31st ICDE World Conference 2027
Philippines Site Visit
Cebu and Metro Manila, 20.-28. September 2026
The ICDE Secretariat visited the Philippines, as part of preparations for the 31st ICDE World Conference 2027. The programme combined visits to central conference sites, Knowledge Dialogues and exploratory meetings with government, academic and diplomatic partners across the region.
The aim was to introduce the conference, strengthen connections with relevant stakeholders and contribute regional perspectives to discussions on resilient, inclusive, scalable and sustainable learning systems.
In Cebu, the delegation met with the Cebu Provincial Government, the Cebu City Mayor, the Royal Norwegian Consulate and the University of the Philippines Cebu.
These conversations explored how local stakeholders can help welcome the international education community to Cebu in 2027 while showcasing the Philippines’ leadership in open, distance and flexible learning. ↓
The delegation also visited the conference venue Shangri-La Mactan, providing a valued opportunity to work closely with our conference hosts University of the Philippines Open University (UPOU) and advance planning ahead of the 2027 flagship event.
Together, the Cebu engagements connected preparations for the event with a broader effort to involve local institutions and communities in shaping the conference experience. ↓
Knowledge Dialogue Cebu
The Cebu programme culminated in a Knowledge Dialogue on Resilient, Inclusive, Scalable and Sustainable Learning Systems, hosted at UP Cebu on 23 September.
During the Knowledge Dialogue, resilience emerged as a particularly important theme, with participants sharing examples of its growing relevance in local education settings.
As extreme weather events become more frequent and severe, learning is increasingly disrupted: schools close, infrastructure is damaged and communities face prolonged uncertainty. ↓
Participants pointed to innovative practices helping education systems across the Philippines adapt and recover.
These experiences offer valuable lessons beyond regional borders. Learners and institutions worldwide face similar pressures, creating opportunities to learn from one another and adapt promising approaches to different contexts.
We will build on these discussions as we look towards the 2027 World Conference, under the theme “Reimagining Education for a Sustainable Future”. ↓
Extending the Dialogue to Manila
Following the Cebu programme, the delegation travelled to Metro Manila, where the focus broadened to national and regional organisations.
Meetings with the Royal Norwegian Embassy, the Department of Foreign Affairs, the UNESCO National Commission of the Philippines and SEAMEO INNOTECH underscored the importance of international partnerships in advancing global educational priorities and opening opportunities for collaboration well beyond the conference itself. ↓
Knowledge Dialogue in Manila
The programme continued at the Asian Development Bank headquarters, beginning with a workshop with the ADB Education Community and staff and followed by the second Knowledge Dialogue under the theme accompanying the World Conference in 2027.
Lifelong learning emerged as a strong thread in the national perspective. Dr. Joane V. Serrano, Chancellor of UPOU, spoke about the country’s evolving lifelong learning policies and UPOU’s role in strengthening the open and distance learning ecosystem through leadership and capacity building.
Government and institutional leaders echoed this, calling for more flexible pathways into and through education. Learn more.
UPOU’s leadership in quality online and flexible learning was further recognised at an official ceremony at the House of Representatives, where UPOU and the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) signed a Memorandum of Agreement to implement the ACHIEVE APL Executive Program.
The partnership aims to strengthen competency-based assessment and expand lifelong learning opportunities in Philippine higher education through blended and open, distance, and e-learning (ODeL).
31ST ICDE WORLD CONFERENCE
The Journey Ahead
The site visit marked an important milestone on the road to the 31st ICDE World Conference 2027 in Cebu, Philippines.
As education systems respond to growing demands for accessibility, lifelong learning and digital transformation, the Philippines offers experience well worth learning from. Its approaches to resilience and flexible pathways speak to pressures that learners and institutions face worldwide, and we look forward to carrying these lessons into an international context.
In 2027, the global open, distance and flexible learning community will gather in Cebu to share practice, learn from one another and reimagine education for a sustainable future.
We hope you will join us.