Strengthening English Teaching Across Borders: NDMU–MLC Thailand Capacity Building Program Begins

The Capacity Building Program for the teachers of Marist Learning Centre (MLC), Thailand has officially commenced, marking a significant milestone in the continuing partnership between Marist Learning Centre–Thailand and Notre Dame of Marbel University (NDMU), Philippines. The program formally opened with its first online session held last December 4, 2025, featuring Ms. Leofer Fernando-Roxas, NDMU Language Teacher as the first lecturer.

The opening session set the tone for a series of rigorous and enriching professional development activities aimed at strengthening the English language proficiency and pedagogical competencies of MLC teachers. Ms. Roxas spearheaded the first lecture focusing on Grammar and Language, setting a strong academic foundation for the participants.

In the succeeding online sessions, the class will be handled by distinguished faculty members of NDMU, namely Dr. Caroline Abaigar, Laguage Teacher and Dr. Ma. Magdalena Cobrador, Dean of the College of Education (CED). Ms. Roxas and Dr. Abaigar will jointly facilitate the Grammar and Language components of the program, while Dr. Cobrador will lead the sessions on Approaches in Teaching the English Subject, ensuring that both content mastery and instructional strategies are thoroughly addressed.

The entire program is being facilitated by Dr. Wilter C. Friales, Internationalization Officer of NDMU, who also delivered the General Orientation and Program Overview to the participants. Dr. Friales emphasized the broader goals of the program, its international collaborative nature, and its alignment with MLC’s instructional priorities.

The Capacity Building Program is implemented through a hybrid design, combining both online and face-to-face  learning modalities to ensure flexibility and intensive skill development. It consists of two (3) months of online sessions followed by a five (5)-day face-to-face training scheduled on April 26–30, 2026, to be held at the Marist Learning Centre in Bangkok, Thailand.  The one-week face-to-face session in April 2026 will serve as the culminating and revalidation phase of the program, allowing participants to demonstrate their learning through actual classroom application, mentoring, and instructional demonstration activities.

This program forms part of NDMU’s continuing thrust on internationalization, faculty development, and global academic engagement. Through this collaboration, both institutions affirm their shared commitment to teacher excellence, instructional innovation, and learner-centered education across cultures and borders. As the online sessions continue in the coming months, MLC–Thailand teachers can look forward to a comprehensive, practice-oriented training experience that will not only strengthen their teaching competencies but also enrich the overall learning experience of their students.