Words and photos by Frederick D. Almeida, CAPSU Public Information Office
Exchange students from Capiz State University (CAPSU) gathered to share their international teaching experiences during a Testimonial Program held at the Central Administration Boardroom on April 27, 2026.
Organized by the Office of the Vice President for External Affairs and Linkages (OVPEAL), the event honored 21 students from CAPSU’s nine campuses and satellite colleges who represented the university in the 11th Batch of Southeast Asia (SEA) Teacher Exchange Student Project of the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization (SEAMEO).
From January to March 2026, the students were deployed to various host universities in Thailand, Vietnam and Indonesia for a 28-day immersion program.
Dr. Salvacion J. Legaspi, Vice President for External Affairs and Linkages, congratulated the students for successfully completing their overseas teaching assignments. She encouraged them to share their experiences, emphasizing that their insights are vital to further strengthening the program.
University President Dr. Efren L. Linan framed the program not just as an achievement, but as a perspective-shifting opportunity. “I do not look at SEA Teacher as a trophy or a display. I look at it as a window. A window that let our students see how education lives in other places. And a window that let others meet the kind of learner that CAPSU helps shape”.
Dr. Linan further challenged the students to carry these values into their future careers. “I hope you bring with you the best parts of your SEA Teacher experience: the courage to adapt, the humility to keep learning, and the confidence that grows from trying, failing, adjusting, and trying again.”
During the program, students presented video highlights of their classroom engagements and related activities and delivered personal testimonies reflecting on their experiences. They also expressed their gratitude to CAPSU and their mentors for the opportunity and for guiding them while abroad. Each of them appreciated the important lessons learned and the positive character that they have shown while teaching in a foreign country.
Yeshua Regan M. Pascua, a student from Mambusao Satellite College, fittingly described the weight of their experience: “When you go to other countries, you bring CAPSU and the Philippines with you.”
The program concluded with the awarding of Certificates of Participation and Completion. Vice President Legaspi was joined by Campus Deans and EAL Chairs in recognizing the students’ hard work and successful representation of the university on the global stage.