Central Mindanao University Academic Paradise of the South
Two senior education students of Central Mindanao University (CMU) are currently undertaking their international teaching internship at Takpittayakhom School in Thailand, gaining valuable cross-cultural experience and bringing CMU’s brand of excellence beyond Philippine borders.
Ms. Angela De Castro Moral, a fourth-year Bachelor of Physical Education student, and Ms. Honey May Guardaquivil Sevilla, a fourth-year Bachelor of Secondary Education major in Mathematics, began their deployment on December 1, 2025, and are expected to complete their internship on February 28, 2026.
Moral is assigned under the Mini English Program, handling Health, Physical Education, and Occupation and Technology. With competencies strengthened by CMU’s training in dance, sports, martial arts, and fitness, she applies her preparation in a multicultural classroom.
Meanwhile, Sevilla teaches Basic Mathematics and described the internship as transformative.
“I would describe my internship experience here as enlightening, in a way that it opens my mind to various aspects such as teaching, support, and opportunities,” Sevilla shared.
She cited language as a primary challenge and emphasized adaptive strategies.
“It is quite difficult to instruct and teach because of this problem. As a solution, I use visuals and keywords, explain slowly, and sometimes my Thai co-teachers help translate the lesson into their language,” she added.
The value of international immersion, according to Dr. Joanne E. Bermillo, International Relations College Coordinator, goes beyond classroom exposure.
“Student internships provide pre-service teachers with international real-world experience, bridging academic knowledge and professional practice while enhancing their career readiness. At the same time, they solidify CMU’s reputation by fostering global school linkages, improving graduate employability, and showcasing the university’s commitment to internationalization,” Bermillo emphasized.
Their deployment marks the fourth batch of face-to-face interns sent to the Thai partner school. During the global pandemic, the institutions sustained cooperation through two batches of internship engagements, demonstrating the resilience and shared commitment of both parties to continue academic collaboration despite mobility limitations.
The internship program operates under the Memorandum of Agreement, first established in 2018 and renewed in 2024, providing a continuing framework for collaboration in training, supervision, and professional exchange. The agreement ensures that pre-service teachers receive structured mentoring, appropriate classroom exposure, and systematic evaluation while immersed in a foreign educational environment.
Under the partnership, CMU is responsible for selecting and endorsing qualified interns, ensuring their readiness for international deployment, monitoring their progress, and maintaining close coordination with the host institution.
Takpittayakhom School, in turn, provides classroom placements, assigns cooperating teachers, conducts orientation on school policies and culture, and supervises the interns’ day-to-day teaching responsibilities. The host institution further strengthens the interns’ capability through feedback and guided immersion in Thailand’s education system.
The sustained exchange between CMU and its Thai partner reinforces the University’s strategic direction toward internationalization and contributes to Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4 (Quality Education) and SDG 17 (Partnership for the Goals) by promoting inclusive and globally relevant teaching and learning opportunities. (Iyren D. Neri with information from the College of Education)
