4.0. Quality professionals can play a vital role in leading their organizations to apply proven quality disciplines to new, digital, and disruptive technologies.

• The Platform Industry 4.0, defines the term as "the intelligent networking of machines and processes in industry with the aid of information and communication technology". Industry 4.0 therefore
means the fusion of digitalization with traditional industrial processes.

The workshop was very fruitful and a lot of insights were gathered from the resource persons and from the participants. All the workshop objectives were met. The Department of Education (DepEd), through its two participants, was able to share its best practices/programs/projects/activities in promoting quality basic education. DepEd is looking forward to seeing how the concepts of digital education can be further incorporated into the education system. It was such an inspiration to see how APO member countries were transformed by technology.

Recommendations and action steps

A. General recommendations of the participants to APO and APO member countries related to the project outcome

This workshop could have been a gathering of various officials from APO member countries who are eager to see and learn from one other, face to face, in Pakistan. But with the COVID-19 restrictions, there was a shift of delivery to the virtual format. The fact that the platform used was so successful makes this virtual gathering remarkable. The great turn out of this workshop can be credited to the tremendous efforts of the APO Secretariat, APO Pakistan, our resource persons and all the participants.

The participants expressed their gratitude to the very comprehensive presentations of the resource persons. There is, indeed, plenty to reflect upon and the discussions enhanced individual as well as collective contributions to meeting the productivity challenges of the APO member economies.

In the Group Exercise, the participants agreed that there is a need to address both aspects of transformation – upgrading and restructuring. Restructuring is to progress from low valued segment to high value segment. To improve productivity, the organization should work to the high value segment like pre-production, R and D, Design and the post-production segment of distribution and marketing. Then , it should move to calibrate into a more complex issues that cut across the industries by strengthening collaborative researches and other relevant issues.

One very important articulation during this forum is the aspiration of all the participants to prepare for a world that has been disrupted by COVID-19. All the participants manifested that after their attendance to this workshop, they are looking forward to participate in building a better community that is productivity and innovation driven.

B. Recommendation on potential Action Steps to be taken by the Philippine NPO (DAP), Philippine Government and your company/organization

To transform the education system and make it better, the Department of Education has launched the Sulong Edukalidad. This education reform agenda is a continual work in progress. My participation in the workshop will accelerate my contributions to the Sulong Edukalidad. The four potential action steps that I can undertake are as follows:

First, I will strongly support the integration of digital literacy, critical thinking, innovation in the K to 12 Basic Education Curriculum. To transform our economy, we must start early in exposing our students to concepts that will help them think of novel solutions to address complex problems .

Second, I will continue to support the improvement of the learning environment in order to bring out the best in every learner. Relative to this, I will advocate for a combination of online, classroom learning, TV/Radio based instruction or what we call blended learning. This learning delivery will likely become the new normal as we look ahead to the task of educating our students for the future

Third, as teaching is a special calling, I will push for a better management of our human capital development. I will continually support our Department in finding at ways to provide capability building activities for the upskilling and reskilling of our teachers. Through a transformed professional development program, teachers will be more equipped with 21st century knowledge and skills that will reinforce their competencies and dedication to educate Filipino learners.

Fourth and finally, I will support out Department in establishing a closer collaboration with our relevant stakeholders. We will also strengthen and deepen our collaboration with Philippine NPO (DAP) when it comes to productivity enhancement. Such collaboration is crucial as we need APO experts to orient our teachers and school leaders in the various APO Programs: Industry Transformation, Agriculture Transformation & Future Food, Smart Services and Smart Public Sector.

The COVID 19 pandemic has been very challenging because it has disrupted the way we do things. But there is a good reason for me to believe that the new knowledge, ideas, insights and inspiration I have gained during the workshop have increased my commitment as public servant as I prepare myself from the new normal to a new future.

Submitted by:

DR. ALMA RUBY TORIO
Assistant Secretary, Curriculum and Instruction
Department of Education
Email: alma.torio @ deped.gov.ph

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